At what age should you stop driving? Can you drive with arthritis? Why do old people drive slowly? These are all questions that drivers, young and old, face as time passes, but sadly, none have definitive answers.
It’s common knowledge that your ability to drive safely can be impaired by the effects of aging, with senior drivers often suffering from conditions such as arthritis and cataracts.
A car may be necessary for an older person to get around, but with over 200,000 older adults in the United States being treated for road accident-related injuries in 2020 alone, it’s clear that older people should take some safety precautions to ensure their safety on the roads. We’ve compiled a list of simple tips to help senior drivers stay safe behind the wheel.
Check out our other articles on automotive safety here.
In this article:
1. Tip #1: Visibility is Everything
2. Tip #2: Stay Limber and Active
3. Tip #3: Test Yourself Regularly (in more ways than one!)
4. Tip #4: Keep Your Car in Check
5. Tip #5: Condition Consciousness
1 Tip #1: Visibility is Everything
As we get older, our vision starts to deteriorate, even if we spend the majority of our lives not needing glasses. That’s why it’s so important for senior drivers to ensure that they have as much visibility as possible before opting to make a journey in the car.
This includes not only wearing your driving glasses but also being mindful of when you choose to drive. Consider how well you’ll be able to see and how much you really need to drive if it’s dark, raining, or snowing.
2 Tip #2: Stay Limber and Active
Much like our sight, our bodies won’t always be what they were in their prime. While driving may be less harsh on the body than walking long distances, it can still take a toll on a frailer, older person. The best senior drivers are the ones that stay in the best possible physical condition.
With a good level of flexibility and endurance, higher-pressure driving situations, faster speeds, and the overall physical strain of being behind the wheel will be much easier to handle. Stay limber, fit, and active to be as safe as possible as an elderly driver.
3 Tip #3: Test Yourself Regularly (in more ways than one!)
Much like being conscious of when the environment will allow you the best field of vision, you should also make sure to regularly test your vision and hearing in medical settings. Over time, our senses become less sharp, but it’s not always immediately noticeable, so stay on top of it. At the same time, older drivers should stay up to date with driving laws and prevailing practices. This can be done through things like refresher courses and tests, which, if passed, could actually reduce your overall insurance spending.
4 Tip #4: Keep Your Car in Check
This list of older safety tips may appear to be more geared toward drivers, but that doesn’t mean the car should be neglected. Many elderly people will choose to keep driving the car they’ve had for years, making the most of it, but this could lead to accidents caused by mechanical failure.
Regardless of the age of your car, as an older driver, you need to give yourself every possible advantage on the roads. This includes ensuring that your steering wheel, brakes, seatbelts, mirrors, and any other mechanical features of your vehicle are as smooth as possible. You might find our blog useful there.
5 Tip #5: Condition Consciousness
Part of this tip involves paying attention to the road, while the other part involves paying close attention to your own condition. Potholes, cracked tarmac, and construction works can make driving a little harder than it needs to be, so ensure the roads are in a good condition before you head out. Similarly, you can have an off day at any age, but the off days as a senior driver can be more complicated. Before you get behind the wheel, be aware of your general state of mind and being, as a bad headrush could have serious consequences as a senior on the road.
6 Final Thoughts
As an elderly driver, it’s very important to take extra care. Not only are there factors that may cause you to be in more accidents, but you are also less likely to survive them. It’s also worth noting that, contrary to popular belief, just as many, if not more, young drivers are injured or killed in traffic accidents each year, so keeping an eye out for other drivers on the road is just as important!
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