#88: OT and Driving with Ganesh M. Babulal

The population of the United States is older than it has ever been. 

And, by 2050 the older adult population (>65 years) is projected to increase another 47% (from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050). This will transform many aspects of our society—and one change we need to prepare for is:

The safety of older drivers. 

Because by 2050 the older adult population (>65 years) will make up 25% of all drivers.

You may be aware that our youngest, newly licensed drivers are the most likely to be in a crash— but it is older drivers who are more likely to be in a fatal crash. 

In our featured article from JAMA gives a high-level overview of the complex driving needs of an older population—and tucked inside you’ll see OT’s role in helping to address these needs. 

After we review the article, we’ll welcome one of the article’s authors Ganesh M. Babulal, PhD, OTD, MSCI, MOT, who leads the DRIVES Project at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Through this project he is working to understand how preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) impacts driving behavior.

You can find more details on this course here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-and-driving

Here's the primary research we are discussing:
Addressing the complex driving needs of an aging population.