Shownotes
We had the pleasure of talking with Kimberly Schwind, Assistant Director & Training Programs Administrator, Ohio Traffic Safety Office for the Ohio Department of Public Safety. And Angie Wise, Ohio Statewide CarFit Coordinator for the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, about important initiatives to support the mobility and safety of older Ohioans behind the wheel.
Here are 3 key takeaways from our conversation:
1️⃣ Self-Assessment: It's crucial for older drivers to regularly assess their comfort and capabilities on the road. Visit the Stay Fit to Drive website to access a helpful self-assessment checklist. Identifying areas of discomfort will allow you to adjust your driving habits accordingly and plan road trips during the day if night driving is a concern.
2️⃣ Improve Your Skills: Taking driving courses, such as those offered by AAA or AARP, can enhance your driving skills and help you adapt to new technologies in vehicles. Whether you love or find certain features tiresome, becoming familiar with technology will boost your confidence behind the wheel.
3️⃣ Community Support: Approaching the conversation of giving up driving can be difficult, but remember that numerous resources are available to maintain your independence. Driver rehabilitation specialists throughout Ohio can help evaluate your abilities, suggest alternative transportation options, and provide adaptive equipment if needed. Additionally, explore support within your community, such as neighbors, relatives, or spiritual community members, who may be able to serve as alternative drivers.
Here are the resources we mention in the podcast.
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Recorded in Studio C at 511 Studios. A production of Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.
Copyright 2024 Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson
Transcripts
We are Looking Forward Our Way from Studio C in the 511 Studios. That's in the Brewery District south of downtown Columbus, Ohio. Hi. This is Brett. We have heard all the jokes and likely made comments ourselves when the driver in front of us is poking along well below the speed limit. Well, what is Our first reaction is that that person's too old to drive. Well, today, we're going to explore the changes and improvements coming to our transportation systems So it is safe for everyone on the road.
Carol Ventresca [:Brett, we have 2 wonderful expert guests joining us today to provide a positive look At the programs and services that support older drivers, and chances are pretty good what supports older drivers is also supporting younger drivers too. So joining us today is Kimberly Schwind, assistant director and the training programs administrator, Ohio Traffic Safety Office, which is a division Of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Also, Angie Wise, the Ohio statewide CARFIT coordinator for the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging. Welcome to you both. Thank you.
Angela Wise [:So nice to be here.
Brett Johnson [: on the nation's roads in: Kimberly Schwind [:K. Well, I actually started my career as a broadcast meteorologist. Believe it or not, I worked in Zanesville at WHIZ, the Ohio News Network, and then WHIO in Dayton. And a lot of what I Ported on focused on keeping people safe during different kinds of weather, including, you know, driving and rain and snow and ice. So after 5 years, I left the media business and took a job at AAA Ohio Auto Club, and I was the spokesperson there. Worked there for 12 years. I talked with the media a lot about safety on our roadways. And a few years into my job there, I started overseeing our traffic safety programs.
Kimberly Schwind [: nt job actually in January of: Kimberly Schwind [: funds in federal fiscal year: Brett Johnson [:Cool. Angie.
Angela Wise [:I always thought that my career was going to be in physical therapy. I can still vividly remember the day that we had a, career fair at my high school, and a physical therapist came in and described what they did. And I was always interested in anatomy and science, but when I heard them speak and and how they could serve, older adults, I was like, oh, that's it. That's how I combine these 2 things. I, got my bachelor degree at The Ohio State University, and then I went to Hawaii for a year To become a physical slowdown,
Carol Ventresca [:go Bucks.
Angela Wise [:Yes. Oh.
Kimberly Schwind [:I l.
Angela Wise [:And then I went to Hawaii for a year To be a physical therapist assistant, because if it was only gonna take me another year, I said I was gonna go someplace with water. And then I came home and did my clinical in Columbus and, worked for a few years in a skilled nursing facility, and then I spent over working in home health. I took some time off when I had my son and when I was looking to go back into the workforce. CO triple a was hiring in their screening department, and I thought, well, that's a good way to allow me to continue to serve older adults. You learn a lot about an agency when you work in their screening department, and you have to tell every caller about the different parts of the agency. So I quickly learned that COAAA plans, funds, and delivers services that help older adults and individuals with disabilities remain safe and independent in their home. We serve 8 counties. It's Franklin County and then all of the counties that that touch Franklin County, and we manage services for approximately 14,000 people in those 8 counties.
Angela Wise [:Fun fact, CO triple a operates under Columbus Recreation and Parks. So I am a Columbus Rec and Parks employee, and I got to attend one of their all staff meetings. And let me tell you, they know how to throw an all staff meeting. I know. Lots of dancing.
