Road safety is crucial for all drivers, but as drivers age, physical changes can impact driving abilities. Despite a steady decline in fatalities on South Australian roads over the past decade, older drivers remain disproportionately overrepresented in road trauma statistics.

In 2024, 90 lives were lost on South Australian roads. Of these, 43 were individuals aged 60 or older. Additionally, 219 people aged 60 or older sustained serious injuries from crashes.

The South Australia Police Road Safety Centre’s leading road safety education program provides a vital role in reducing road trauma. The program features a range of free road safety sessions tailored to road user age groups and road user types that bring awareness, knowledge and skills that help keep the roads safe.

In the upcoming Road Safety Centre sessions for older road users, police facilitators will address the unique challenges faced by older road users for people aged 70 and above and the families and friends of older people.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about the Australian Road Rules, explore the Fatal Five causes of road trauma, learn the advantages and challenges of motorised wheelchair use, pedestrian safety and driver fatigue.

Whilst the session will not assess a person’s fitness to drive, participants will also discover a range services that can provide assessments.

The ‘Empowering Older Road Users’ road safety session is held at the SA Police Road Safety Centre in West Beach and at off-site locations hosted by local councils across South Australia.

Register for the 30 May 2025 session at the Road Safety Centre, West Beach, via Eventbrite’s “SA Police Road Safety Centre” page or email SAPOL.RoadSafetySection@police.sa.gov.au.

To arrange a session in regional South Australia, submit a request to your local council to partner with the Road Safety Centre team in providing a session.

Explore more SA Police Road Safety Centre programs via www.police.sa.gov.au.