Elderly Drivers

Yes, I believe that Florida should definitely adopt mandatory testing of drivers over the age of 65. By adopting this test it will help prevent many deaths of the elders, 65-75 years of age since motor vehicle are the leading cause of accidental death for those in this age bracket. Moreover the elders, 75 years of age and older elders are being killed in automobile accidents since it is the second leading cause of death; therefore, the age group of elders, 75 years old and older need to be monitored more. Even if an elder has not been involved in an automobile accident in old age or in an accident that was not their fault, they still need to checked because many may be in denial and it is much better to be safe than sorry.

States have tried a range of approaches but for the most part they have struggled to establish exact requirements for determining when seniors should be kept off the road while being fair to older drivers who are capable of operating automobiles. Majority of the states do not require older drivers to renew their driver's license in person at the DMV but two states, Illinois and New Hampshire require the elderly to pass road test that are critical in identifying drivers whose mental health and physical ability has diminished over the years.

Based on recent studies, 1994 to 2004, by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, fatatlity rates are climbing to an alarming rate after age 65. The ages 75 to 84, the rate of about three deaths per 100 million miles driven is equal to the death rate of teenage drivers. Drivers 85 and older, fatalities are soaring to almost nearly four times higher than that for teens.

According to USA Today, normal aging causes complications that affect driving amongst the elderly. The following can be affected: reflexes, flexibility, visual acuity, memory, and the ability to focus all decline with age. In addition, the use of medications treat numerous illnesses that make it extremely difficult to focus and make immediate decisions while driving.

I personally think Florida should absolutely adopt mandatory testing for eldery drivers since it could dramatically decrease the number of automobile deaths in the elderly population. Due to the fact that normal aging usually result in problems that affect driving, i.e. vision or reflexes start to emerge. Therefore, elderly drivers whether capable or not should possibly be checked annually to help cut back on accidental deaths of elderly drivers as well as people who were innocent by standers or drivers. For the elderly, who know for a fact that they cannot drive due to disability family members, friends, or some reasonable priced accredited service should step into place for when they need to go to the doctor or grocery shopping.