Carol Ventresca [:Yes.
Angela Wise [:I think there is some positive shouting that happened. So I'm I'm, very proud that I get to be associated with them. I think they're doing great things in our city. I We spent 1 year in the screening department at COAAA, and that's when we received the grant to create this statewide CARFET coordinator position. And I thought that that is really what a great way to blend my career in physical therapy and my service to older adults.
Brett Johnson [:Very nice. So how long did you cry on the plane flying from Hawaii back to the state?
Angela Wise [:Just I was too busy carrying my box of pineapples I wanted to bring home to everybody in a box ripped when I was in the airport. And so
Brett Johnson [:Here in Hawaii. I don't know if I had to
Kimberly Schwind [:come back. Seriously.
Carol Ventresca [:Yeah. Really. Really? Yeah. I I yes. But you you know what I'm what I find so fascinating about all of this? Brett and I have done a lot of podcasts regarding careers and how people get into their careers. What fascinating paths you have both Yeah. Chosen Or have had an opportunity to go down those paths, but also who thought there would be so many opportunities about cars? Not not making them, not fixing them, but helping people drive in them. I I it I just Yeah.
Carol Ventresca [:Find this amazing That there that we have this industry, and you both have brought to it very different backgrounds and skills To your agency. So kudos to both of you. This is great.
Kimberly Schwind [:So Thanks.
Carol Ventresca [:Anyway okay. So let me keep moving on here. There are many reasons that any person can lose their ability to drive, not just because they got old. There could be in a medical emergency, a physical limitation, lots of things. With older individuals, it's inevitable that physical and cognitive changes occur, which could affect driving skills. Tell us what to look for. What changes begin to occur that we may notice in ourselves or a loved one, and How can our medical professionals help us to continue driving?
Kimberly Schwind [:Yeah. So I'll start off. So first of all, I I wanna make sure that everybody understands that when when Talking about older drivers, you know, the goal is really to keep people driving as safe as possible as long as possible.
Carol Ventresca [:Exactly.
Kimberly Schwind [:And when we look at, the data for you know, and you you mentioned the traffic safety industry or profession. When we look at the data, we know that older drivers are typically safer drivers when you compare them 2 other age groups. So they that means that they take fewer risks behind the wheel. They're more likely to Wear their seat belt, less likely to text and drive, less likely to drink and drive. But they are more likely to be injured or killed if they're involved in a crash, and that's simply because of age related changes. And so some of the things to look out for so some of these, you know, age related changes or normal common risk factors Can include changes in vision, hearing, strength, reflexes, and memory. So for example, when we talk about vision, you might notice as you age that all of a sudden it seems harder to see at night. And that's not your imagination.
Kimberly Schwind [:So eye specialists have actually estimated that the retina of a 60 year old Typically receives about 1 third the light of a 20 year old's retina. So you do need more light. Right. So it does get harder to see at night. And so it's really important to stay aware of different changing physical abilities and to adjust driving habits accordingly. You know, maybe avoid driving at night or limit your trips. Some of those things, you know, are are really you can take into your own hands. It's also important To understand that different medical conditions and certain medications may also impact somebody's ability to drive safely.
Kimberly Schwind [:So older adults with 1 or more suspected or known medical conditions should Talk to your doctor. Really, if you're concerned, the best place to start is your doctor. If you're prescribed a new medication, You need to ask the questions. When you go to get that prescription at the pharmacies, they're not going to tell you this may impact your ability to drive. You have to know to ask those questions.
Carol Ventresca [:Because needless to say, we can't read the directions on the medication package because None not even a 20 year old can read anything that small.
Kimberly Schwind [:Well, it and it might say, careful when operating heavy machinery, and you think, I don't operate a forklift. Exact well, that means a car too.
Carol Ventresca [:Right? Yeah.
Kimberly Schwind [:A lot of people don't realize that there's things called driver rehabilitation specialists, and there's they're located throughout the state of Ohio. And so you If you talk to your physician, they you know, if you have concerns about your driving, or maybe You have concerns about a loved one's driving. A doctor can refer you to a driver rehabilitation specialist, and these Specialist work with people of all ages and abilities to explore alternative driving and transportation solutions. So they're not necessarily going to Take away your keys. Maybe you need adaptive equipment. Right? So they could help you with that. So they have professional backgrounds in occupational therapy, a related health field and or driver education, and they've completed additional training and education to become Certified in driver rehabilitation. So they're going during an evaluation, they're going to take a look at The skills of someone who might have a disease or condition that maybe is affecting their driving.
