Elderly Drivers

After reading Huy Le’s blog post dated July 27, 2012, titled "Stage 5: Why Old People Should Not Drive," I find myself in favor of the idea that “elderly people who are incapable of operating an automobile safely, should not be on public roads.” When I think of car accidents, I usually think of texting or drinking while driving.  The thought of elderly people causing accidents as well is a very logical thought, it had just never occurred to me.

I think Huy did a great job providing evidence that some senses diminish as one ages. This suggests that a simple exam should be conducted to find out if one is still capable of being a good driver.  I like that Huy stated that not all elderly should lose their privileges to drive but only those who cannot pass the exam.  Currently, Katie’s Law forces those over 79 years of age to take this exam every 6 years.  I agree with Huy that this age should be lowered. I think 60 years of age might be a better baseline age requirement with follow up exams every 4 years. Once the driver reaches the age of 72, an annual exam would be beneficial. According to the American Optometric Association, the most common vision problems in adults occur between the ages of 40-60 years, thus the reason I suggest the age be lowered to 60. Yes, it may seem like a hassle to get a license renewed more frequently once you turn 60, but by requiring this it may keep unsafe drivers off of the roads, hopefully reducing accidents caused by elderly drivers.

At the end of Huy’s blog post he states that “the prevention of unnecessary accidents caused by this group is completely possible with more frequent exams.” I believe a lot of the accidents due to age related impairments will be reduced, however; there are still cases of reckless driving that happen regardless of age.