Street roots
14
Feb. 18, 2011
Older adult mobility crisis requires solutions, not denial
BY MARGAUX MENNESSON
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T
n March 2008 Peter, age 80, and his wife
Nancy were walking from their car to a
doctor’s appointment at Legacy
Emmanuel Hospital when a man backing
out of a parking space hit them. They both
fell. Nancy broke her arm. Peter’s right
hand, the bones
and skin already
weakened by age,
H E M ,T H Y
poor health, and
years of manual
Bicycle
labor, was
Transportation
crushed
Alliance
underneath the
car’s tire. The
man driving, also
older, did not see
them on the ground as the car rolled
backwards.
Luckily, doctors were close. They said
Peter would probably keep his hand, but he
would require multiple surgeries and extra
care at home. Nancy would be taking on
additional duties as primary caregiver for
Peter while managing her own health and
injuries. The extended family came together
to ask: Who can pitch in to help? Who will
drive them to the doctor, to the store, to go
out to dinner? Is there anywhere they can
walk? Is it safe to walk?
Walking is a perfect form of
transportation for all ages. Walking provides
moderate physical activity and stimulates
our brains. While we walk we explore, we
witness, we enjoy our surroundings. The
simple act of walking makes us healthier
physically and mentally, both significant
benefits for aging populations. Yet our
streets* are designed to contradict these
Values at the very foundation of oiff
I
STREETBEAT
Healthy Streetbeat is a
monthly column for
Street Roots written by
the Bicycle
Transportation
Alliance (BTA). Our
contributors are Rob
Sadowsky, executive
director, and Margaux
communications
director.;
communities. Walking is healthy and good,
but it’s not always safe.
The streets are getting safer for driving,
and for bicycling. But in a disturbing new
trend, while overall traffic crashes and
fatalities are going down, pedestrian crashes
are on the rise. Nationally there were more
pedestrian fatalities in 2010 than in any of
the previous five years. Pedestrian fatalities
also rose in Oregon and in Portland, with 55
, and 15 fatalities, respectively.
The trend disproportionately affects
vulnerable populations, including older
adults. Older adults are less likely to drive
and more likely to walk than do other types
of physical activity. However, walking is
riskier for older adults than for any other
age group. Older adults account for 18
percent of all pedestrian fatalities - the
highest fatality rate of any age group.
Why is walking getting more dangerous
for everyone? Often (but not always) the
media puts blame on walking behaviors such
as poor visibility, distracted walking,
intoxication level, walking where one should
not walk, or even walking at all.
,
But statistics show that older adults, who
are most at risk, who make up one-fifth of
all pedestrian fatalities, do not exhibit those
behaviors.
Officials attribute many of the deaths to
poor visibility, reinforcing the importance of
wearing light or reflective colors when
walking on the roads. But according to a
2008 national traffic safety study, 80 percent
of all traffic fatalities involving older adults
occurred during the daytime.
Cell phones are cited anecdotally and in
the media, but officials say the real threat is
behind the wheel. Digital distractions like
texting and emailing are not typically
attributed to older pedestrian behavior.
Alcohol is a factor in 42 percent of
pedestrian fatalities, but older adults have
the lowest proportion of intoxication levels.
So is it right to conclude that older adults
are putting themselves at risk by walking
where they should not be walking, or by
walking ait all? Or should we conclude,
rather, that our community is not built to
meet the safety and mobility needs of
growing numbers of older adults and other
vulnerable populations without other
transportation options?
The challenge to keep up with issues
specific to pedestrian safety and mobility
with growing numbers of older adults is
compounded by urbanization patterns and a
weakened economy. We must address these,
problems now, or face a mobility crisis.
The crisis already affects families. After
the crash Peter’s daughter said, “As much
as I was relieved they were OK, I was
terrified. Dad could have just as easily been
behind the wheel as under the car. I know
they shouldn’t be driving, but they don’t live
within walking distance of anything. If I take
away their keys, I take
away their mobility.
And then I’m the one
driving them around.” Inst as we're concerned
The mobility crisis
about fixing our society's
has a ripple effect
economic and societal
Psychiatrists warn of
the societal burden on structures to accommodate
grown children-tumed- the aging population, so too
caretakers.
do our streets need fixing.
Economists warn of
the burden on Social
Security and
Medicare. Still, we
force every family to make hard decisions
about how to protect their grandparents’
mobility. We continue to deny the older
generation the right to accessible, safe
physical activity. We overlook the
community’s interest in reducing health
costs now.
Just as we’re concerned about fixing our
society’s economic and societal structures
to accommodate the aging population, so
too do our streets need fixing.
Collectively, we can take action. We can
make public investments in safe, healthy
streets and livable neighborhoods. We can
build broad support throughout the
community and empower vulnerable
populations to speak up for their needs.
Everyone has an interest in safe, healthy
streets and livable neighborhoods. These
changes will benefit people who have
parents and grandparents, people who walk,
people who ride bikes, people who drive, .
people who have kids. We are all facing the
same, not-so-distant future.
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