Age And Safety
Age does not reflect driving ability.
As a group, older adults are among
the safest on the road — wearing seatbelts,
obeying the speed limit and avoiding
drinking and driving more than other
age groups. Nevertheless, older adults
are more likely to be injured or killed
in a vehicle accident, no matter who is at fault.
Safe driving requires the complex
coordination of many skills. Although few
individuals associate 40-year-old adults
with aging, this is when subtle changes in
vision, hearing, fitness and concentration
can begin — and may affect driving proficiency.
Pay Attention
By themselves, none of these changes
automatically indicate that an individual
should stop driving. They do require paying
more attention to driving safety, staying
alert to changing capabilities and seeking
the advice of a qualified physician.
See the What You Can Do section for information
on how to address these changes.
| Weakening Vision
|
| With Age, Eyes:
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This Can Cause:
|
|
Recover from glare more slowly.
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Temporary blind spots.
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| Have trouble focusing on
nearby objects.
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Difficulty focusing on a vehicle’s
instrument panel.
|
| Have trouble transitioning between
near and far objects.
|
Difficulty changing focus from the
instrument panel to the road and back.
|
| Need more light to see clearly, as
pupil reaction time slows and the eye
lens thickens.
|
Trouble seeing clearly at night and
difficulty seeing low-contrast objects,
such as pavement markings.
|
| Become susceptible to age-related
diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma
and macular degeneration.
|
Sensitivity to light and glare and diminished
peripheral and central vision.
|
| Decreasing Hearing And Fitness
|
| With Age, You May:
|
This Can Cause:
|
|
Lose hearing acuity.
|
Difficulty hearing sirens, horns and
other warnings.
|
|
Lose strength and flexibility in arms,
legs, hips and shoulders.
|
Difficulty turning the steering wheel,
getting in and out of the vehicle and
depressing pedals.
|
|
Experience joint pain and inflammation,
which affects manual dexterity.
|
Difficulty using vehicle controls.
|
|
Lose mobility in your neck and back.
|
Inability to look over your shoulder
to safely merge and change lanes.
|
|
Become more prone to fatigue.
|
Inability to drive longer distances.
|
| Diminished Concentration And Reaction Time
|
| With Age, Your Brain:
|
This Can Cause:
|
|
Processes signals and perceives
sensory data more slowly.
|
Difficulty complying with traffic
signals and recognizing the actions
of other vehicles.
|
|
Becomes less able to focus on multiple
tasks.
|
Trouble driving in unfamiliar,
congested areas.
|
|
Needs more information to select
options and make decisions.
|
Delayed response to the demands
of high speeds or heavy traffic.
|
Assess And Address Skills
Stay alert to changes. It is never too
late to begin maintaining and improving
your current physical and mental
skills. Stay alert to changing abilities
and take steps to remain a safe driver.
Use the Driving Skills Assessment
chart to evaluate whether your vision,
fitness level and concentration
are adequate for safe driving.
|
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