Senior Citizen Driving

"Senior Citizen Driving"

I. Introduction

A. In 2003, 90yr-old, George Weller made the headlines due to him driving his car into a farmers market in Santa Monica, CA. He was found guilty on 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 5 years of probation with over $100,000 in fines. (Wilson)

B. Today I want to propose that the federal government institute a law requiring any one age 70 and up with a state drivers license to be tested every year to make sure they mentally and physically capable of driving.

C. I will be discussing the reasons as to why senior citizens inability to drive increases with age, the effects of their driving, and proposed solutions and benefits.

Lets begin my addressing the obvious loss of body functions.

II. Critical Points

A. Why do the elderly develop driving disabilities?

1. Loss of Body Functions

a. Vision loss accounts for up to 90 to 95% of the info needed to maneuver in traffic. (Wilson)

b. Research shows that the average person's hearing and reaction time deteriorates at about 2% every year after the age of 20. (Wilson)

c. Loss in muscle strength and flexibility can increase the time it takes to move one's foot from the accelerator to the brake, sometimes causing confusion between the two and failure to check blind spots. (Wilson)

2. Motor Vehicle Impairment and Sense of Direction

a. Most senior citizens become less aware of the signs of car trouble, the most common being under-inflated tires. (Russo)

b. Due to an increase in memory loss, usually associated with Alzheimer's, they may lose sense of direction. (Russo)

Now that I've covered the causes of senior citizens' inability to drive lets explore effects they have on themselves and on others.

B. The positive and negative effects of senior citizen driving.

1. Positive Effects

a. Senior citizens have a sense of identity and independence when driving. (Russo)

b. They're more involved in activities and maintain social relationships. (Russo)

2. Negative Effects

a. Drivers older than 80 yrs old die in traffic accidents at a higher rate per 100,000 miles than for all other age groups. (Older Americans Report, 2005)

b. Drivers age 80 to 89 are three times as likely to die in accidents that involve left turns. (Older Americans Report, 2005)

c. In a telephone interview with Ella Belle Cureton, who is almost 90 years old, she says, "My children took my car from me. They said that I was too old and that they thought that I was no longer capable of driving, " (Cureton).

Okay now that I've conveyed the causes and effects of senior citizens driving let's view the proposed solutions.

C. There are numerous innovations to help aid with senior citizen driving.

1. DriveABLE

a. This program was developed by Canadian neuropsychologist Allen Dobbs to help guide doctors in making driving-fitness decisions about patients with dementia. (Russo)

b. Used to help evaluators determine the most dangerous drivers. (Russo)

c. The use of touch-screen computers at local DMVs evaluate judgment, decision-making, and attention shifting by creating a variety of scenarios. (Russo)

2. Driving simulator

a. Northeastern