The Risk of Senior Citizen Drivers

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16 Years of age in New York is a very special time for a teenager they wait and wait for the chance to take the road test and have the freedom to drive independently. In order for these teenagers to earn their license they must pass not only a written exam and a skills exam but also for their vision. If these skills begin to deteriorate with age, should elderly drivers’ licenses be revoked? When these elderly drives enter onto the road way with impaired senses they pose a giant threat to not only to themselves but other drivers and pedestrians as well. The risks and dangers of these elderly drivers being allowed on the road way is enough of a reason to require at least a re-test on every ability required to drive. As drivers become senior citizens, the chance of getting into a motor vehicle accident almost double therefore, to lower the risk, all drivers over 65 need to complete license renewal procedures yearly that include tests on driving ability, sight, hearing and memory.
Vision and the loss of it is one of the most common medical symptoms that come with aging and also happens to be the most important sense required to drive. Every elder citizen past the age of 65 needs to be tested for vision impairment to determine whether or not they have the ability to drive a motor vehicle safely. These vision exams should be free of charge due to the fact that it is a natural result of the aging process. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, “Nearly 3.5 million Americans over the age of 40 have some degree of vision loss, most commonly from age related conditions” (Nesburn). Even at the age of 40 humans will begin to suffer from vision loss and it only gets more intense with age. This loss of vision is not able to withstand the r...

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Nesburn, Anthony B., and Judith Delgado. ""National Center on Care giving"." Family Caregiver Alliance. n. page. Web.
Quillen, David A. "Common Causes of Vision Loss in Elderly Patients." American Family Physician (1999): n.pag. Web. 12 Jan 2014.
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