Are Mom or Dad safe drivers?

Driving represents freedom, independence, and adulthood. Being able to get where you need to go when you need to is critical to quality of life. It's not something to be given up lightly. An older adult's need for autonomy is extremely important! Also important, however, is the issue of safety. Not only for the driver, but for passengers and others on the road.

We are all individuals

Some people are unsafe drivers and have been since their youth! Others are quite safe well into their very elder years. Each person's driving journey is unique. That said, the aging body does change over time, often in ways that negatively affect the basic skills of driving.

Gradual adjustments

Adjustments to driving patterns can be made along the way as required by the changes of aging. They can often add many more years of safe driving.

Statistics about older drivers

The demands of driving

Driving is not a simple activity. It requires the ability to visually scan for potential threats and then to quickly evaluate options and make a corrective action when a dangerous situation is identified. Left-hand turns, congested intersections, and fast speeds on the highway are examples of situations that require greater attention and fast reaction times. This can prove very challenging for older adults.

From one perspective, older adults are actually some of the safest drivers. They wear their seat belts consistently. They don't tend to speed. They are less likely to drive under the influence of alcohol. And they have half the number of crashes that teenagers do each year.

But some of these statistics are simply because they do not drive as much. When measured mile for mile, seniors are actually involved in more collisions than are most other age groups.?Only teenagers rank higher in the number of crashes per miles driven. And the consequences of a crash are much more extreme for older drivers. A person over age sixty-five is seventeen times more likely to die when involved in a car accident than is someone between ages twenty-five to sixty-four.

Are all older drivers a safety hazard??

Absolutely not!

We are each individuals with our own strengths and difficulties. Some experience difficulty with vision yet retain superb reflexes. Others have fine vision but difficulty turning to look over their shoulder. No matter what, the years eventually take their toll. The trick is to be aware of the changes and compensate as needed.

Want to talk about safe driving?

Contact the experts in eldercare:

Tewes CARES

(203) 826-9206