Kimberly Schwind [:So their evaluation has 2 parts. They're going to first evaluate the physical and mental abilities of that person that are required to safe driving. So things like computerized testing or a simulator. And then they're going to do a behind the wheel evaluation, and they're going to look at the ability to get in the car, maybe adjustments for equipment, things like seats or mirrors, they're going to look at, can you start the car? Can you control the vehicle while you're driving? You know, some people with arthritis with kind of the the old keys, I don't know if you have a a key. Sometimes it's hard to turn that key, or maybe it's hard to grab the seat belt so they can look at things like that. And then based on the results, The specialist may recommend adaptive driving equipment, aids or adaptive tech techniques or Some driver rehabilitation training. They may also recommend transportation planning to help those drivers retire from driving Or consider driving cessation. Again, that's always really the last resort.
Kimberly Schwind [:We wanna make sure that people are driving again as safe as possible as long as possible.
Carol Ventresca [:Let let me, clarify. So the an individual can get An evaluation from a driver rehab specialist just through their doctor, so it's like getting a prescription to get physical therapy.
Kimberly Schwind [:So yes. So the doctor can refer them to one of these driver rehabilitation specialists. And, actually, we have more information. There's more information on the website. It's transportation.ohio.govforward/olderdrivers. And I think we'll we'll provide that that resource, and there's Julie, a whole we have a whole document that overviews kind of what a driver rehabilitation specialist is and what they can do and how they can help you and How do you you know, is it covered by insurance and and all the questions that you might ask along with a list of different driver rehabilitation specialists around the state. So that Information is on our website.
Brett Johnson [:Well, I can't really stay with you. Your work focuses on the policy making needed to keep all drivers Safe on the road, but particularly older drivers. The US Department of Transportation provides funding, and then the Ohio Department of Transportation Creates and updates the state's strategic highway safety plan. There are a lot of pieces to this plan, but Part of it does cover the safety of older drivers. Can you give us an overview of this work?
Kimberly Schwind [:Yeah. So that's true. So the Strategic highway safety plan is actually a multiagency plan that's aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. So what is this plan? Well, it's every state actually has one of these plans. It's required by federal law. And ODOT, the Ohio Department of Transportation, oversees the plan with a multiagency steering committee. So I serve on the steering committee, and then whatever's identified in this plan is eligible for funding. So it's a 5 year plan, so it goes on 5 year cycles.
Kimberly Schwind [: The current cycle is: Brett Johnson [:Kinda based on the last 5 year cycle.
Kimberly Schwind [:Based on the data from the last 5 year cycle, and we continue to monitor it. So the steering committee meets Quarterly and reviews the current data. And and, you know, what are we seeing? What are the trends? What areas do we have to focus on? The older road users is actually one of these 14 emphasis areas. And so I lead this emphasis area, and we have a fantastic team that also assists in this. We've we've broken it the older road user emphasis area down further into kind of four focus areas. So we focus on infrastructure Structure that can help older adults. You know, we talked about vision before, so lighting, certain things with the roads. We also focus on medically at risk drivers.
Kimberly Schwind [:So, again, that's kind of part of that certified driver rehabilitation specialist. And what do you do if you're concerned about somebody's driving ability. We talk focus on alternative transportation, you know, planning for that driving retirement and, you know, what are alternative methods that people can get around? Because we wanna make sure that people stay mobile, and then education. And so that's where where Angie fits in and that outreach, and and really trying to Educate people on not only the efforts of the older road user emphasis area, but also different resources and tools that they can use to help themselves.
Carol Ventresca [:This is, I'm a little off off base here. Not something that we've talked about, but just hit me. Does does that group work with automakers to talk about the design of bill of cars? Is that at all part of the mix?
Kimberly Schwind [:It's funny you should mention that because Angie and I were actually just Talking about that and how automakers have come such a long way. And, I know we're gonna get into car fit here in a minute, but we actually had Some, of the engineers from Honda be trained in CarFit to learn about the program. So, it yeah. So if, you know, if they can understand what are the the ways that we're trying to help older drivers, then, You know, maybe they can design cars.
Brett Johnson [:They recognize that market is there to buy more vehicles too, which is smart on their part Yep. To keep them buying cars that are
Carol Ventresca [:Older drivers have more money to to to pay for new cars. Right. But I can remember the my first Car, I was only what? In my twenties, but I'm kind of short. And when I sit, I'm short. And luckily, my cousin sold cars. So he I went over to see him, and he goes, this car will work for you. He's like 62. I'm not even 54, And we both fit in it was a Volkswagen.
Carol Ventresca [:And they made these cars so that they were adaptable to people by height because a lot of cars Are based on what men of 6 feet.
