Elderly Drivers: Striking the Right Balance between Independence and Safety
The balance between maintaining independence and safety as motorists grow older is never easy. The ability to drive is often critical to a senior citizen’s sense of living independently. However, sometimes seniors experience declines in their sensory perception, including poor eyesight and loss of hearing. Seniors also may experience age-related medical conditions that impact their cognitive abilities like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Although driving ability is very important for many seniors, the question is how to protect seniors and others on the road while allowing aging drivers the maximum amount of independence that is safe.
Although studies indicate that advanced age can impair driving ability, many seniors are better drivers than novice teen drivers. There are over 33 million licensed drivers who are age 65 or older driving motor vehicles across the U.S. Approximately 500 elderly drivers are injured daily in motor vehicle accidents according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During a recent twelve month period, 5,500 elderly drivers died in car accidents while another 183,000 suffered injury.
Despite the physical and mental changes that can occur with age, many adult drivers are safer than teen drivers because they compensate for age-related deficiencies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) report that the safest drivers are between the ages of 64 and 69 based on accident statistics. Many elderly drivers intentionally avoid less than optimal driving conditions, such as driving in inclement weather, heavy traffic or at night. Seniors also tend to drive more cautiously and obey the speed limit. Studies also have shown that many elderly drivers more than compensate for declines in physical ability and mental acuity with better risk perception skills based on longer periods of driving experience.
While factors such as these can make elderly drivers safer than novice teen drivers, seniors still have a high crash rate than other age groups based on actual miles driven. Although the number of seniors involved in fatal accidents is disproportionately high statistically based on miles driven, the number has declined by forty percent since 1970. The bottom line is that seniors can be extremely safe drivers, but family members should monitor declines in hearing, vision or mental acuity so that they keep elderly loved one’s safe.
While there is no uniform approach at the federal level to licensing requirements for elderly drivers, Georgia generally requires drivers over the age of 64 to renew their license in person at the local DDS office. Drivers over this age will be required to take a vision test, and they may also be required to take the written test, undergo a medical evaluation or comply with driver’s license restrictions depending on the circumstances. Despite these safeguards, family members who are familiar with the physical and mental abilities of aging drivers may be in a better position to evaluate whether an aging loved one is still capable of driving safely.
The experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC offer caring and compassionate assistance to accident victims and their families. To learn more, call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case. At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
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