Why Older Drivers Are at Risk
The American Medical Association says that older drivers are more likely than younger drivers to suffer serious or fatal injuries if they are involved in a car accident. Also, drivers over the age of 75 are involved in more accidents than middle-aged drivers are. Why so many accidents? The AMA lists the following factors:
1. Older adults sometimes have problems with vision that may include:
• Cataracts
• Difficulty adjusting to glare and changes in lightness and darkness
• Glaucoma
• Macular degeneration
• Stroke
2. Older adults sometimes have problems with focusing because of:
• Difficulty with memory
• The effects of medicines on clear thinking
• Dementia or other medical conditions
3. Older adults sometimes have physical problems such as:
• Muscle weakness and lack of endurance.
• Arthritis and other health conditions that may make wearing a seatbelt and driving uncomfortable.
• Adapted from the American Medical Association, 2003. (www.ama.assn.org).
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