Dennis Salumu
Elderly drivers: not a threat.
Aging doesn’t automatically mean we need to stop driving. Everyone ages differently, so there is no arbitrary cutoff as to when someone should stop driving. For many seniors, driving is an integral part of independence. Many older adults have fond memories of getting a driver’s license. Seniors may experience a profound sense of loss having given up driving, because of age discrimination. People age seventy and older should be allowed to drive.
People age seventy and older should be allowed to drive, because they have more experience. Which driver is safer to follow? The older driver with the slower reflexes; poorer vision, and cautious driving style. Or, the younger driver: with faster reactions, better eyesight, and driving over the speed limit? According to DMV.org the legal age for driving in Massachusetts is 18years night and 17 years without passengers. By the time a person reach the age of seventy they have been driving for fifty-three years. An article in Buy car InsuranceToday.com shows that taking a senior citizen driving class and having good driving record will help to receive a discount in car insurance.
According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the safest drivers are in the age group between 64 and 75 years old. And studies of the data reveal that teenage drivers; especially male teenage drivers are the most dangerous drivers on the road. One of the reasons for senior’s safer driving statistics is that they tend to be more aware of their limitations and drive accordingly. There may be several factors as to why seniors appear to be safer drivers, one of which may be that most teens are novice drivers and seniors have been at it a lot longer.
People age seventy and older should be allowed to drive, because they deserve the same rights as younger drivers. Elderly are still performing great achievements that are so beneficial to our world today. Ethel Percy Andrus, retired school principal founded AARP at 74 in 1958. And Harry Berntein, author, published his first book: The Invisible Wall at 96 in 2007. Elderly work and pay their taxes like the rest of the population. Paul Newman was a world class, winning, sports car and endurance racer well into his 70s. and won a SCCA national title not long before he died. Some seniors are so weak and ill at 65 that they can barely walk, let alone drive. On the other hand, seniors in their 80′s who are spry and alert as many much younger than they are. So how does government regulate that? They can’t. A standard needs to be set by doctors and other health care providers required to notify the registry once a person can’t meet the driving standard. This should have nothing to do with a specific age. In fact, if you try to tie it to an age you will be guilty of discriminating against seniors. There are many people under 65 who are not fit to drive either. There may be more above 65, but those under should be subject to the same screenings.
There are many things you can do to continue driving safely, including modifying your car, the way you drive, and understanding and rectifying physical issues that may interfere with driving. To drive safely, it does mean that we have to pay attention to any warning signs that age is interfering with our driving safety and make appropriate adjustments. By reducing risk factors and incorporating safe driving practices, many of us can continue driving safely long into our senior years. Aging does not automatically equal total loss of driving ability.
By: Dennis Salumu.
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Tags: safety
