Older Drivers

The July 2017 Consumer Reports is worth reading.  An article by Michael Tortorello, entitled, "Driving Safer, Driving Longer" points out that more drivers over the age of 65 and even 85 are on the road than ever before.

He goes on to point out:  "Americans love to drive.  More than 75% of adults carry a driver's license including 40 million who are 65 or older. But driving is more than a passion or a pastime:  It's a lifeline.  Studies show that giving up driving increases a person's mortality risk and makes seniors more likely to land in nursing homes and suffer from depression.  Yet the average American man outlives his ability to drive by six years and the average American woman by 10 years."

There is a "senior transportation crisis" that is growing more and more urgent with time.  Presently, America has 45 million seniors 65 and older.  By 2030 there will be a projected 74 million seniors.  The problem for seniors is that other than having there own automobile, there is no way for them to get around.  This is especially frustrating for people without cars in the northern tier of New York.  It is very difficult for seniors, (and others without transportation of their own), to go from Gouverneur to Canton, or Potsdam, Malone, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, Chateaugay, Ellenburg, Plattsburgh, and all the points in between.  There is some public transportation that is very useful, but for people wanting to get from point A to point B when they want to go, most will find the public transportation inconvenient or restrictive.