The Safety Of Elderly Drivers - 1825 Words

â€Å"A 79-year-old Florida woman backed over seven pedestrians Sunday morning while backing out of a handicapped space in a church parking lot killing three people† (Baldacci). More and more accidents have been described in the media where an elderly driver had been driving and people passed away as a result of a car accident. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), elderly drivers have higher rates of fatal crashes, based on miles driven, than any other group except young drivers, the high death rate can be explained due to older peoples frail health- older people are less likely to survive an injury than younger people. Elderly driver’s accidents have started the discussion, how to prevent these accidents and the government has only come up with one solution- revoke elderly drivers driving license, which seems to be an extreme measurement. It is important, that accidents involved elderly drivers would be prevented. Aging is a natural process of all living beings, passing a certain age, many skills and abilities start to deteriorate, for example, vision, hearing and reaction time, which are important for drivers. However, many older people continue to drive despite having lost their motor skills, therefore, older drivers put other people and themselves at risk of being involved in an accident. In 2009, more than half of deaths in crashes involving drivers over age 65 were older drivers themselves, 12% percent were their passengers and 28% of theseShow MoreRelatedElderly Drivers On The Road939 Words   |  4 Pagesoutrageous or even a bit absurd. It could also be a fair comparison to the state of some of the elderly drivers on the road today. Elderly drivers should have additional requirements when renewing their driver’s licenses because statics show that elderly drivers are the cause of an increasing number of wrecks. Nevertheless, several arguments against additional requirements and testing for elderly drive rs exist. If additional testing and requirements would help save lives, in my opinion, there shouldRead MoreEssay on Elderly Drivers1416 Words   |  6 Pagesand 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 occupationalRead MoreElderly Drivers Informational Essay1178 Words   |  5 Pagesthere 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 ye ars 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 thatRead MoreWhat Does Aging Doesn t Affect Driving Ability? Essay1485 Words   |  6 Pagesthere are many alternatives and solutions to keep people and the roads safe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that, â€Å"while drivers age 60 and older are less likely that other drivers to be involved in collisions related to alcohol, speed, and nighttime driving, drivers age 70-79 have higher proportions of at-fault crashes† (Earley). Accidents involving older drivers are increasingly an issue as long as society fails to address the negative impact aging has on driving. BecauseRead MoreWhy The Elderly Should Not Drive Deals With Safely Concerns936 Words   |  4 Pagesdispute, especially the rights of th e elderly population to drive. It’s not an easy topic but individuals may treat the issue as a dichotomy. We all age, that’s a fact of life, but at what point do we start giving the rights we were born with up. The act of driving is not a simple task but requires the integral of all body systems coming together to perform the activity. It is important to take into consideration that by taking away the right to drive for elderly individuals, we hinder their capacityRead MoreSenior Citizens Driiving1577 Words   |  6 Pagescontinually increasing, there are more and more elderly drivers on the roads. In fact, the total annual miles older drivers traveled climbed twenty nine percent from 1995 to 2001 (â€Å"Should elderly†) and that number is probably even greater now. This can cause a huge problem not only for the elderly drivers themselves, but for other people on the road too. As the body ages, reaction rate, hearing, and vision naturally decline which mak es an aging driver much more susceptible to driving accidents andRead MoreMotor Vehicle Safety Essays903 Words   |  4 PagesMotor Vehicle Safety Motor accidents are one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in the United States. In the year 2000 the National Highway Trafï ¬ c Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that around 41,000 people were killed in traffic accidents within the United States. This mortality rate has since dropped 25% from 2000 to 2009 (Rockett et al., 2012). There are many reasons for motor vehicle injuries, ranging from lack of seat belt use, elderly drivers, alcohol and young childrenRead MoreElderly Drivers684 Words   |  3 PagesElderly Drivers on the Road Elderly Drivers on the Road One thing that’s just as dangerous as a young and jittery, under-aged driver without any previous driving experience or perhaps even an intoxicated driver raging aggressively through numerous traffic lights is the thought of a vision impaired, elderly man or woman cruising nonchalantly through the wrong lane of traffic or driving 50 mph on a major highway. Due to the continuous trend of our older generation engaging in traffic accidentsRead MoreElderly Drivers1273 Words   |  6 Pagesfingers at young drivers in today’s world. A number of accidents are caused by teens though I believe a worse threat is starting to appear. This threat being elderly drivers over the age of 70. These elderly drivers could be considered dangerous due to their decline in sensory. With more elderly drivers increasing over the years, drivers everywhere could be in danger. Within the next 20 years the number of elderly drivers is expected to triple in the United States (Older Drivers). To comb at thisRead MoreElderly Driving Has Become An Epidemic1184 Words   |  5 Pagesfun. 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