Anew advertising campaign, the first of its kind in South Australia, will target the over representation of older drivers in serious injuries and lives lost and on the state’s roads.

People aged over 70yrs make up 13% of the population yet account for 23% of lives lost and 13% of serious injuries on our roads.

In the period 2015-2019, on average there were 23 lives lost and 94 serious injuries amongst senior road users each year.

SAPOL’s Media Road Safety Unit has developed a mass media advertising campaign to educate older drivers and their families on how to recognise the signs of increased vulnerability and reduce the incidence of road trauma amongst the older driving cohort.

GP’s will also be targeted with the life-saving messages, encouraging them to start conversations with their older patients.

State Operations Service Officer in Charge Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said although older drivers tended to be more cautious, exhibited less undesirable driving behaviour and were involved in fewer crashes, the crashes they were involved in often had more serious consequences.

“Older road users can be experiencing cognitive decline, reduced physical capability or responsiveness, fragility and other medical challenges, all of which compound the inherent dangers of using the road,” AC Parrott said.

“We want to empower older drivers and their families to talk about reducing the risks of driving if it’s becoming more stressful, more scary and therefore, less safe.

“We have developed this campaign with the utmost respect for older South Australians and with the understanding that independence is an important part of an older person’s lifestyle.”