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Effects of
aging on older drivers |
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Effects Of Aging On
Older Drivers
It's
important to understand the physical and mental
changes that occur with older drivers and how the
effects of aging may increase our risk on the road.
Driving is a complex task that requires a driver's
ability to see, think and do:
-
see and hear what’s in the driving environment
-
think or process complicated information quickly
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do by taking appropriate action to avoid crashes
Older drivers often take longer to complete each of
these steps. Learning how the effects of aging can
impact our driving is a critical first step in
decreasing our risk as drivers.
Seeing and hearing
Good
vision is essential to safe driving. We also use our
hearing when we drive. What happens as we age?
The
retina becomes less sensitive to light. More light
makes it easier to drive and older drivers require
significantly more light than younger drivers.
Our
ability to change our focus starts to slow down
around age 40. A driver over the age of 40 can take
at least a second longer to refocus than a younger
driver takes (such as when looking up from the dash
to the road ahead.)
We
become more sensitive to glare because the lenses of
our eyes thicken and the pupils become smaller. A 55
year old takes eight times longer to recover from
glare than a 16 year old.
Peripheral vision narrows and depth perception
declines as we age. Depth perception is important
because we use it to judge how fast other cars are
moving.
Colours become more difficult to see — especially
red, the colour of the brake lights of the car ahead
that’s braking!
Hearing becomes less acute as we age — about one
third of people over 65 and one half of those over
85 have hearing problems.
Thinking
After we see what’s happening in our driving
environment, we need to process the information and
decide what to do in order to avoid collisions.
Experience and mature judgment are important but
older drivers tend to process information more
slowly.
Doing
Once
a decision has been made, the driver needs to react.
But, testing shows that many older drivers take
longer to perform motor activities. Weaker muscles,
reduced flexibility and range of motion and
conditions such as arthritis make it more difficult
to:
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turn our heads
-
grip and turn the steering wheel
-
press the accelerator or brake
-
reach the controls or open windows and doors
source: BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation
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Drivers have to make
about 15 major decisions for each
kilometer driven, each requiring
almost immediate action. Older
drivers must adapt their habits to
accommodate the changes that occur
with aging so they can continue to
drive safely for as long as
possible.
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