Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) in partnership with Transurban has developed an informative brochure on correct usage of seat belts for seniors. This follows research that shows on average, around 250 Australians aged over 65 die every year in car crashes, and more than 4,000 are hospitalised after a crash. Injuries sustained by elderly drivers are more severe than those in younger age groups. It is estimated that injury risk is nine times higher per kilometre in drivers 85 years and older compared to drivers between 25 and 69 years of age.
Keeping seniors safe on our roads should be top of mind says Associate Professor Julie Brown, and using the seat belt correctly will help reduce the risk of injury.
"At the heart of the safe systems approach is the understanding that humans have inherent frailties, both in terms of how our bodies respond in crashes and in our behaviours. The entire road system, including the vehicles operating in the system, must take these frailties into account," said Associate Professor Julie Brown.
"Cars are a primary means of transport for senior Australians. They provide independent living and enable social and community engagement and are particularly important where public transport is limited. Car safety is therefore a critical component of healthy ageing."
The Transurban Road Safety Centre based at NeuRA in Randwick NSW is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that allows researchers to study the frailty of the ageing human body, and to understand how vehicles and equipment can best protect us from injury on the road.
