Elderly Driving
Elderly Driving: Common Concerns and Precautions
Different people age differently; some remain fit and active even in their eighties and nineties, while other become lean and docile in their fifth decade. Despite the dynamism, it is advisable not to take any risks with respect to elderly driving. Studies reveal that an elderly person involved in a car accident is more liable to receive serious injuries, more liable to be hospitalized, and more liable to die than a younger person involved in the same fatal accident. If an elderly person in your home is experiencing trouble on the road, its time to take some stringent action. In the following paragraphs, we shall discuss some common concerns and precautions related to elderly driving.
Age can Adversely Affect the Driving Ability
Factors associated with aging that can adversely affect the driving ability of the elderly are as follows:
* Vision deterioration- As the age progresses the vision deteriorates, due to which depth perception declines and it becomes difficult to judge the speed of upcoming traffic.
* Hearing impairment- Hearing loss is another ill-affect of aging. Due to the impairment, the elderly misses important clues while driving like honking, sirens, and so on.
* Drowsiness- Sleeplessness is the most common symptom of aging. This results in daytime drowsiness, which may interfere with driving.
* Brain impairment- This may cause delayed reactions, which might create a confusing situation on the road.
* Limited flexibility- Aging is often related to chronic diseases like Alzheimer\’s disease, Parkinson\’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease. All these health problems make the body inflexible.
* Medications- Certain medications produce deleterious side-effects that might interfere with driving.
Apart from these, there are several environmental factors that make elderly driving quite hazardous. Some examples of these are road markings and sign posts that are difficult to read, intersections that are complex and confusing, and panels on the dashboard that are difficult to comprehend.
Time to Take Adequate Precautions
If the elderly person is facing problems while driving, you should step forward and take action. However, while trying to convince him to stop driving, don\’t impose your decision upon him. Instead, patiently listen to his point of view. Cajole him emotionally to stop driving. Rather than making demands, ask feasible questions and persuade him to give a convincing answer.
Talk to him about the various safety concerns that are cluttering your mind. Put forth the transportation options available for him. Do talk about the benefits of these transportation options in detail. Whenever possible give the elderly joy rides. If things get out of hand, immediately seek professional help.
Remember, elderly driving is a matter of grave concern; therefore deal with it seriously and diplomatically.