As people age, naturally their bodies do as well. Over the years, the many skills and abilities that are critical to have while driving, including good vision, good hearing, and quick reaction time, tend to deteriorate. Because many older people continue to drive despite having lost their motor skills, other drivers and their passengers are put at risk of being involved in an accident. The natural aging process affects one’s driving skills, making older drivers a danger to the safety of themselves and others; therefore, more uniform state laws and provisions are needed to monitor the driving abilities of this section of the population. It is not fair for dangerous, elderly drivers to continue driving and put innocent, capable drivers and their
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According to the Hearing Health Foundation, “hearing impairment occurs in about… 47% of adults ages 75 and over.” Although people with defective hearing are legally allowed to obtain licenses in the United States, they are exposed to certain problems that other drivers do not face. Elderly people who suffer hearing problems would be unable to hear emergency vehicles’ sirens as well as the horns of other cars warning of danger. By not moving out of the way for an emergency vehicle, drivers could delay the vehicle’s response to an emergency or even cause an accident as the vehicle attempts to go around them. Elderly, hearing impaired people are less aware of what is going on around them and as a result they more likely to be involved in an accident with other drivers. Some people may argue loud music could have the same effect as poor hearing, but people have the option to turn the music down when they need to better concentrate on the road. Elderly people with poor hearing, however, cannot simply change the quality of their hearing when necessary. If elderly drivers are required to retest to renew their driver’s licenses, the examiners will easily be able to recognize whether or not the drivers are able to hear properly and will pass or fail the drivers …show more content…
As people age, they can suffer from many retrogressive conditions that afflict their bodies and minds, making the already complex task of driving even more difficult and dangerous. It is true that different people age differently. Some people being losing their motor skills as early as 60 while others manage to be excellent drivers well into their 90s. Since there is such a large age range in which people’s health can begin to decline, retesting should begin at age 75 because it falls in the middle. Reexamination is the only way to ensure that all elderly drivers are still capable of safely operating a
According to the Hearing Health Foundation, “hearing impairment occurs in about… 47% of adults ages 75 and over.” Although people with defective hearing are legally allowed to obtain licenses in the United States, they are exposed to certain problems that other drivers do not face. Elderly people who suffer hearing problems would be unable to hear emergency vehicles’ sirens as well as the horns of other cars warning of danger. By not moving out of the way for an emergency vehicle, drivers could delay the vehicle’s response to an emergency or even cause an accident as the vehicle attempts to go around them. Elderly, hearing impaired people are less aware of what is going on around them and as a result they more likely to be involved in an accident with other drivers. Some people may argue loud music could have the same effect as poor hearing, but people have the option to turn the music down when they need to better concentrate on the road. Elderly people with poor hearing, however, cannot simply change the quality of their hearing when necessary. If elderly drivers are required to retest to renew their driver’s licenses, the examiners will easily be able to recognize whether or not the drivers are able to hear properly and will pass or fail the drivers …show more content…
As people age, they can suffer from many retrogressive conditions that afflict their bodies and minds, making the already complex task of driving even more difficult and dangerous. It is true that different people age differently. Some people being losing their motor skills as early as 60 while others manage to be excellent drivers well into their 90s. Since there is such a large age range in which people’s health can begin to decline, retesting should begin at age 75 because it falls in the middle. Reexamination is the only way to ensure that all elderly drivers are still capable of safely operating a