NASHVILLE, TN - Did you realize this week marks Older Driver Safety Awareness Week? From December 1–5, 2025, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office is leading a statewide effort to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving older drivers. The campaign highlights the unique challenges seniors face behind the wheel and offers practical tips to help families and communities support safe driving habits.

“Although older drivers are the most experienced drivers, they are also highly vulnerable to the risks of the roadway,” explained THSO Director Buddy Lewis. “As we age, we all can experience changes that affect our driving capabilities and confidence behind the wheel. The THSO is working to help protect older drivers by spreading awareness.”

National data underscores the urgency. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that traffic crashes are more harmful for older adults due to age-related fragility and medical complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds that drivers aged 70 and older have higher crash death rates per 1,000 crashes compared to middle-aged drivers. In short, older adults are more likely to die in collisions that younger individuals might survive.

Martha Pack, an occupational therapist and driving rehabilitation specialist in Tennessee, emphasized the importance of monitoring age-related changes. “Vision, physical fitness, and reflexes may decline, and medical conditions or medication side effects can cause safety concerns. By recognizing these changes, drivers can adjust their habits or consider alternative transportation.”

The THSO encourages older drivers to stay current with annual vision exams and medical check-ups, remain alert to changes in driving behavior, and avoid driving under the influence of medications that impair alertness. Families are urged to watch for warning signs such as slower reflexes, confusion, or unexplained vehicle damage.