Driving Wellness Guide from The Hartford Helps People Drive Comfortably and Safely Throughout Their Lifetime
HARTFORD, Conn.--Driving means freedom and independence for many people – and provides opportunities to be spontaneous, social and vital. To help drivers of all ages carefully consider their driving skills, driving choices and their car’s safety, The Hartford Financial Services Group has developed a free guide -- You and Your Car: A Guide to Driving Wellness.
Debuting in conjunction with the American Occupational Therapy Association’s National Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, December 6-12, You and Your Car is based on more than a quarter century of original research into driving safety, including talking directly with older drivers and not just about older drivers. The guidebook provides practical information based on what The Hartford has learned and is aimed at drivers of all ages to help them:
- Recognize and respond to normal aging related changes as they occur
- Make gradual adjustments to their driving
The 35-page guide is free and available online at http://www.safedrivingforalifetime.com. The Hartford also offers other free publications; interactive tools, such as a crash risk assessment; warning signs to watch for; a driving wellness action plan; and an interactive blog community on the website.
“There has been much public attention around the question: ‘At what age should an older driver stop driving?,’” said Jodi Olshevski, gerontologist and assistant vice president of The Hartford Advance 50 Team. “This question often leads to an inaccurate and unproductive conversation,” she added. “It’s time to change the conversation and focus on the question: ‘How can older adults continue to drive safely for as long as possible?’ Our message is clear. You can control much of your driving future because safe driving is about your driving ability – not your age.”
Behind-The-Wheel Skills
You and Your Car provides information to help mature drivers ensure they are the best drivers possible, including an overview of self-assessment tools, driving safety classes, comprehensive driving evaluations, maintaining brain fitness and making smart driving choices.
“Safe driving is each individual’s responsibility. All drivers must make a personal commitment to do what it takes to maintain safe driving skills,” said Joe Coughlin, Ph.D., director of the MIT AgeLab. “The healthier and more physically fit we are, and the more we understand how our health conditions affect driving, the longer we will be able to drive safely.”
A Safe Driver’s Best Friend
You can’t drive safely without a safe car. Therefore, You and Your Car provides easy-to-understand information to help individuals make the right vehicle choices – whether it’s the car they purchase, the older car they maintain, the features they use as intended or the fit of the car for their body. These are all factors that make a big difference when it comes to the ability to be safe on the road.
The Hartford and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believe the most important consideration for choosing a vehicle should be safety. “It’s important for drivers of all ages to check out how well vehicles do in crash tests when shopping for a new car,” said Anne McCartt, Ph.D., senior vice president of research for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “This is particularly important for older drivers because, if in a crash, they are more likely to be injured or killed. Older drivers should check out the crashworthiness ratings of vehicles from crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Department of Transportation, and then shop for a car with these safety ratings in mind.”
For more information about ensuring safe driving at any age, consumers may visit http://www.safedrivingforalifetime.com. For more information about National Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, consumers may visit http://www.aota.org/.
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In the Driver’s Seat |
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Driving safely is about the driver and the driver’s car. |
| To be a safe driver: |
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-- Be a healthy driver – take care of your own health. |
| -- Keep learning. Consider a defensive driving course. |
| -- Adjust to changes in your driving skills as you age. |
| To ensure your car’s safety: |
| -- Choose the car that fits you – and consider safety. |
| -- Know your car’s safety features – and use them properly. |
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-- Maintain your car regularly. |
About The Hartford
Celebrating nearly 200 years, The Hartford is an insurance-based financial services company that serves households, businesses and employees by helping to protect their assets and income from risks, and by managing wealth and retirement needs. A Fortune 500 company, The Hartford is recognized widely for its service expertise and as one of the world’s most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.
About The Hartford Advance 50 Team
The Hartford is one of the few companies in the United States with in-house experts on aging. For over 25 years, The Hartford has employed gerontologists to advance the creation and delivery of research, educational materials and innovative business solutions to enhance the quality of life for the 50+ market.
About the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a nonprofit research and communications organization funded by auto insurers. For decades the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been a leader in finding out what works and doesn't work to prevent motor vehicle crashes in the first place and reduce injuries in the crashes that still occur. The Institute's research focuses on countermeasures aimed at all three factors in motor vehicle crashes (human, vehicular, and environmental) and on interventions that can occur before, during, and after crashes to reduce losses. Visit IIHS online at www.iihs.org.
About the MIT AgeLab
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab is a global research program based within MIT’s Engineering Systems Division and Center for Transportation & Logistics. The AgeLab conducts research on technology, behavior and innovation to improve the quality of life of older people and those who care for them. More about AgeLab’s research in transportation, health and wellness, and longevity planning is available at http://web.mit.edu/agelab.
About the American Occupational Therapy Association
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) advances the quality, availability, use and support of occupational therapy through standard-setting, advocacy, education and research on behalf of its members and the public. The contributions of occupational therapy to health, wellness, productivity and quality of life are widely used, understood and valued by society. Occupational therapists trained in driver rehabilitation provide a key component to the evaluation of older driver safety and rehabilitation. The AOTA Older Driver Safety Web site at www.aota.org/olderdriver is a valuable resource for occupational therapy professionals, other health care providers, consumers and caregivers.
The information in this news release is provided for informational purposes only. It is general in nature and not intended to aid in the analysis of individual driving situations. Readers are encouraged to consult with their family members and healthcare providers to analyze their specific needs related to driving and driver modification.
Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.
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