Kimberly Schwind [:Well and that's where, you know, you'll have people that say, you know, the husband always drives, and he drives a big truck. Right? And He always drives. And then he passes away, and the wife is left with this big truck Right. That It's very difficult for her to drive. I have a hard time driving my husband's truck, so I would not wanna be stuck driving that.
Carol Ventresca [:Right. Right. But but, so well, good. I'm glad I wasn't too far off base. Now the other question I have for poor Kimberly, I asked her this as we were talking When we first started thinking about doing this podcast, so whose brilliant idea were roundabouts? And how do we think that older adults, Anyone can get through a roundabout without killing somebody.
Kimberly Schwind [:Well, I actually I did some research I'm actually good. That is so I work for the Department of Public Safety, and and ODOT, they have a lot of resources on roundabouts. So we, You know, we were sister agencies, so we work very closely together. So reached out to our friends over at ODOT. So so, basically, when we look at roundabouts, roundabouts Actually have a huge benefit. Mhmm. I know people don't wanna hear that, but they the data shows that they reduce Fatal and serious injury crashes by 82% compared to a traditional two way stop controlled intersection. They also reduced fatalities and serious injuries by 78% compared to a signalized intersection.
Kimberly Schwind [:So according to ODOT, roundabouts are designed to operate at lower speeds, 20 to 30 miles per hour. The geometry of a roundabout helps to prevent high angle crashes like t bone crashes or left Turn angle crashes, which which are more traumatic, right, cause more serious injuries and death. That's a good point. Yep. And then roundabouts reduce Potential conflict points in an intersection to 8 opposed to 32 in a traditional 4 legged intersection.
Carol Ventresca [:Interesting.
Kimberly Schwind [:So whether you like them or not, then I
Brett Johnson [:I like them because it keeps traffic moving. That's okay. Yeah. It reduces the amount of time you have set a stoplight or you get you know, that's because it's not a a well designed Four point stop, that sort of thing. And, like you said, somebody blowing through on a yellow to a green or red yellow to red light, which I'm seeing more and more of, just mind boggling, That's, like, I got I'm gonna take get through this sort
Angela Wise [:of thing.
Brett Johnson [:Right. I I have no problem with them now. At first, it was a little bit odd, but it's like but I think they
Kimberly Schwind [:are very young. Education.
Brett Johnson [:It does. It does. And and go
Carol Ventresca [:through a few times.
Brett Johnson [:And
Carol Ventresca [:I think the reason that some of the statistics are that it's so much safer is that I've talked to more older adults who basically will go will drive any way they can to stay away from a roundabout.
Kimberly Schwind [:I have heard that as well. We do we did put some resources on on the website of for navigating roundabouts. But, I mean, yes, the purposes of them, they all They are safer. They also, you know, keep that traffic moving. They calm traffic. You know
Brett Johnson [:I do have to say that was probably the when our kids were learning how to drive. That was probably the last leg of Lem learning to drive when we were driving with them is to go through a roundabout.
Angela Wise [:This is not as prevalent here in Ohio as
Brett Johnson [:it is in other states coming. You're looking at 2 lanes coming in and and negotiating. It's a lot for a 16 year old brain to figure out Until they're ready with other four way stops, that sort of thing. It was the last thing we negotiated was was the roundabout. And once they got through, we went, I can do this. I can yes. You bet you can. You know? That's right then.
Carol Ventresca [:Yeah. It really is very dependent, I think, on the signage. Yes. You know, the better and clearer the signage, the easier it is. Yeah. Well, Kimberly, thank you for doing that research. I know I put her on the Buck.
Brett Johnson [:Bill, that's great. I have no idea.
Angela Wise [:Ask for something about roundabouts? Sorry. Because I feel like we have to talk about Caroline Griffiths and her 1 woman show to convince everyone about how fabulous roundabouts are. Caroline provided me
Kimberly Schwind [:all this time to find the one to see
Angela Wise [:right to her. So we have
Carol Ventresca [:to give a shout out to her.
Angela Wise [:Caroline, I bet. Oh, that. I've been doing outreach with the Safe It to Drive program at local, senior expos and and senior fairs, and Caroline has this roundabout rug, and people have opinions on roundabouts. And it only takes about 10 seconds of listening to Caroline for her to convince you how amazing that they are. So if you see a stay fit to drive sign, Please come to the table and and talk to Caroline, and she will convince you about how wonderful they are.
Kimberly Schwind [:We had that at the fair, and it was yes. It was very interesting Staying to hear all of the opinions, and I heard many people that say that they do not go to to a random they will drive 10 minutes Out of the way to avoid. They do. So maybe they need to talk to Caroline.
