Warning Signs of at Risk Drivers

“Your dad has been feeling dizzy, we’re going to the hospital to get checked out.” Ellen remembers how the simple call from her mom last year snowballed into her 71-year-old father going from the “quick” emergency room visit at the community hospital to an ambulance ride to the bigger hospital downtown. He had complained that he didn’t really need to go. Ellen was glad he did. He’d had a stroke. He would also need surgery on his carotid artery. The artery was almost completely blocked by what the doctors called plaque buildup, meaning not enough blood was getting through to his brain.

June is National Safety Month, an initiative created by the National Safety Council to highlight the leading causes of preventable injury and death so people can live their fullest lives. This year, the National Safety Council identified emergency preparedness, slips, trips and falls, heat-related illness, and hazard recognition as the 2023 weekly topics. All these topics can have a positive impact on older driver safety when coupled with resources from ChORUS.

• Emergency Preparedness

“Traffic fatalities are a substantial and preventable public health challenge in America. African-American and Hispanic Americans have higher traffic fatality rates per mile traveled than White Americans across the transportation system, requiring urgent attention,” according to Disparities in Activity and Traffic Fatalities by Race/Ethnicity by Matthew A. Raifman and Ernani F.