Elderly Driving

A long standing argument has been weather or not people of a certain age should no longer

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

We have all had the experience of being stuck behind someone that is either driving too slow, swerving, or breaking way too early; then when we drive up next to them its 9 times out of 10 an elderly driver. I believe that at the age of 75, and older, maybe even a little younger, yearly driving, medical, and vision exams need to be done to renew their licenses. This process can reduce the number of accidents involving seniors, and even help to reduce road rage situations for other drivers on the road. Now I am not trying to say that all accidents are caused by seniors, because younger drivers are responsible for, and are involved in a greater number of serious road traffic crashes than seniors. (Carvel 2002) The point I am trying to make is

In the United States, adults over the age of 65 account for 13% of the nation’s current licensed drivers. By the year 2030, researchers expect this number to increase above 20%, as the baby boomer population overtakes the traditionalist generation (Perkinson et al., 2005). With this number steadily rising, it’s startling to note that most adults outlive their driving abilities by six to ten years (Betz, Jones, Petroff, & Schwartz, 2013). Fatal crash rates per mile traveled increase after age 75 – the only demographic with higher rates being teenagers (Classen et al., 2006). Many of these collisions are attributed to aging-related cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or dementia. Since most adult drivers do outlive

Being able to operate a motor vehicle takes complex skills, body movements and the ability to judge situations and act in a short time. “Older drivers may experience a slower reaction time, a loss in flexibility and muscle strength, sleepiness caused by medicines, and a reduced ability to concentrate and focus on the task at hand” (Should Elderly Drivers be Retested?). Aging should not be the main reason to stop driving but the affects of aging call for a good enough reason to retest elderly drivers.

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

This is a very strict law against having even small amounts of alcohol in your system while you are driving. If these laws can be strictly enforce by law enforcement, such as the police, they could reduce the number of road deaths by 20%. These laws affect everyone within the its jurisdiction, or basically countrywide in any countries that enforce these laws against speeding and DUI. My final point is as I said before that more than one million people die annually because because of car accidents and this number is increasing. It is because of its rapid increase in numbers that scientists and big car companies alike have been busily working on solutions to this growing issue.

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.

There has been a lot of talk about self driving cars, which could make driving lot safer, as well as making the cars stronger with new technology. Make newer cars have stronger seats thus that in the unfortunate event of an car accident the passengers and drivers are more protected. Being protected by more sturdy and strong seats can save people’s lives by the reason of the seat will protect them more. Mandatory annual driving tests for the elderly, or someone who has been caught disobeying the law, just to make sure that they are driving the right way. The elderly need to be tested more for the reason that people with old age generally comes more health, hearing, and seeing issues. Therefore to ensure that they do not hurt themselves or others while driving they should be made to take a driving test like the new drivers do. These are things to fix with the

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

If 30 or 40 percent of the population was 65 or older social institution would definitely have to undergo some changes. A second driving test might have to be put in place to make people renew their license. More nursing home facilities and assisted living communities would arise. More mobility accommodations would be made accessible in public places like chair lifts to support all levels of mobility. More public health interventions to prevent chronic diseases prevalent amongst aging and an increase in assisted living communities will be effective social planning to facilitate this increase in life expectancy.

I would like to focus and investigate the lack of age appropriate transportation services for the elderly and people with disabilities. The issue of transportation becomes a major concern when the elderly and people who are disabled develop uncontrollable age related illnesses and are no longer healthy to drive. Losing the privilege to drive brings independence to an end and forces the elderly to stay at home which may lead to despair and other emotions. Therefore, it is essential to provide our senior citizens and people with disabilities with reliable transportation to help them maintain their independence. It is important to create reliable services to support them in making choices about how they want to live the last years of their

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

It is unfortunate, but the elderly are making the headlines daily, whether it is mistaking the gas for brake pedal or failing to see an oncoming car before making a turn, and the list is endless. Impaired elderly drivers tend to be the leading cause in fatal accidents (Kim, H., & Ashton-Miller, J. 2012). Elderly people tend to experience degeneration of their senses such as declining eyesight including lack of peripheral vision, and hearing that can affect the decisions a person makes as they are driving (Mihm, L. 2014). Elderly drivers should be retested for several reasons. As people age their reaction time decreases. Another reason is that as people get older their vision often starts to deteriorate along with their hearing. I believe that if we retest elderly people then it will help save their lives and the