Safety Driving Tips for Older Senior Drivers
The holidays are soon approaching, and for many of us, this will mean a welcome visit from our senior parents or grandparents. You may be concerned for their safety while driving long distances on the winter roads or in poor weather conditions. Statistics report that people 70 years of age and older have the second-highest accident rate per kilometer as compared to other age groups. Only young male drivers have a higher accident rate.
Driving concerns for seniors include:
- Delayed reaction time – a 65-year-old has a reaction time 22 times slower than a 30-year-old;
- Impaired eyesight – vision problems such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration, can make it difficult to see clearly or drive at night, and may give rise to difficulties with depth perception;
- Age-related hearing loss – for example, reduced ability to hear a car honk or an approaching emergency vehicle or train can become issues;
- Growing forgetfulness;
- Range of motion issues such as shoulder checking and moving hands and feet.