Carol Ventresca [:Yes. I always whenever I go through a roundabout and I'm sort of, you know, gritting my teeth, I remember going to Paris back in 19 eighties, and they have what's equivalent to a roundabout, and it's around the Arc de Triomphe, I think, and it's like 14 lanes.
Brett Johnson [:4 centimeters.
Carol Ventresca [: r. So CARFET was developed in: Angela Wise [:Okay. Well, we like to say it is free, fast, and fun. And when I'm asked to describe what it is, I always like to start by describing what it is not. So it is not a test of your driving ability. We're not trying to take away your keys. We're not talking at all if you can continue to driving. It's not a mechanical inspection of your vehicle. I haven't been asked yet About this Addacar Fund event, by here it happens, so I'm just waiting for that.
Angela Wise [:But it is an educational event Where we provide information to drivers to help them fit more safely and comfortably in their own vehicles. Drivers it's a it's a pull through event. Drivers arrive in their car, and then a trained technician goes over a 12 point check list with them where we discuss items such as seat belt placement. A lot of drivers don't know that our seat belts are adjustable. Making sure that you're sitting at least 10 inches from that steering wheel in case the airbag deploys during a crash, adjusting your mirrors to eliminate blind spots. And then my role as the statewide CARFET coordinator is to just create some connectivity between the volunteers throughout the state, and to serve as a a resource and point of contact for them, we've had about 31 events so far this here, and we have about 19 more. So I'm really excited to get out, across the state and and see how Everyone's doing their CARFED events and how we can just really have an opportunity to present this to more drivers.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. I think that's really important that you realize that the program is not to take your keys away. Right. It is actually the opposite.
Angela Wise [:Yes. We just want to give you the information about how you can feel comfortable in your car.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. I think that's that's huge. That's huge. So I wanna stay with you, Angie. There are other programs available to older drivers such as triple a's mature operator course. That's a state approved course to enhance driving skills for those over 60. Triple a also has the triple a Roadwise driver online, which is defensive driver training. If a member of our audience wants to ensure that they are driving safely.
Brett Johnson [:What should they first do and then take what steps they should take to utilize All of these resources.
Angela Wise [:I think the first thing that a driver can do is to take a self assessment. So we have a self assessment checklist on the Stay Fit to Drive, website. I think it might be easier for us to ask ourselves the questions of what might be making us feel uncomfortable when we're driving versus when someone else tells us what they think is making us uncomfortable as a driver. So you can take that self assessment checklist. You can kind of identify What items might be making you uncomfortable, such as driving at night, and then you can address your your driving accordingly. And maybe you're not you're planning your road trips during the day, And you're not driving, at night. The next step, as you said, is you could take one of the, driving courses from AAA or AARP. P.
Angela Wise [:And then if you feel like you need some additional assistance after that, that's when you could seek out, a driver rehabilitation specialist. I myself have taken the AARP smart driver tech workshop online. I was noticing that when drivers were coming to CARFED that they were answering yes to all of my questions about vehicle technologies. All these new cars have forward collision warning and Lane departure warning, and my car does not. So I went and I I did the AARP course so that I could become more familiar with these These technologies that I'm seeing so often, in the vehicles that are coming to CarFit events.
Carol Ventresca [:Did have I would I wanted to ask, did have you found Clients who are coming to CarFit events, having more issues because of the new technologies or fewer issues.
Angela Wise [:It's a toss-up, really. So some people really love it, and they feel like it it is providing, a lot of Feedback to them that they might not have been aware of before. I do hear that people have said that they've turned off their technology because they're Tired of it telling them that they look drowsy or the one where it adjusts the steering wheel for you, but it when I hear that, that's when I encourage them to go and and to take those classes so that they could become more familiar with the technology that their their vehicle offers. This information is all online. But if you don't feel comfortable navigating it online, you can always call your local Triple a, the American Automobile Association, or triple a, your area agency on aging, and we can talk about Different plans across your your driving span.
Kimberly Schwind [:Angie, what was the car we were just talking about? You said somebody came in, and they said their car fits itself to them, and this is new technology. So back kinda back to your automaker question.
Angela Wise [:Yes. It's the Genesis. It it you input your height and the your the distance to
Kimberly Schwind [:what is it? It's The steering wheel?
Angela Wise [:No. It's your like, how how deep in the seat that you fit.
Kimberly Schwind [:Okay.
Angela Wise [:And then it will adjust your seat who
Carol Ventresca [:for you. The Genesis?
