Area Agencies Highlight Traffic Accident Hotspots For Older Drivers
By David Madden
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- To mark what is called Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, area agencies are putting out their lists of some of the more dangerous roads for those age 65 and older.
AAA MidAtlantic, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, and other agencies want to show where there has been a large number of accidents involving senior drivers.
"They're not happening primarily on the Schuylkill Expressway or I-95," notes AAA spokesperson Jenny Robinson. "They're happening on local, heavy-traffic, commercial corridors."
Two examples: Grant Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia and Street Road in Warminster, Pa.
In New Jersey, troublesome roads include Route 70 in Cherry Hill and Route 42 in Washington Township. Those roads are near retirement communities, shops, doctors' offices, and similar destinations for older drivers.
The idea here is to make older drivers aware of limitations as they age and provide alternatives -- like special training courses -- that might help.
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From the AAA press release:
TOP CRASH CORRIDORS FOR MATURE DRIVERS, COUNTY BY COUNTY
Below are the top senior driver-related crash highways for each county in the Phila. region, past 5 years - 1/1/2008-12/31/2012. Ranked by number of crashes. Source: PennDOT.
- Delaware County: Route 3 (West Chester Pike), Newtown Township (between Bryn Mawr Ave & Route 252); 34 crashes, 29 injuries. Located here: Dunwoody Village Retirement Community, Newtown Square Shopping Center.
- Montgomery County: Main Street, West Norriton Township (west of Norristown); 33 crashes, 31 injuries. Located here: Senior Adult Activities Center nearby in Norristown; enroute to county seat and transit centers in Norristown; shopping centers at other end of corridor along Route 363.
- Bucks County: Route 132 (Street Road), Warminster Township; 31 crashes, 23 injuries. Located here: Ann's Choice Retirement Community, Walmart, other shopping centers; Warminster SEPTA station nearby.
- Philadelphia: Grant Avenue, Northeast Philadelphia; 28 crashes, 30 injuries. Located here: Senior Care of the Northeast, Walmart, Northeast Shopping Center, other shopping and business, intersection with Roosevelt Blvd; bus routes.
- Chester County: Business Route 30, East Caln Township; 18 crashes, 15 injuries. Located here: Downingtown Area Senior Center, Ashbridge Manor Senior Apts., Simpson Meadows Retirement Community, Wegman's, other shops/restaurants/movie theaters nearby.
