Elderly Driving
Elderly Driving There has been an increase of accidents caused by elderly drivers over the course of many years. With such a dramatic increase, should elderly drivers have driving restrictions? I believe that after the age of 75, seniors should have to retake their drivers test or have restrictions, regardless of their driving record. There is support for some restrictions on elderly drivers based on evidence that older drivers are more involved in traffic accidents than any age group except for teenagers. According to the article, “Elderly Driver Restrictions,” “The push to add restrictions gained momentum following the November 1998 death of 15-year-old Brandi Mitock. While crossing an intersection, Mitock was struck and killed by a 96-year-old driver who claimed not to have seen her. The driver had not taken a road test since he first got his license in 1918.” With so much support already, and research backing up these claims, many states should consider greater restriction for elderly drivers when they renew their license. Many states have passed laws that uphold restrictions on elderly driving. States have different ages when drivers must renew their licenses. In Alaska, the age is 69, but in Arizona it starts at 65. Some states even require vision tests when they renew their licenses. These laws vary from state to state. Most people want to continue driving for as long as they can. Yet there comes a time when people must limit or stop driving, either temporarily or permanently. There are often reports in the news or local newspapers about an elderly driver getting lost or causing an accident. The human body changes as it ages and after a certain age, many people experience a decrease in multiple functions, some of which are needed in order to drive safely. For many elderly drivers, the biggest challenge is vision. Some people lose the ability to perceive depth as they age. Declining depth perception can make driving difficult at
Cited: [Westminster, MD] 9 Dec. 2013, News: NewsBank. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. 5 Feb. 2014.