Opinion: Knowing when to turn in the keys

On Saturday, Feb. 27, an 89-year-old driver struck and injured a local 15-year-old boy. The driver, who did not realize he had struck the boy until he read a news report describing his vehicle, will be charged by the Darien Police in connection with a hit-and-run accident. Unfortunately this is a common story across the nation and one that highlights why the transition away from driving is a serious -- and growing -- social and safety issue in this country.

Ours is a society that relishes freedom, and many seniors continue driving because they want to remain active, independent and connected to the people and activities that bring meaning to their lives. Today, people outlive their decision to stop driving by as much as a decade. Years have been added to the American life span, but our public transportation networks were not created to manage the needs of people throughout their lives -- particularly when it comes to seniors. Of the more than one million Americans over age 70 who stop driving each year, the vast majority have not planned for their transportation needs. Adult children and caregivers are faced with a difficult situation in helping an aging adult give up their keys when there are limited transportation options that duplicate the independence the driver has grown accustomed to.

In Connecticut, and across the nation, communities are addressing the limitations of existing transportation systems. We have responded locally by creating ITNCoastalCT, an affiliate of ITNAmerica, that will be an additional transportation option for seniors and visually impaired adults in Easton, Fairfield, Norwalk, Weston, Westport and Wilton in the fall of 2010.

ITNAmerica was founded by Katherine Freund after her 3-year-old son was seriously injured when he was hit by a car driven by an 84-year-old. She had an unusual reaction; instead of lashing out at the driver, she became angry at the system. Intuitively, Freund knew that crashes caused by older people were not the problem -- they were the result of a transportation system that wasn't meeting the needs of an aging population. In her determination to change that, the Independent Transportation Network was founded. What began as one woman's mission 20 years ago has become a sustainable solution across the country addressing a growing national problem. And now it is coming to our community.

By joining ITNCoastalCT, seniors can gracefully and responsibly transition from the driver seat to the passenger seat. Join, open an account and ride. You may ride with ITNCoastalCT before you stop driving, perhaps just riding evenings or in inclement weather. Rides will be provided in private automobiles, available 24/7 with no restriction on ride purpose. Volunteer and paid drivers, who will be fully trained and background checked, will help carry packages, fold walkers and open doors in our arm-through-arm, door-through-door service. With volunteer and community support, ride fees are approximately half the true cost of each ride, and our Road Scholarship program will be available to those showing financial need. Members will have the option of trading their own cars to pay for rides, and volunteer drivers will be able to store transportation credits for their own future transportation needs or credit their time towards the current needs of a member at any affiliate in the country.

We thank Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging, United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, and the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services for the support and start-up funding that has helped launch ITNCoastalCT. Membership and volunteer recruitment are planned for late spring 2010 and we anticipate rides beginning in the fall of 2010.

Life is a journey. The irony is that much of it is spent driving a car. Few of us think about, and even fewer plan for, the day when we will turn in our keys. I invite you to help address this important -- and growing problem by supporting ITNCoastalCT with your donations, your time and your referrals. If you are interested in making a contribution, working on this mission, becoming a rider, or volunteering to be a driver, please contact us at (203) 858-2001 or itncoastalct.org.

We look forward to safer roads while seniors remain healthy and active.

Leslie Wolf, President,

ITNCoastalCT Inc.