Fatality rates for drivers begin to climb after age 65. From ages 75 to 84, the rate of about three deaths per 100 million miles driven is equal to the death rate of teenage drivers. For drivers 85 and older, the fatality rate skyrockets to nearly four times higher than that for teens.
Debates over how to prepare for a boom in elderly drivers are resonating in statehouses across the nation.
The only measure scientifically proven to lower the rate of fatal crashes involving elderly drivers is forcing the seniors to appear at motor vehicle departments in person to renew their licenses, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), citing a 1995 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
But most states do not require older drivers to renew licenses in person, and only two ââ¬â Illinois and New Hampshire ââ¬â require them to pass road tests, which can be crucial in identifying drivers whose physical ability or mental awareness has diminished.
(Taken from: http://www.usatoday....rs-usat1a_N.htm)
Questions: Do you think elderly drivers should be forced to appear at motor vehicle departments in person?
Should they be required to pass a road test after a certain age?
Debates over how to prepare for a boom in elderly drivers are resonating in statehouses across the nation.
The only measure scientifically proven to lower the rate of fatal crashes involving elderly drivers is forcing the seniors to appear at motor vehicle departments in person to renew their licenses, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), citing a 1995 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
But most states do not require older drivers to renew licenses in person, and only two ââ¬â Illinois and New Hampshire ââ¬â require them to pass road tests, which can be crucial in identifying drivers whose physical ability or mental awareness has diminished.
(Taken from: http://www.usatoday....rs-usat1a_N.htm)
Questions: Do you think elderly drivers should be forced to appear at motor vehicle departments in person?
Should they be required to pass a road test after a certain age?