Kimberly Schwind [:We looked it up. We looked it up. It was Hyundai Yes. But it looks like it's become its own car brand. So it's an offshoot of Hyundai. Interesting. Luxury car brand, the Genesis. So I I found that fascinating that, you know, we're getting to the point where, you know, we have CarFit that we're helping to fit the vehicle to keep you as safe as possible and to reduce that Mhmm.
Kimberly Schwind [:Chance of Risk of injury or death if you're involved in a crash, but now automakers are doing that for you to get you that safest Fit in your vehicle. So that was just And it
Brett Johnson [:and it's considered a luxury item too, which kinda sucks.
Kimberly Schwind [:I mean, you said it's kind of ground Groundbaker.
Brett Johnson [:Good. Yeah.
Kimberly Schwind [:Well, then, you know, you can't if you don't have a Genesis, come and see come to a CarFit event, and we'll do it for
Brett Johnson [:you for free. Usually, those those modifications start at the higher end, then they kind of drive you know, they come down to the lower ends because they realize, okay, it becomes cheaper and cheaper to install, put in. So So maybe we'll start. Yeah. That's really interesting. I know that a lot of the a lot of cars have that memory that you can tell it where, driver 1.
Kimberly Schwind [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:And, but it's not that. Saying that the best spacing. Exactly.
Angela Wise [:You have to set it yourself. But so I think that's coming. Kimberly and I were also just talking about this. I attended Morpsey, the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission's transportation safety forum yesterday, And doctor John Bolti was talking about how he hopes that car manufacturers start making this In all cars, because he said, why do you have to be rich to have a car that's gonna keep you safe? It's really an equity question. Mhmm. And so, you know, hopefully, we'll start Seeing that in a few years. Change takes time, but I'm I'm an eternal optimist, so I I look forward to that day.
Carol Ventresca [:It but it didn't take, Car manufacturers very long to adapt things like, you know, the rear the the the video or the camera in the back and the camera on the side. And it started At that luxury level, but it quickly got down to all of the Absolutely.
Brett Johnson [:But, you know, you're also fighting the 10 year gap that we typically don't buy new cars, But every 10 years. Yeah. So you're you're fighting that as well. Mhmm. You know? So you drive your car for 10 years. It you know, my wife and I got new cars 2 new cars this past year, and it's, and and, again, we are we are at that total mindset. We drive it till it dies, but then amazed at the The the changes and all the safety stuff in 10 years in these and and we still bought a used car, but it's a couple years old. But just that change in what we had in the new car we got, it's like, Oh my gosh.
Brett Johnson [:There's a whole new world in this car,
Kimberly Schwind [:for sure.
Carol Ventresca [:So, Kimberly, tell us a little bit about the policy changes that you see coming around To help older drivers and what you know, the what are the next steps for the strategic plan? What's gonna be coming about?
Kimberly Schwind [:So a lot of the Strategic highway safety plan, the older road user emphasis area. I don't know if I would call it policy changes as we you know, we have this this wide group, from, You know, different backgrounds and and, you know, the public sector, the private sector, all working together on different action items. So, you know, I told you that there's kind of We we separated it into 4 buckets. So in terms of our education efforts, so look for more with the Stay Fit to Drive campaign. So if you haven't heard of Stay Fit 2 Drive, hopefully, we can get the word out and and and get more information out there about that. We've just updated the website. Again, that's transportation.ohio.govforward/olderdrivers. I know it's kind of a long one.
Kimberly Schwind [:So we're going to continue to provide more information on the website for older drivers, family members, caregiver caregivers, Really answering those those questions that people want to know. We're also putting, you know, more fact sheets, the driver rehabilitation specialist fact sheet on the website. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office will continue to provide those federal NHTSA funds for Angie's position and the CARFET coordinator statewide CARFET coordinator program, really, You know, just working to to get the word out. We have booklets, Stay Fit to Drive booklets that we are passing out at community events that have a lot of Great information in them as well, and you can find all those resources on the website. When it comes to alternative transportation, On the website, you'll find safe routes to age in place toolkit. So, basically, this is for communities, that are looking to put together a plan To help older adults to age age in place. Right? So you they don't wanna move out of their house, but, you know, maybe they Need alternative transportation options, and and how how can you make communities more walkable, more more friendly to people that maybe have to take public transportation? So all of those types of issues that that you might wanna consider. Also, when it comes to the medically at risk Drivers, there is a program called Doci.
Kimberly Schwind [:That's driver orientation screen for cognitive impairment, And that is being integrated into the peace officer training course. So DOSE is a tool For law enforcement that was developed, by the training, research, and education for driver safety Treads in the University of California with the California Highway Patrol. So it was developed in California. It's a series of questions that helps law enforcement officers identify drivers with cognitive impairments Once they've ruled out drugs or alcohol, so they ask a series of questions based on the score. They determine whether that person could be cognitively impaired, and then it will provide next steps. So okay. You determine somebody maybe is Cognitively impaired, what do you do from there? And so that's being integrated into the peace officer training here in Ohio. So Law enforcement will know how to handle it and what to do, if they find somebody could be cognitively impaired.
