older people’s health issues
The Older Driver
Introduction
Driving provides older people freedom, independence, and key social interactions with their community that many people take for granted in their youth. But the privilege of driving is based on the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Drivers aged 70 and over have an increased motor vehicle crash risk per miles driven in comparison to middle-aged drivers. Those that drive infrequently are at greatest risk. Thus, impaired function due to age-related disorders should be viewed as a flashing yellow traffic signal—a warning that driving privileges should be reassessed. Many factors can diminish the driving performance of older adults. Among these factors are age-related changes in reaction time and visual, cognitive, and/or muscle disorders that become more common with age. Drugs are commonly used to treat disorders in older people, and some classes of drugs can be sedating and impair driving performance. Some of these factors can be managed and modified. Older people are more likely to have a motor vehicle crash (MVC) when making a left turn than other age groups. 