Elders Cause Crashes Due to Poor Eyesight
While most serious accidents occur on freeways and interstates when cars are moving at high speeds, there are a number of accidents in Georgia that take place on city streets and in residential neighborhoods. Because elderly drivers tend to avoid highways, they are often involved in city street accidents. They are at risk for crashes due to their slower reaction times, deteriorating night vision, poor eyesight, and difficulty focusing on moving objects.
Many wrecks can be prevented if aging drivers merely make sure that their vision is good enough to take on the responsibility of driving. Sadly, due to their age, elderly drivers are often the ones seriously hurt in accidents that they themselves have caused. Senior drivers often do not realize their inability to operate a motor vehicle safely until it is too late. Thus, it is important that families of older drivers talk to their loved ones about their eyesight.
Seniors shouldn't be driving if they have trouble with the following:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Seeing in low light
- Poor night vision
All of the above-mentioned can seriously affect an individual's ability to drive, possibly causing minor to catastrophic accidents and injuries as a result. While many elderly drivers understand the need to give up driving if their vision is failing, others do not want their independence taken away and will not give up their keys willingly.
Accordingly, the research from the United States Department of Transportation indicates that the highest ranked age group for fatal car accidents is drivers who are 85 and older. In order to ensure that your elderly parent or loved one can still see well enough to take on the responsibility of driving, make sure to communicate and keep an eye on the situation.
Encourage your elderly loved ones to go in for annual eye exams, and remind them that there are other lives at stake if they do cause an auto accident.
