Road deaths in America, and more specifically, road deaths in America involving older drivers with diminished driving skills are very preventable. Keeping Us Safe’s Strategic Highway Safety Initiative is designed to do just that; prevent these unnecessary tragedies from ever happening.
Researchers indicate that governments should treat traffic deaths like a public health issue, or a preventable disease, and that more widespread planning in this way could significantly reduce fatalities.
That is where Keeping Us Safe comes in; we can help your political subdivision (municipalities, counties, states) develop and implement a plan to help reduce the incidence of older driver-related traffic fatalities. We offer a holistic approach to solving the complex problem of reducing older driver-related fatalities within your community.
Our programs can be tailored to help fulfill the mission of your Vision Zero, Road to Zero, and Toward Zero Deaths initiatives, and can become a valuable component of your statewide or local Traffic Safety Plan or Safe Communities initiatives, and traffic safety initiatives in general. As well, our programs are effective in all economic levels and social classes.
Working Together to Prevent Roadway Tragedies
Solving highway safety concerns is a very big undertaking, and can not be accomplished by any one entity. At Keeping Us Safe, we understand, recognize and appreciate the value of collaboration. Keeping Us Safe is very proactive in working with government entities and elected officials, researchers and safety planners, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to accomplish the greater mission. These valuable relationships can be used to reinforce existing partnerships, develop new partnerships and to create further opportunities for everyone involved.
After years of development and application, Keeping Us Safe offers an array of valuable tools and methods that will help reduce older driver-related traffic fatality rates. These tools are available at both the state and local levels and are beneficial to both rural and urban communities and all political subdivisions.
Although the mission of Keeping Us Safe remains very focused on the issue of older driver safety, our programs can, by extension, have an intangible effect on other areas of highway safety (pedestrian safety, bicyclist safety, safety belt usage rates, etc.).
To learn more about this life-saving initiative, please visit https://www.keepingussafe.org/strategic-highway-safety-initiative/.
Matt Gurwell is the developer of the nationally-recognized “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program. He currently lectures throughout the United States on topics related to the aging process and its adverse affects on driving skills. As developer of this life-saving program, Matt’s mission is to provide strategies and guidance to seniors that will help them to continue driving safely until the decision is made to retire from their driving career. The “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program also provides an excellent array of services and resources for both families and professionals as they deal with this very sensitive issue. Matt retired from a very distinguished and successful 24-year career as an Assistant District Commander with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. After leaving the Patrol, Matt has participated in a tremendous amount of work in the area of older driver research, best practices, current vehicle safety technologies, and adaptive equipment. Matt's creative, innovative and common sense approach, combined with his uncanny ability to bring calm and resolve to stressful situations without ever jeopardizing the dignity of others, has contributed greatly to the success of the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program. When asked what the ultimate motivation was for starting the program, Matt explains: "There was never one particular event. It was the result of 20-plus years of holding dying people in my arms at terrible car accidents, and delivering dozens and dozens of death notifications to families. I would much rather work with families to bring a peaceful resolve to this sensitive and uncomfortable issue now, rather than have them deal with it when a State Trooper is knocking on their front door". Matt serves as Senior Care Authority’s Program Director for the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program. Senior Care Authority (https://www.seniorcareauthority.com) is now the nation’s exclusive provider of the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program.
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