Initiative details
Slovenia is a country with a lot of small and very dispersed settlements where public transport does not cover the needs of mobility. 2 million inhabitants have as many as 1.2 million cars. The proportion of older drivers (61+) is 28% and is growing. For elderly, the car is a source of autonomy, mobility and a building block of social inclusion. Drivers in this age group are the most common drivers of fatal accidents, most often in which they die themselves. During their driving career, cars, infrastructure, road rules, driving dynamics have changed and new forms of mobility have developed.
Initiative date
to
Who was/is your target audience?
Adults
Seniors
Car drivers
Topic
Knowledge building and sharing
Create awareness
Organisation details
Zavarovalnica Triglav
Enterprise
Slovenia
Ljubljana
Contact name
Ana Cergolj Kebler
Telephone number
+38631334494
ana.cergolj@triglav.si
Website
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
The project has been extremely valuable to us with strong professional support from a long-time partner in content and programs for drivers, avto-moto zveza Slovenia, which is the leading Slovenian organization for the development of knowledge for mobility (includes driving school, safe driving polygon, mobility programmes). Their team of instructors, who are specially certified to work with older drivers, was in an advisory role during the preparation phase of the project and they were a contractor during the course of the journeys.
On the ZT vozimse.si, which is dedicated to safe mobility, we highlighted the content for older drivers, and we stressed the importance of restoring driving skills. Among the members of partner organisations for the elderly, we sought out ambassadors and recorded video content in which they openly talk about changing driving over the years.
To get as close as possible to older drivers, we organised rides in three Slovenian regions (to correct errors on the roads where they drive every day), each driver carried out the ride with his car (the instructor helps them to learn about the car's assisting systems). Each driver had already received information with the name of the instructor before driving, and before driving, the drivers were taken by a friendly colleague, who unleashed any tremors, raised any fears, and after the end of the journey each driver received a personalised diploma and praise for their driving and bravery.
On the ZT vozimse.si, which is dedicated to safe mobility, we highlighted the content for older drivers, and we stressed the importance of restoring driving skills. Among the members of partner organisations for the elderly, we sought out ambassadors and recorded video content in which they openly talk about changing driving over the years.
To get as close as possible to older drivers, we organised rides in three Slovenian regions (to correct errors on the roads where they drive every day), each driver carried out the ride with his car (the instructor helps them to learn about the car's assisting systems). Each driver had already received information with the name of the instructor before driving, and before driving, the drivers were taken by a friendly colleague, who unleashed any tremors, raised any fears, and after the end of the journey each driver received a personalised diploma and praise for their driving and bravery.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
On the basis of a thorough analysis of a very specific target public and clear objectives, we have designed a communication network of activities. Together with our partners, we have developed a long-term, individualized, recognizable, measurable and free program for drivers that could become a model for collaborating with older drivers in Slovenia. In preparing our communication strategy and materials, we were constantly paying attention to the analysis of the fears and motives of older drivers in this area. The core part of the project was supported by a strong awareness-raising campaign that promoted dialogue and a number of materials for the renewal of driving knowledge.
Evaluation
What has been the effect of the activities?
More than 2,000 older drivers have signed up for individual refresher rides in three cities, which is far above the campaign's expectations. 700 of them made individual rides.
The opinion survey (N=506) showed that the proportion of respondents who believe that renewing driving skills for older drivers is urgently needed has increased from 24% (in 2020) to 38% (at the end of 2022).
In the roundabout category, where as many as 58% of drivers showed lack of knowledge, 42% of participants made progress. For speed this was 25% and for safety distance 18%.
The share of drivers who do not experience driving as stressful increased by 21% (from 38 to 59%).
The opinion survey (N=506) showed that the proportion of respondents who believe that renewing driving skills for older drivers is urgently needed has increased from 24% (in 2020) to 38% (at the end of 2022).
In the roundabout category, where as many as 58% of drivers showed lack of knowledge, 42% of participants made progress. For speed this was 25% and for safety distance 18%.
The share of drivers who do not experience driving as stressful increased by 21% (from 38 to 59%).
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
Older drivers are often an overlooked group that seems to be more difficult to attract into the re-learning process, as we quickly fall into the trap of classical teaching, which is not suitable and untied for this age group. The Refresher Driving campaign therefore established a start for a respectful dialogue with older drivers, based on a thorough study of their habits, needs and fears. This information has been combined with years of experience of field driving instructors. In this way, we have established a unique partnership of two disciplines and brought together knowledge and experience.
Older people responded with confidence and a mass response. It is also one of the first actions of its kind, where older people have been able to renew their knowledge individually, free of charge, in their own place, in their car – that is, on the roads where they most often drive.
The refresher driving campaign for the elderly went beyond the objectives in the field of raising awareness among the general public about the importance of older people on the road and in the direct impact on the safety of older drivers in Slovenia. 40% of drivers estimated that they had been given important new skills for situations that had previously been put into difficulty in driving on a daily run.
Older people responded with confidence and a mass response. It is also one of the first actions of its kind, where older people have been able to renew their knowledge individually, free of charge, in their own place, in their car – that is, on the roads where they most often drive.
The refresher driving campaign for the elderly went beyond the objectives in the field of raising awareness among the general public about the importance of older people on the road and in the direct impact on the safety of older drivers in Slovenia. 40% of drivers estimated that they had been given important new skills for situations that had previously been put into difficulty in driving on a daily run.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
Media communication was an important part of the strategy, because we wanted to be the trigger for positive media announcements about the importance of fitness to drive for older people. In order to encourage the media to open up the the subject of tolerance towards older drivers, selected journalists were invited to the challenge by consulting the Anatomy of Driving Older People. We put them in an outfit that simulates signs of aging of the body (impaired vision and hearing, stiff joints, limited mobility) and invited them to drive and talk about the experience.