Elderly Drivers

Millions of people drive each day, some heading to work, some to vacation destinations, some to entertainment, and some just for fun. Within these millions, there are all types of drivers; aggressive, passive, new, experienced, and elderly to name a few. The elderly comprise of more than 40 million people age 65 and older in the United States and of those 40 million, 34 million are licensed drivers (NHTSA). Elderly driving has become an alarming subject throughout many communities in the United States as it concerns the safety and health of themselves as well as other drivers. One article shares, as 80-year-old Daniel was driving to the grocery store one day, he ran over a curb and hit a trash can. Luckily he was not hurt and his car suffered only minor scratches. Although unscathed, Daniel was emotionally distraught having almost hit a young woman waiting at the bus stop (Older Drivers). This story as well as many others has triggered a crucial debate about the rights and well-being of senior drivers. Most people believe these older drivers should have an age restriction determining when they should and should not be able drive. However, getting older does not mean people lose all capability to drive. In opposition, driving and health tests should be required at the age of 65 to prove they are capable of safe driving rather than revoking their licenses.

Elders are great people, but their driving skill may not be too great. Elders should take a driving test every year, for one reason there would be a decrease in car accidents. Many people have been killed by the lack of the elderly peoples driving skills, also because elders should be reminded how to drive because of their fragile health.

The mental and physical capabilities of older drivers are an increasing issue that can affect how someone drives. States are making the format for getting a driver’s

Have you ever been driving and stuck behind an elderly person that was driving 10km under the speed limit? If so, you can feel the frustration that most drivers' face. Yearly driving tests should be mandatory because many people come from other countries and assume they know how to drive on our roads and road conditions, they should be tested again to see if they actually know how to drive in our country and kids with learners should be tested again in their second year to see if they still know the laws and to prove they didn't just forget them to go drive around and break the

why an annual mandatory driving and written test will separate those who can and can not operate a vehicle safely. These tests should be mandatory over a certain age. The driving test is important to better access relexes and other senses while the written test may seperate those who maintained psychical abilites yet lack in other ability such as memory and if raod signs and rules of the road are still familior. According to Alzheimer 's Society many indivduals with dementia may still be able to drive for some time until their dementia progresses. Part of the problem is that many older drivers feel that driving is a largely automatic activity and should be able to continue. The Alzheimer 's Society also states that many with dementia retain their learned skills even after being diagnosed, and that "driving is a complicated task that requires a split-second combination of complex thought processes and manual skills, such as “make sense of and respond to everything they see – including road signs and obstacles” ( Alzheimers Society)

Drivers over 70 should be off the roads! People over the age of 70 who cannot operate a vehicle responsibly should not be licensed to drive. The state should require everyone who turns 70 they to repeat their road driving exam for reinstatement of their license. In addition, every year after to weed out unsafe drivers, which dramatically reduces the amount of accidents caused by the elderly drivers. Three factors often contribute to these statistics: poor judgement in making left-hand turns; drifting within the traffic lane; and decreased ability to change behavior in response to an unexpected or rapidly changing situation. It is inevitable, we are all going to get old and will face the pressures of society

The national Highway traffic safety Administrations state that “In 2008, 12 percent (5,864) of all drivers involved in fatal crashes (50,186) were young drivers of age 15 to 20 years old. Also that 14 percent (1,429,000) of all drivers involved in police-reported crashes (10,081,000) were young drivers.” It’s a small fraction compared to the fatal crashed made by people between the ages of 25 and 54. However, between the ages of 21 and 24 have the third least fatal crashes made. It is concluded that after a certain point in time of learning and experience on the road that one can get better. Sometimes a person needs to be able to drive at a younger age, and not only to

Summary: The central focus of Pollastek et al’s (2012) study was to determine why elderly drivers are more likely to be involved in vehicular accidents at intersections than younger experienced drivers. As a means of data collection Pollastek et al (2012) tested the scanning ability of elderly drivers at intersections through a series of different scenarios. Each scenario took place in a simulated environment, testing the scanning ability of elderly drivers where they were instructed to go through 1) a four-way intersection, 2) turn right at a T-intersection and 3) proceed through an intersection. Pollastek et al (2012) found that elderly drivers fail to properly scan for potential hazards while proceeding through intersections. Pollastek et al (2012) also found that by providing video feedback the participants in the training group performed similarly to younger experienced drivers.

An area that I found interesting in the AOTA website was conference and events page. This page provides valuable information that can help me grow as an occupational therapist and provides different type of learning experiences. Within that page, there are various type of events, but I found the Older Driver Safety Awareness Week the most interesting. AOTA has recognized the changes that come up with aging and therefore plan to promote safe driving experience for the elderly. AOTA’s Older Driver Safety Awareness week is usually held in December. For this year, the Older Driver Safety Awareness week is schedule to be from December 4 to December 8. Many different aspects of older safety driving will be discussed each day. The goal of the Older

In this week's edition of Harper's Weekly Review, the topic that interested me was the one covering the story of an elderly woman crashing into 14 cars. A woman, 75 years of age, crashed in 14 cars and caused about 25,000 euros($27,888.75) worth of damage. I thought this was interesting because for quite some time I've seen that many elderly drivers are sometimes a nuisance on the road or just cause accidents such as the one the article describes. Just recently, about a month ago, a cousin of mine was working front desk at a salon and an elderly woman in her late 70's crashes into the salon with my cousin just barely avoiding critical injury. I believe that there has to be a stricter rule or law that applied to the elderly regarding driving.

“An eighty-six year old man killed ten people and injured more than seventy when he drove his Buick into a crowded farmers market in California. In Florida, an eighty-four year old woman drove her car through a window of a Sears and into a cash register and employee” (Murphy). Sadly enough, instances like these are becoming more and more prevalent and require immediate action. It is imperative that a more comprehensive approach be taken when deciding the competence of elderly drivers. Laws must be put into action to mandate and administer testing and re-examining of the skills and eligibility of this group. Equally important, we must consider those who will no longer be able to drive, and ensure their transportation and occupational needs

The dangers most elderly drivers create can be prevented. Older people may consider driving the "last connection to freedom and independence"

One of the most controversial topics these days is if senior citizens should continue to drive, and if they can cause any harm. But, how do you explain this to an elderly person, or at what age should they stop driving? Studies have showed that people are living longer than they use to live in the past. The baby boomer group is starting to reach an elderly age, and as America grows older so is the older drivers growing as well and they are driving more than ever.

     The above information is horrifying. Something needs to be done to save our senior citizens. One such solution is to put restrictions on the licenses of the drivers who are aged fifty-five and older. Restrictions should put limits on the times senior citizens can drive at. They should not be able to drive at night, since most senior citizens have poor night vision, and they should not be allowed to drive during rush hour, since that is when traffic is heaviest. Limits should also be put on the maximum distance a

While my Granny’s passengers knew about her ineptitude for driving, other drivers were unaware of the danger passing them by. Individuals over 85, who drive, have a four times higher fatality rate than teenagers (Landphair). There are many news stories regarding elderly people who have caused numerous deaths by simply confusing the gas and brake pedals (Landphair). Some contribute these accidents to a decline in vision and cognitive functioning, two factors essential to safe driving. Studies have also shown that if older individuals are under pressure, they tend to make more driving errors than teens (Charles).