Driving Safety Highlights For Elderly Drivers During Winter

HARRISBURG (KDKA) -- The Wolf Administration is highlighting driving safety tips for elderly drivers during winter.

Nearly a quarter of drivers in the state are 65 years of age or older.

Elderly drivers were involved in 21,746 crashes last year, with 330 of those fatal.

If you think it's time to take the keys away from your loved one, look for some signs.

Those include:

• Feeling uncomfortable, fearful, or nervous when driving
• Unexplained dents/scrapes on the car, fences, mailboxes, or garage doors
• Frequently getting lost and frequent "close calls" (i.e. almost crashing)
• Slower response times, particularly to unexpected situations
• Difficulty paying attention to signs and staying in the lane of traffic
• Trouble judging gaps at intersections or highway entrance/exit ramps

The Wolf Administration is also encouraging older drivers & their loved ones to review PennDOT's Seniors Driving Safely publication series. You can find it here.