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Features &
Articles : Living
Longer, Walking Stronger : The Design Needs of Senior Pedestrians
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Driving-Dependent, Living Independent
Today's
seniors are more dependent on cars, travel further by car and use
public transportation less. Most older Americans live in low-density
areas where driving is highly essential—30 percent reside in
central cities, 44 percent live in the suburbs and 26 percent make
their home in rural areas. And more and more seniors live alone, responsible
for their own transport.
"There's been a focus on what we do with older drivers in our aging
society and keeping older motorists driving as long as possible,"
notes David Harkey. "But we can't wait until older motorists are unable
to drive and then look at how to change things."
The situation looks grim for older persons who become unable to drive.
Neighborhood streets increasingly transform into high-speed arterials.
Streets have become less friendly to seniors and other pedestrians.
Citizens over the age of 65 continue to have the highest pedestrian
fatality rates.
Thanks to a lack of reliable public transit and streets that are easy
and safe to cross and walk along to nearby destinations, many seniors
who do not drive must depend on families, neighbors, friends or expensive
taxi services for rides—or remain homebound.
Thinking ahead, younger seniors like Ina Evans have already made walking
and public transit a part of their daily lives, combining these modes
of transport with driving. But it's up to designers and engineers
to help instill these habits by designing proactively to accomodate
the natural changes brought on by aging.
"If we try to improve design for seniors too late it's not successful.
Routines are in place that become very hard to break," Harkey says.
"When seniors reach the age where driving is no longer an option,
they should have already learned to also use other modes of transportation
and made a habit of using them. They'll be healthier for it, too."
Effects of Aging
Since the days of Peter Pan, people all over the world have been searching
for the proverbial Fountain of Youth. Today we try to postpone the
aging process with exercise, make-up, plastic surgery, special diets
and supplements, and—if you're Michael Jackson, sleeping in pressurized
oxygen chambers. Certainly older Americans are more health-conscious
than ever before. But we can't put off aging forever. When designing
for the older generation, engineers must consider a whole range of
conditions.
In general, the aging process causes a deterioration of physical,
cognitive, and sensory abilities. According to researchers at the
Federal Highway Administration, the NHTSA, and the University of North
Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, problems experienced by older
pedestrians can include in varying degree:
• Decreased visual acuity, poor central vision, reduced
ability to scan the environment
• A reduced range of joint mobility
• Reduced ability to detect and localize different sounds
• Reduced endurance
• Reduced tolerance for extreme temperature and environment
• Decreased agility, balance, and stability
• Inability to quickly avoid dangerous situations
• Slower reflexes
• Excessive trust that other motorists will obey traffic
laws
• Impaired judgment, confidence, and decision making abilities
What's more, seniors are more likely to experience restrictive disabilities
than other age groups. In 1994-5, 52.5% of the elderly reported having
one or more disabling conditions. And disabilities take a heavier
toll on the very old. Nearly three quarters of the over 80 population
reported having one or more disabilities.
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