Kimberly Schwind [:We've also placed information on the BMV website for physicians. So what do physicians do If they are concerned about somebody's driving, so that's that's a question that a lot of physicians don't really know what to do when we're telling people to go to their physicians, so we have to educate
Brett Johnson [:the physicians.
Kimberly Schwind [:You know, when it comes to infrastructure, just Working on continuing various infrastructure improvements that improve driver safety in general, as well as older drivers. So Improving the use of roadway features such as curves and mediums and edge lines, and then helping to aid older drivers with decreased Depth perception and contrast to the reception by using techniques, a whole list of them, you know, the edge lines, Hey. Reflective pavement markings, raised pavement markings, post mounted delineators and chevrons, bike friendly Center and edge line strips and optimal materials, all the all those, you know, engineering Things that that you can do.
Carol Ventresca [:Those those bits and pieces add up.
Kimberly Schwind [:They really do. And and ODOT's, you know, really taking a look at this And taking a look at how can we use some of this money from the strategic highway safety plan to help with some of these. So So ODA is is really looking into this and is really focused on this as a whole. We mentioned it earlier that What we do to help older keep older drivers safe will help all drivers. Right. Right?
Brett Johnson [:Right. Mhmm. Yeah. For sure. Well, yeah, I know, dear listener, you know we had to go here, but there are many hard things we have to do as an adult child, but we got to ask our parent To give up driving and taking away the keys. So if you have a family member, a friend, or neighbor you fear is not driving safely, what can you do? And what tips Do we have that, you know, we can all use to ease that person into realizing that danger, they face for themselves and others if they continue to drive? I'm gonna assume I'm gonna start with Angie. You both may have different perspectives because of who you talk to and and and see. What what do you what do you think about that? What have you seen or have heard or would advise what's the best approach?
Angela Wise [:Well, first, I think that we're so lucky to be living in an age where we have so many different resources available to us. We are living in a time when you can order your groceries online and get those delivered straight to your house, same with meals, prescription medication. So there it's a difficult conversation, but I, Fortunately, we have some alternatives. So, you know, we wanna start off by Being very respectful of the person and and knowing that when you when you lose your ability to drive, that's the one of the biggest losses of in of independence that you can have. Right? So that's why we do wanna do all of the things that we can first to get them to drive longer. But then we can start by looking at our community around us. Is there a neighbor close by or a relative or someone in your, your spiritual Community that can be an alternate driver for you. That's one step.
Angela Wise [:You can call your area agency on aging To talk to them about transportation options, a lot of them, you do have to meet a a level of care, But there are county levy programs here in Franklin County. We have Franklin County senior option. So I would encourage people if they're looking for transportation resources To call and speak to them to see what's available to them there.
Brett Johnson [:Correct me if I'm wrong. What I'm hearing you say is possibly the best way to do this is Look for some alternatives. Look for solutions before you approach the subject.
Angela Wise [:Absolutely. Have a plan. So I I think Kimberly already said that researchers are Saying that we're going to outlive our driving retirement by 10 years, so all of us have the opportunity to make a plan for what that's gonna look like when we're no longer able to Right.
Brett Johnson [:Right. Yeah. What do you think, Kimberly?
Kimberly Schwind [:Well and in the in the stay fit to drive booklet, there's actually some information on this, and that's why this is a really helpful resource for For families. So one of the things it says is to stop, look, listen, and act. Okay? So Stop. Never scold an older driver. Right? So you you wanna be supportive, like Angie said, and kind and and, you know, understand what they're going through. You wanna look, so take a ride with them, analyze their driving skills as objectively as possible. Listen. Really listen and try to understand their concerns.
Kimberly Schwind [:And then act is work together to create a transportation plan. So this may be with a physician. It may be with a driver rehabilitation specialist, other professional, Or other family members. So making sure that really using that empathy. Right? Under understand what that must be like if you You can no longer drive instead of getting frustrated and just taking their case. Because one day, it's gonna be you. Right? It's gonna be all God willing. Right? It's gonna be all
Brett Johnson [:of us. Right? You know, and so, therefore, you'd want to I think we would wanna model for your kids that you handled this for your you know, it kinda goes down generation to generation, I would think.
Carol Ventresca [:Kimberly, tell us the name of that booklet again.
