Elderly Drivers

Stefani Ward Age Limit Essay Professor Trewitt 8 – 8:55 Mandatory Age Limits As senior citizens grow older, they do not react as quickly as they used to. It’s not realistic to allow someone to drive who could endanger others. Senior citizens over the age of 75 should not be able to drive. They have increased health problems, require more medication, and drive too slow. Senior citizens have increased health problems making it difficult to handle a car safely.

For example, a person with diabetes could have trouble controlling their blood sugar level, and might be in danger of losing consciousness. A person who has a pacemaker or a defibrillator could be a threat to safety because there is a chance that the device could stop working. Vision is a vital part of driving. As a person ages, their eyesight becomes poor, making it difficult to see things. In addition, senior citizens should not be able to drive because they require more medication.

Medications can have serious side effects making it difficult to drive. Both prescription and over-the-counter medicines can affect the ability to drive safely by making you feel tired, dizzy, or nauseated. Studies have shown that using certain medications or many medications increase the chance of being in an accident. Senior citizens tend to drive slower than the average person. Driving under the speed limit can cause distractions, and possibly an accident. Not only can it harm other people on the road, but the elderly too.

In some states a person can be given a citation for driving under the speed limit. Senior citizens have health problems, require more medication, and tend to drive slow, making the roads unsafe. Studies show that older drivers are more susceptible to injury or even death. Roads will be much safer if the government requires elderly drivers to turn in their licenses at age 75. There will be less accidents, less stress, and increased safety on the road. If the law doesn’t pass, the roads will be dangerous and will cause chaos for other drivers.