Why Elderly Should Not Drive

Some people think that seniors should be required to retake the driving test because they think that with age comes decreased vision, hearing, and reaction time. This is certainly true to a certain extent because this occurs to different people at different speeds. I think that once a person reaches about 75 they should have annual appointments for vision and hearing tests, and if they don’t do to well then they should be required to retake the driving test.

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.

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.

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

Imagine having a loved one get in a fatal car accident caused by another driver. Elderly drivers are an extreme priority in America today. Not only are elders challenged with psychological damage, but they also struggle with the physical effects people face as they grow older. A debated topic going on is whether or not elderly drivers should be required to reapply for their drivers licenses. However, it is evident elderly people should be required with their struggle of vision, hearing, and reaction time.

One of these is our motor skills. In line with this, driving is one major concern among health experts with seniors. Due to the unstable condition that aging can give to any person, it is very unsafe for seniors to drive without the clearance from the doctor. Wisdom Care Transportation, a medical transportation in Page Road Durham North Carolina, shares these most effective tactics for seniors to keep on driving safely.

I hope you are doing well. I am Amy Ratigan, a sophomore at Merion Mercy Academy, located outside of Philadelphia, and I am writing to you in hopes that you will consider my plan. I am proposing that when drivers turn seventy years old, they should be required to retake the driving exam. Mercury News states: “According to the Institute of Highway Safety, drivers 85 years and older have the highest rate of fatal accidents per miles driven of any age group.” However, if there were a law passed which required drivers to retake it age seventy, there would be a decrease in fatal accidents and an increase in safer drivers. I can say from experience that family members at home worry about their loved ones who refuse to abandon their right for freedom. With this new law, family members will be worry-free, roads will be safer, and the drivers themselves will benefit with a refresher course.

Granny, I know you’ve never been in an accident, but Lord knows how many you’ve caused! Although I love my grandmother dearly, I must admit that a few of my grey hairs are courtesy of her driving. As the years passed, my grandmother’s driving progressively got worse. However, there is no test administered to the elderly which determines whether or not they are fit to drive. While my Granny was creating mayhem on the streets, I realized how much a drivers’ test for the elderly was needed. Elderly drivers impose possible threats on others, as well as themselves, and could also be paying excess money on unnecessary insurance.

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

While it’s true that elderly people have a lot more experience than the younger drivers on the road today, they also have a lot more health issues that could cause an accident. With age comes diminishing eye sight, hearing, and especially reflexive response. I agree with the laws today that state people over a certain age are required to re-take the drivers license test. I’ve had many experiences riding in the car with elderly people that make me stick to what I believe today. Just a few examples for you. . . My friend’s grandma was taking me to the airport and on the way over there she ran through a red light. Scary thing is, she hadn’t even realized she had run it. I was too scared to even say

Senior citizens should retake the standard drivers test once they reach age seventy. Everyone would be safer on the roads if senior citizens were retested. People have the right to be able to drive, but if has gotten to the point that they are dangerous they do not need to be on the road. When getting older they do not have the best vision and can not react like they used to. I believe that senior citizens need to be retested because some can be dangerous on the roads.

I think elderly drivers should be testing twice a year depending of their age. Driving has a lot of responsibility as you get older you reflex are not the same your eye vision stars going blurry I think after 65 of age the public safety should have more programs and more testing for their physical and their medical history sometimes know they don’t have a choice family members won’t help them to take them to doctors appoint.t

The debate of 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 healthy should be able to drive but as old age arrives it is inevitable our health will decrease.

“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

There are many accidents everyday that are costing people their lives. My young brothers and most definitely my grandparents would probably kill me for saying so, but there should be some changes made to the laws concerning the age requirements of drivers. If the State of Ohio changed the age requirement of operating a vehicle to between 18-70 years of age, our roads would be much safer to drive on.