AAA Roadwise Review - A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer
Frequently Asked Questions

Roadwise Review is a tool that enables older drivers to identify and address physiological changes which could affect driving. This program is a scientifically validated screening tool developed by AAA and noted safety researchers, which helps seniors drive safely longer by letting users screen for their driving health just as they screen for their medical health.

Roadwise Review was created as part of AAA’s Lifelong Safe Mobility campaign. By 2030, one in five people will be 65 or older. In response to the changing demographics, AAA launched the Lifelong Safe Mobility campaign to help seniors stay both safe and mobile. Working with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, as well as aging and transportation organizations, AAA promotes solutions such as senior-friendly road design, screening tools, education for seniors and their families, and supplemental transportation.

Roadwise Review is designed to be used in the privacy of your own home. Once you have completed all eight of the screening measures, you will have an opportunity to print or save your results. If you quit the program without printing or saving your results they will be lost. You may choose to share your results with a friend, family member, or physician, but ultimately you have complete control over who is privy to your results.

To get a copy of the Roadwise Review CD, contact your local AAA branch or click here.

Roadwise Review provides recommendations for drivers who have measurable losses in safe driving ability. Although the tests in this program have been scientifically validated against thousands of other seniors’ results, each individual is unique. Depending on the measure and the level of impairment, a user may be referred to a physician, Occupational Therapist, or a Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist. For instance, poor results on a vision test might suggest visiting an optometrist. If a user does not have a measurable loss in a safe driving ability, he or she will be asked to use their results as a baseline against which they can measure future changes in driving health.

For the best results, Roadwise Review should be completed once or twice a year to help you notice slight changes in your safe driving abilities. Remember that a mild impairment, detected early, can often be remediated. This will help keep you driving safely longer.

Older drivers are experts in knowing how to drive safely. As we age, though, we begin to lose some of the visual, mental, and physical abilities that make it possible to handle the demands of everyday driving. Since the screening program is focused on these abilities, Roadwise Review will be of greatest value for seniors. However, if a young driver has experienced a measurable loss, RWR will indicate the severity of that loss and make appropriate recommendations.

It is important to note that Roadwise Review does not measure driving skills, it measures safe driving abilities. Many situations in everyday driving demand good vision, clear thinking, and a degree of physical strength and flexibility, to safely control our vehicles. Scientific research shows that a serious loss in any one of the abilities screened by this program can significantly increase your crash risk. Roadwise Review includes examples of common driving situations where specific impairments can cause safety problems.

The decision to drive or not to drive for a senior will often involve many people. It may be necessary to discuss the issue with the spouse, other family members, and health care professionals such as a doctor or driver rehabilitation specialists, in order to determine whether it is time to find other forms of transportation. A health care professional, depending on the state, may also refer the case to the state’s Medical Advisory Board to determine under which conditions it is safe to drive, or whether it is safe to drive at all.

To find a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist in your area, visit the membership directory on www.aded.net. CDRS's are listed by state. You can also visit www.aota.org/olderdriver to learn more about the occupational therapist profession as it relates to older drivers.

AAA is dedicated to keeping senior road-users driving as long as safely possible. When it is not possible for seniors to drive, AAA is also committed to promoting viable transportation options for seniors such as supplemental transportation programs. See the AAA Foundation website www.seniordrivers.org for more information.