Staying young and alive with your driving skills[1]
Driving a two-ton vehicle down the road carries tremendous responsibilities with it. The inexperienced younger driver may believe they are the best on the road and the older one may think that due to their many years behind the wheel they know it all. Both are wrong.
The younger ones could certainly benefit from more years of good experience, i.e. experience that enhances their judgment and skill. This only comes with time behind the wheel, doing the things right all the time. The older ones may need to reevaluate their driving habits by doing a self-check or getting a professional appraisal of their driving skills.
As the age of the driver increases, the chances of a fatal vehicular accident increase with it. When comparisons are made between drivers aged 55-64, those 65 and above are nearly twice as likely to die in crash. Moreover, eighty plus year old drivers have an even higher fatality rate.
The aging process is not kind. It begins to limit physical mobility so that looking over your shoulder is more difficult. You may not be able to see behind your car as you back up or do the over the shoulder check for cars at your side as you complete a pass or change lanes.
Muscle pain, nerve damage, stiff joints or some other condition can make it harder to operate the vehicle. Additionally, an older persons hearing and vision begin to deteriorate, becoming less sharp. In addition, the ability to recognize and respond to rapidly changing situations diminishes, making it even more hazardous for them and other drivers and pedestrians.
As if these weren’t enough to be concerned with, an older person is more fragile than the younger driver is. They are more vulnerable to greater bodily damage if they are involved in a vehicle crash.
Not only is the older persons body not as strong and able to take the punishment of a crash, there are more drivers that are distracted surrounding them on the road making it more likely to be involved in a dangerous situation. Those who are texting, talking, using computers in their laps, putting on make-up , brushing their teeth, shaving, eating…and reading the morning paper all contribute to dangers on the highway.
As an older person continues to drive there are certain adaptations they can make to remain safe on the road, not only only for themselves, but others sharing the road with them.
[1] Information adapted from Richard A. Marottoli, MD, Yale School of Medicine.
Bottom Line/Women’s Health interviewed Richard A. Marottoli, MD, associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine and medical director of the Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center at Yale-New Haven Hospital, both in New Haven, Connecticut. He is author of numerous published articles on senior drivers and led the “Enhancement of Driver Performance Among Older Drivers” study for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Physically Fit Seniors 