Independance or safety?
By Ron Mack

A Senior Moment

A recent story in USA Today brought to my attention the quandary in which we senior drivers find ourselves.

Fatality rates for drivers begin to climb after age 65. Safety analysts say that as the elderly population booms, aging drivers, continue to cling to the independence that cars give them but they are losing their ability to operate them, thus causing more accidents. In the past, it was pretty much given that senior drivers were safer than teenage drivers, but a recent study by the Carnegie Mellon University and the AAA Foundation for Safety seems to contradict that. Statistics from 1999-2004, show that from ages 75-84, the rate of about three deaths per 100 million miles driven is equal to the death rate of teenage drivers. For drivers 85 and older, the fatality rate skyrockets to nearly four times higher than that for teens.

The above statistics are particularly unsettling at a time when the Census Bureau projects there will be 9.6 million people 85 and older by 2030. So the question is as USA Today put it, "When is it time to put the brakes on the elderly?" Laws affecting the renewal and restrictions on issuing driver's licenses to older drivers vary from state-tostate. In North Carolina, for instance, the normal license renewal cycle is every eight years, but for drivers 54 and older, it is every five years. However, the other requirements are no different than those for younger drivers.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the only measure scientifically proven to lower the rate of fatal crashes involving elderly drivers is forcing the seniors to appear at motor vehicle departments in person to renew their licenses. Beyond that, AWARENESS is the best way to apply brakes to elderly drivers to insure both their safety and the safety of others. Drivers, their family, friends, and caregivers simply need to be more aware. And elderly drivers also need to be more HONEST with themselves.

They should be aware of their slower reflexes, decreased vision, loss of hearing, less flexible joints. Elderly drivers must realize that advanced Diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, are all diseases that impact our ability to remain rational, conscious, and able to act quickly. Stroke disrupts vision, causes a loss of muscle control, and the ability to think rationally. Side effects of medications for a variety of health problems can also result in a diminished capacity to perform all the requirements of handling a vehicle. Folks, if you are a driver and you are impacted by these issues; it is time to hang up the car keys. Family, friends, and doctors, watch for the signs and do whatever is necessary to take the person off the road.

Viso Gero!