Barbara Haig turned 100 years old on Aug. 28, 2026, and she is still driving her white Ford Mustang around Atlanta. The Atlanta resident marked her milestone birthday with a week of celebrations, capped by a party at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, where she has worshipped since 1960.
Haig's story was reported in an AJC.com opinion article. The article discusses her driving in Atlanta traffic. According to that reporting, Haig drives a white Ford Mustang.
Haig keeps to a simple set of self-imposed rules behind the wheel: she does not drive at night, and she limits her time on interstates. “I haven't been afraid of driving, but I try to be careful,” she said, per the same AJC account. Family and friends check on her regularly, adding another layer of oversight to her independence.
Safety and Aging Drivers
Haig's caution is a personal practice. If concerns arise about an older driver's ability to drive safely, those concerns may require attention.
National data offers context for the kind of self-regulation Haig practices. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that per-capita fatal crash rates among older drivers declined after peaking in the late 1990s. The same source notes that many older drivers drive fewer miles and avoid nighttime driving or challenging situations, but it does not establish that those behaviors caused the decline. Other crash data can vary by driving conditions and timing.
Research on older drivers considers both crash rates and physical vulnerability. Higher fatality rates can reflect the greater physical fragility of older people in crashes, even when collision risk is assessed separately.
A Life Measured in Continents, Not Just Miles
Driving is only one chapter of Haig's story. She has traveled to all 50 states, more than 75 countries, and all seven continents, according to the AJC's reporting. She considers Norway's fjords the most beautiful sight she's seen, and her travels have taken her to more than 75 countries and all seven continents. She once rode an elephant in Cambodia and even drove on the left side of the road during a trip to Australia.
Haig began water skiing in her mid-60s and kept at it until age 94, when her cardiologist urged her to stop following heart valve replacement surgery. Her traveling companion died about 20 years ago, but her appetite for adventure never fully faded. Her travel story reflects that continuing appetite for adventure.
Faith, Volunteering, and a Philosophy on Worry
Beyond the road and the runway, Haig's story includes a Sunday school classmate, and she now volunteers three days a week in respite care at her church. That work aligns with Respite Care Atlanta, an interfaith nonprofit ministry hosted at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Buckhead since 2018 that provides structured social programming for adults with early-stage dementia while giving family caregivers a break, according to AJC.com's earlier coverage of the program, which relies on community volunteers from participating congregations. The church's website describes its worship, Baptist identity, Sunday school and community outreach, according to Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church.
“I don't worry about things. So when things come up, I can't change them, you know?” Haig said, per the AJC. That outlook, paired with her continued mobility, highlights the value of safe driving independence for quality of life in later years.
Haig's milestone is part of a broader conversation about aging. For now, Haig drives her white Mustang around Atlanta, avoiding nighttime driving but remaining confident enough to use interstates.
