Elderly Drivers: The Pros And Cons Of 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.

One reason people have been accidently killed by elderly people is because elders get easily distracted by what other drivers are doing. Another reason people have been killed or injured by elders is that a pedestrian will cross and to think fast the elder will mistake the gas for the brake. And some elderly people will get too caught up on what other drivers are doing and pay less attention to what they are doing. People have also been killed by the elderly because many elders have not taken a driving test in many years and should be reminded how to drive. Lastly, driving expectations may have changed from when they have learned how to

At the age of sixteen driving is a coming of age- a transition from childhood to adulthood. With many things the older a child gets the more prepared they are but with driving it is not dependent to a certain age but rather experience. To many American families teen driving is undeniably a privilege. To receive a license as a developing 16 year old one needs guardian permission. If such activity is a privilege to begin with it should come with certain requirements and regulations.

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)

Berk also uses a great amount of factual evidence to persuade the reader that driver-less cars would greatly benefit the elderly. He states, “According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the collision rate for older drivers is among the highest of any age group.” Seniors, thus, pose a threat not only to themselves, but to others as well. Therefore, it would benefit the elderly, as well as the rest of the population, to give seniors access to

There has been a significant relationship between self- reported adverse driving events and hearing impairment in 589 adults 60 and older. (Hickson, Wood, Chaparro, Lacherez, Marszalek 2010) A study of driving habits of 2,379 current drivers ages 50 and up found higher crash rates were associated with poorer visual acuity and moderate self- reported hearing loss, especially in the right ear. (Hickson, Wood, Chaparro, Lacherez, Marszalek

Over the years, seniors experience a gradual decline in their physical and mental performance. While there is no getting around this fact, the rate at which this decline occurs isn't etched in stone. The following suggestions will slow this decline and extend a senior's ability to drive safely for many more years.

However, “frail” is a stereotype for the elderly and is a reoccurring term in both Yoffe’s editorial and in Arai’s research. This stereotype damages the driver’s confidence in their ability to drive and leads to more indecisiveness when driving, as explained by Mélanie Joanisse in “Overly Cautious and Dangerous: An Empirical Evidence of the Older Driver Stereotypes.” Using a simulator much like the one presented in the editorial “Hell’s Grannies,” researchers showed senior citizens clips and articles containing negative stereotypes towards elderly drivers. The researches then told the elderly subjects to drive, and the results are similar to the findings stated previously. The editorial shares scenarios of what could and has happened during the process of taking away someone’s license. One story Yoffe tells is of her fellow writer’s mom who is slowly losing her mental capability. When talking to her mother about the possibility of taking away her license, the mother said, “‘I’ve been driving since I was 16’. So the family backed off” (Slate). If she is becoming a risk to herself and others, then the family needs to take action; however, going against a loved one, especially an older one and is consider taboo in many non-western cultures. To not listen to elderly loved-ones invokes disrespect and ungratefulness to them which is

The ability to operate a vehicle affords them mobility in a state where alternate transportation is often not available” (Zarate, 2). The government could just make them retake the exam every year or every six months depending on past wrecks and medical issues. Missouri has not made this a law but there has been other attempts in other states that have been working great. “Today fifteen other states require accelerated license renewal for older drivers, but instead of renewals every four years they are renewed every two years or even annually” (Zarate, 2). “Illinois and New Hampshire are two states close to Missouri and they require a road test for applicants over age 75” (Zarate, 2). “Florida and Virginia may be farther, but they still require vision tests for drivers over 80” (Zarate, 2). The driving rates of wrecks would decrease considerably by providing a way of transportation for the elderly to still get around, but safer plus be able to maybe collect money off of it for the government. The sponsors of the legislation who want to do something about the high accident rates among senior drivers have instead called for a state transportation plan they call "The Uniform Senior Citizens Safe Driving Health Centers and Protection of Senior Citizen Pedestrians and Automobile Passengers Act” (Zarate, 2). This calls for the Transportation Department to come up with a good

Did you know that elderly drivers are not required to reapply for their driving licenses? Even though they suffer from diminished vision,hearing, and reaction time. As read in research one of the most common causes of car crashes is the fatigue of driver or excessive speed or slow driving of the vehicle. Perhaps the cause behind all of these car accidents are due to the most respected members of our society, the elderly. In fact maybe the press covers up the truth about certain incidents because they know they will receive a huge amount a of complaints from the crowd because their true message will be misunderstood. A message to educate our people to let them see why requiring a reapplication is so important. See they need to reapply and go

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.

In the United States, driving is often equated to freedom and independence. When a senior is faced with the prospect of losing their ability to drive, it can have dramatic emotional consequences. Since there is not a standard rate at which health deteriorates, there is no one age at which a senior's ability to safely drive is effected. What we do know, however, is that drivers over the age of 70 are more likely to be involved in fatal automobile accidents than drivers of other age groups.

“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

Many concerns have been expressed about the potential dangers elderly drivers present when operating a vehicle. Mental and physical capabilities begin to decline as a person ages. When their health deteriorates, the well being of other individuals on the road is at stake. Many elderly drivers should not drive due to their medical history and the fact that they might suffer from possible side effects from taking multiple prescription medicines. In addition, local organizations and neighbors can provide transportation for the elderly to keep them from endangering themselves and others. The threat senior citizens create when driving can be avoided if they are tested to ensure their competence as a driver.

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).