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Talking with Fletch about Highway SafetyLet me tell you something about myself. I took my first driving test in 1933 and have been a driver ever since. Although I have been a pilot and flying instructor, most of my transporting and teaching time has been spent behind the wheel of a car. My life's work has been varied and interesting, and for forty years, the career path I chose involved me substantially in highway and driving safety. Now that I am one of the millions of senior drivers in the United States, I, like many others, wonder if I will recognize when my driving ability is becoming unsafe for me, my passengers, and others on the road.Yes, I have lost some of my physical and mental capabilities, but I know there are ways to help compensate for some of the changes we all experience as we grow older. The topics in this series will offer information, anecdotes, and safety tips to mature drivers. My hope is that, through sharing, we will all benefit and learn better ways to enhance our safety on the streets and highways. Cars, highways, and traffic have changed since my first drive. Major safety improvements have been made in the last forty years even as the number of cars and drivers on the road has increased four-fold. While it is true that the focus on the "aging of the baby boomers" has helped to shed light on the issues confronting older drivers, there is still much to learn. Most traffic engineers, highway designers, and law makers now realize that we are a large and growing population on the road. I invite you to share your experiences and explore with me the ways in which we may drive with safety until we decide to "hang up the keys."
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