A Breton has imagined a small button designed for elderly people behind the wheel. But will it become mandatory?
Driving is not as trivial an action as one might think, especially since many road users are more or less at risk or fragile. This is for example the case for young drivers, but also for older people. Indeed, you should know that inexperience is not the only cause of particular behaviors on the road: advanced age can also be a factor of vulnerability. This observation inspired a Breton entrepreneur to launch a specific badge for senior drivers.
A distinctive sign for the elderly
Benjamin Job, resident of Pluvigner, in Morbihan, created a green macaron marked “AG” (for “Age”) to indicate the presence of an elderly driver behind the wheel. His company, Job & Co, now markets this sticker designed to attract the attention of other motorists and encourage more respectful and patient behavior towards them. The idea came to him during an incident on the road, as he told the newspaper Le Télégramme. “As I arrived at a roundabout, I got angry when I saw a motorist stopping well before the give way. As I passed him, I realized it was an elderly person, looking uncomfortable. This made me think: how could we protect these drivers, reduce the risk of accidents and encourage courtesy on the road, for all users? “. This autocollant “AG”circled in green, thus meets a need for signaling for drivers who, although often cautious, can be more vulnerable or hesitant when faced with hazards on the road. Particularly during this period of return of winter, which is particularly dangerous.
A future obligation?
This initiative recalls a system that has existed for several years, but is little known: macaron “S” for seniors, offered by Road Safety. This voluntary sign allows seniors to signal themselves and generate more patience from other drivers. From time to time, rumors circulate about a possible obligation for drivers over 70 to put this badge on their vehicle. However, Road Safety regularly refutes this idea, insisting that it is a voluntary approach. The debate on the usefulness of such mandatory signage for seniors remains open. While some believe that an “S” badge could improve safety, Road Safety underlines another aspect: older drivers have statistically fewer accidents than other age groups. According to her, if seniors represent 25% of people killed on the roads, while they make up 19% of the population, this high proportion is largely explained by their physical vulnerability.
In fact, they are often more seriously injured in an accident due to their fragility in the face of equally violent shocks. Benjamin Job’s initiative therefore raises questions about road signs and cohabitation between generations of drivers. If an “AG” badge can encourage courtesy, it also highlights the need to raise public awareness of the reality of elderly drivers.
Source: www.autoplus.fr
