Some drivers automatically assume that elderly individuals shouldn’t be driving. The fact of the matter is that age doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with a person’s ability to drive safely. The factors that matter most include things like a driver’s cognitive and physical ability to operate the vehicle.
As people age, their cognitive abilities can start to decline. The same is true of their physical abilities. There isn’t any set age for this to happen. It just depends on the individual and how their aging process is going. If there are concerns about the person’s ability to drive, the person should have an evaluation with their doctor to determine whether it’s suitable for them to continue to drive or not.
Several things must be considered during this appointment, and these go beyond the cognitive and physical abilities of the person. The doctor also considers things like how medications might affect the person. This includes reviewing the conditions that the medications are used to control.
Ultimately, elderly drivers can remain safe drivers as long as they can control the vehicle and react appropriately to things that happen while they drive. It might behoove some senior citizens to take a driving refresher course to help them brush up on their skills.
While most elderly individuals are safe drivers, there is still a chance that they will cause a wreck. These must be handled in the same manner as any other crash. Victims of these wrecks can opt to pursue a claim for compensation that helps them to recover expenses, such as medical care costs, that are related to the crash.