Middle aged drivers are often the safest on the roads elderly drivers account for the largest portion of accidents. The normal aging process naturally results in physical changes to the human body that tends to interfere with driving.
For instance, i can personally attest that a person's eyesight and hearing tend to diminish with age. Therefore it is not uncommon for senior drivers to cite an inability to see an object, road markings or other vehicles as the cause of a wreck. This is particularly true when seniors are driving in inclement weather or at night.
Impaired hearing may result in an elderly driving not recognizing the sound of sirens, the beeping of the horn of other vehicles or the sound of an approaching train. These, too, are all potential accidents waiting to happen.
There are steps the senior driver can take to ensure they are driving at their optimum ability. First, they should have regular physicals. This allows for medical intervention before a problem arises with the elderly driver gets behind the wheel and on the road.
Other simple rules to follow include:
Do not drive if the medication you are taking impairs your ability to maneuver your vehicle safely on the roadways. Also, do not drive distracted and be sure to leave lots of room around you and the other vehicles.
If a senior driver finds they are having trouble with their reflexes or reacting in a timely manner to problems on the road it may be time to for a family discussion or to turn the driving over to someone else.