Kimberly Schwind [:So it's a Stay Fit to Drive booklet. And on the Stay Fit to Drive website, we have there's a link, that you can actually download that booklet. Okay. So you can download it. We pass it out at community events, but, that booklet and all
Carol Ventresca [:the information is on the website. So now that person is no longer driving, what services, programs, resources exist to help them get around? They may not. You may not live near your parent, and they need help, with transportation, like going to the doctor, grocery shopping, church. We've Talked a little bit about that, but do you have any other tips?
Angela Wise [:Yes. There is the free go high mobility website To find local public transit and other transportation options in your community, that website is www.gohiocommute.com. There are mobility managers throughout the state. They're not in every county, but they're in most counties. You can get in contact with your mobility manager, and they can help you find ways for you To, get around in your community.
Kimberly Schwind [:There also, you know, some older adults might be eligible for meals on wheels. So we talked about yeah. You can get your groceries is delivered. Right? But, you know, maybe that's that's too expensive. Right? So you can get Meals on Wheels as a program that delivers hot meals at a low cost. So you can contact your area agency on aging to see if if you qualify for that program.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. I was gonna say that the CO triple a are your you know, a local area agents on aging a is designed to to help answer the questions.
Angela Wise [:Absolutely. We they say that we are the front door to all of your aging questions. We're a one stop shop for any aging questions that you might Have. So, yeah, please call us. You'll get directed to the screening department. I'm no longer there, but there are lots of amazing people that are, and they can help answer those questions for you.
Carol Ventresca [:I I think the most important message that we've got today is to let the listeners know that if they're having an issue or one of their loved ones or Friends or neighbors is having an issue. There are resources.
Angela Wise [:Absolutely.
Carol Ventresca [:So before they are in fear of giving up their keys, Lots of steps to take, lots of resources to take advantage of. And, listeners, we will have our resources sheet Listed, in included on our, website so that you'll be able to go back and see all of this, including How to download the, the new the the booklet that Kimberly has told us about, the Stay Fit to Drive booklet.
Brett Johnson [:So we wanna thank both of you for spending some time. Obviously, both your schedules are busy, so we're glad we got you here and knowing what's coming up in the next couple of months as we record. It's a busy time. So thanks for both of you coming in. We've we've never been able to cover this topic. We've talked about this a lot in regards to who do we talk to, who do we talk to. And I think we talked about it before the CARFET program and and everything's been put into place. So this is great timing, and this has been fantastic.
Brett Johnson [:So As we do with our guests, love to have you leave some last words of wisdom that, maybe to encapsulate what you just talked about or something that maybe popped in your head that you didn't get Day before, but, Kimberly, let's start with you, Inger. It's just that that that gem that you can walk away with for this podcast.
Kimberly Schwind [:Yeah. I think that, you know, when people hear us It's talking about this. They they get an adverse reaction like, oh, gosh. They the state just wants to take away my keys, and I just want people to understand that that's not true. Our Our goal is to help keep people safe, keep them driving as long as safely possible, and mobile thereafter. And so we continue to work with community partners across the state to try to implement programs, that that can help people. Resources, programs, you know, CarFit is an amazing program, and it People don't really understand what it is, but, once you understand and once you go through one, You can see how much it benefits not only older drivers, but all drivers. And We are so excited to have Angie here, in this state to to expand this program so that more people, Well, more Ohioans can experience it and can be safe and reduce their risk behind the wheel.
Kimberly Schwind [:Mangi.
Angela Wise [:Well, thank you, Kimberly. I just want people to know that there are a lot of really brilliant people here in Ohio that are working on ways to try to decrease traffic fatalities, and I include Kimberly in that list. There are Vision Zero programs throughout the state. There's 1 in in Columbus, so I encourage people to go and check that out. People are working on on trying to make it safe for people to get around in their cars and as pedestrians as well.
Kimberly Schwind [:Yeah. And vision 0 means 0 deaths on our roadways. And, you know, in Ohio, we lose an average of 3 people a day in fatal crashes. And that's that's just not acceptable. And so we are working to do everything that we can To protect Ohioans on our roads and and keep them safe.
Carol Ventresca [:Goodness. You know, Brett, this has been incredible. As you said, we have really looked at this issue As a potential podcast topic since we started the podcast. And, really, thank you both so much. Our experts, Kimberly Schwind from the Ohio Department of Public Safety and Angie Wise from the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging. Thank you so much for joining us today and discussing this really important topic. Listeners, thank you for joining us, and do not forget to check our show notes On the website for contact information and the resources that we've discussed today, you can find all of this information at looking forward our way .com, and we're looking forward to hearing your feedback on this and any of our podcast episodes.
