Citation

No Author(s) Listed. Accid. Reconstr. J. 2010; 20(5): 9-10.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Accident Reconstruction Journal)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This brief article explores some of the difficult issues that family members may face when determining how to intervene when a potentially dangerous elderly driver refuses to stop driving. This issue is particularly of interest as the population of older adults continues to explode in the next decade. Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that 78% of the 28 million Americans older than 70 have drivers licenses, up from 73% in 1997; this upward trend is expected to continue. More Americans are also living longer with progressive, disabling diseases that can have an impact on driving, such as heart problems, stroke, Parkinson's disease, dementia, and diabetes. The article discusses the reasons why seniors may be reluctant to give up their driving independence, concerns regarding drivers with dementia, the role of physicians and family members, changing state regulations for elderly drivers, and strategies for older drivers to retain and even sharpen their driving skills. The author emphasizes that it is functional ability, not merely age, that should determine who is permitted to have a driver's license.