Quick Answers...
Are most older drivers capable of safely operating a motor vehicle?
Yes. Some older adults do have visual, motor, or cognitive
impairments that make them dangerous drivers. Many drive
more slowly and cautiously or avoid driving in conditions
they consider threatening in order to compensate for these
changes. Until approximately age 85, older adults have fewer
driver fatalities per million drivers than men 20 years old,
but they do have more accidents per miles driven. Unsafe
speed and alcohol use are leading factors in accidents for
young drivers, while right-of-way violations are the leading
cause of accidents involving older drivers--which implies a
breakdown in such cognitive-perceptual components as
estimating the speed of oncoming cars or reacting too slowly
to unexpected events. Older drivers' skills can be improved
considerably by specific driver training such as through the
AARP "55 ALIVE/Mature Driving" program.
Linda Breytspraak, Center on Aging Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Last update: Monday, July 07, 2008