Too Old to Drive Essay

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

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

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.

Salvia, E., Petit, C., Champely, S., Chomette, R., Di Rienzo, F., & Collet, C. (2016). Effects of Age and Task Load on Drivers' Response Accuracy and Reaction Time When Responding to Traffic Lights. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. Retrieved from

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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

Currently there is an extremely important issue that the public should understand more about due to its enormous impact on many citizens. This issue pertains to the safety concern surrounding the elderly while operating a motor vehicle past the age of 70 years old. This debate whether old people should be allowed to drive is often brought up by younger drivers, the reality is that all able bodied people who are physically and mentally healthy should be able to drive but as we grow older it is inevitable that our health will decrease. There are many different arguments on this subject and seems to be a widely spoken debate amongst road users regarding each of their opinions on the possible changes to be made

Elderly drivers and young drivers are just as dangerous as each other are, they both have a habit to ignore or even forget road rules and take other risks behind the wheel of a car. I always hear people talking about old age driver and how bad or how good they are so this is why I am writing this information report.

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).