Do you know the pros and cons of retesting elderly drivers? In general, one of the most important points that must be taken into account when driving is that the driver must have complete physical and mental health, so as not to harm himself or others. Although the elderly are not limited to driving due to physical problems, they should be aware that their movement abilities are reduced and they should be more careful when driving.Over time, joints become stiffer and muscles become weaker. It becomes more difficult to look behind the head, turn the steering wheel quickly or brake quickly.
The power of hearing and vision also decreases. As you get older, you need more light to see. For the elderly, street lighting causes discomfort. Eye disorders such as cataracts, macular degeneration or cataracts affect the driver’s ability. It also becomes more difficult to do 2 types of work together. Driving is more difficult for people with arthritis, Parkinson’s, or diabetes. In the first day of retirement article, we mentioned some of the problems of retirement. Driving is also one of these problems. In the rest of this article from humanhealthmag, we will tell you the pros and cons of retesting elderly drivers.
Is Driving Dangerous for the Elderly?
Before talking about pros and cons of retesting elderly drivers, we want to know what are the challenges of driving for elderly people? With increasing age, some capabilities decrease or change, one of which is a decrease in the ability to drive. For many of us, driving is a key aspect of maintaining our independence as we age. By reducing risk factors and using safe driving practices, you may be able to continue driving safely into your older years, but finding that you need to cut back or stop driving altogether doesn’t mean the end of your independence.
Anyone of any age may be forced to stop driving, yet older drivers are more likely to be fined or even involved in an accident than younger drivers. Among the factors that cause more accidents in the elderly, we can mention things such as reduced vision, slow motor reflexes, impaired hearing, and the serious health conditions of the elderly. Also, aging is very effective in reducing strength, coordination and flexibility in controlling your car; For example, the:
- Pain in the neck and shoulder muscles can make driving more difficult.
- Foot pain makes it difficult to move your foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal.
- Decreased arm strength can be effective in turning the steering wheel on time and quickly.
- Your reaction time can slow down as you age.
- In old age, you may not be able to divide your attention and concentration into several types of activities.
Pros And Cons Of Retesting Elderly Drivers: Legal Requirements
In fact, the elderly are a segment of the society and should be paid attention to. To use public transportation, they have problems such as long delays, large gathering of passengers, etc. Therefore, they also prefer driving a private car, which requires obtaining a driver’s license or renewing it In general, the necessity of age limit in driving has not been taken seriously by various agencies. Because this theory has opponents and supporters who each have their own claim.
Some say driving should have a retirement period like other jobs. In old age, driving at this age is dangerous for themselves and others due to weakened muscles, poor hearing and vision, and reduced speed of action in the elderly. Others believe that driving does not depend on age, but depends on a person’s ability and there should be no age limit for driving.
Normal people should renew their driver’s license every 5 years, and elderly people over 70 years old should renew their driver’s license every 2 years. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the dangers caused by these diseases while driving is the reason why the traffic police pay attention to them and enforce the rules. This makes the conditions for renewing and issuing certificates more difficult for elderly people. According to the established law, people over 70 years old are required to take special tests and tests every two years to renew their driver’s license in order to confirm their eligibility.
Pros And Cons Of Retesting Elderly Drivers: Recommendations
Slowing of the reaction while driving, weakening of hearing and vision, narrowing of the field of vision and increase of fines, etc. are some of the signs and factors that if you notice them while driving, it is time to change the age limits in driving. accept the As a result, you must follow the necessary measures such as renewal conditions and issuance of certificates for elderly people. It is better for the elderly and their families to think about their health and lives.
You may have driven for many years and pride yourself on having no accidents in the past, but you should know that your driving ability changes as you age. You may think that not driving will take away some of your independence or you may be shocked by this, but the important thing is to try to live an active, vibrant and valuable lifestyle without a car. Looking for alternative ways of transportation can help you live a social and healthy life.
Driving Safety Tips For the Elderly
After talking about the pros and cons of retesting elderly drivers, in this section we would like to state some tips for safe driving. Getting older does not automatically equate to a total loss of driving ability. There are many things you can do to experience safe driving, such as keeping your car in good repair, avoiding risky driving, and fixing your physical problems as much as possible so that you can continue to drive in old age.
Take care of your health and do the necessary examinations
- Regular checkups are very important for seniors to be in the best possible driving condition. Have your eyes examined every year and ensure the health of your glasses and contact lenses. Do not keep the windows, mirrors and lights of the car clean and make sure of their health to have a better view while driving.
- Try to examine your ears annually and if you have to use hearing aids, be sure to use them while driving. Be careful when rolling down the car window, as strong wind can disrupt the settings of some hearing aids.
- Talk to your doctor about any illnesses or medications that could affect your ability to drive. For example, if you have glaucoma, tinted glasses can help reduce glare. In order not to have any problems while driving, be sure to get enough sleep the night before. Adequate rest and sleep are essential for driving. So, make sure you don’t have insomnia and talk to your doctor about medications that may induce sleep.
Cars must be safe for seniors to drive
- If you have some special disabilities and disabilities, you can use more equipment and use special plates if needed, otherwise the following points are very important:
- Choose a vehicle with automatic transmission, power steering and powerful brakes.
- By regularly checking the car, you keep it in working condition.
- Be sure that your car’s computer is healthy and the car has good security.
Drive safe and avoid dangerous driving
If you want to experience safe driving in old age, you just need to take more steps:
- Pay more attention to intersections.
- Try to be aware of the traffic flow to drive.
- Avoid distractions while driving, such as talking on the phone, texting, or working with maps.
- Keep your distance from the car in front so that you don’t have an accident by braking the car in front. Consider increasing this distance on wet and icy roads.
- Observing the right speed can help you to control the car better.
Conclusion Remark
In this article, we talked about the pros and cons of retesting elderly drivers. The ban on driving for the elderly is always a challenging and difficult issue, which should be addressed as soon as possible. The best thing to do is to make changes without fear, if you can continue to drive by adapting and solving some of the problems we mentioned above, then do so. But if you see that it is necessary to leave it, act with courage. Post-accident action is like applying sunscreen after a sunburn; Therefore, the wisest thing to do is to prevent further serious injuries that may threaten you and the community.