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Older driver safety week in Fla. is observed

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida officials are raising awareness of the impacts of aging and driving.

The Florida Department of Transportation and the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition kicked off Older Driver Safety Awareness Week. The coalition was created to reduce the number of crashes while improving the safety, access and mobility for Florida's aging road users.

An FDOT news release says there are more than three million adults over the age of 65 in Florida, and traffic crashes are the third leading cause of fatalities among this group.

FDOT Chief Safety Officer Lora Hollingsworth says it's important to address the mobility needs of older residents in Florida and to help them maintain mobility and prepare to transition when driving may no longer be a safe option.