Citizens Above Age 65 Should Not Keep Driving Licenses
Overview
This essay argues that driving licenses should be revoked for all citizens above age 65 due to age-related declines in cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities. The paper presents evidence linking advanced age to increased accident rates and safety risks, citing vision problems, cognitive decline, and hearing loss as primary reasons for implementing mandatory license repossession policies.
What this essay covers
- Introduction and demographic context of elderly drivers and accident statistics
- Vision impairment and its impact on driving safety and decision-making
- Cognitive decline, dementia, and mental incapacity in older drivers
- Hearing loss and its role in preventing drivers from detecting road hazards
Preview
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Citizens Above Age 65 Should Not Keep Driving Licenses
The number of accidents caused by drivers above 65 years are increasing across the United States. At the same time, the country continues to record an increase in the aged population, a trend expected to remain due to a high life expectancy. In 2018, more than 45 million drivers were above 65 years, an increase of more than sixty percent since 2000. Data from Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that many adults die from road accidents, with many admitted for emergency care because of injuries. Across all states, the number of accidents caused by aged individuals is growing each day. The risks of cognitive loss, muscle loss, visual challenges, and hearing problems are high after age 65. Aging leads to a decline in necessary abilities to operate a vehicle, mandating repossession of driving licenses for aged people.
Elderly people driving licenses must be repossessed because age is associated with vision problems, causing poor decisions while driving. Studies have indicated that age is a determiner of blindness, especially because of muscular degeneration (Loh & Ogle, 2004). After the age of 65, the risk of getting visually impaired is high. The loss of visual acuity increases the risk for accidents, making it dangerous for elderly drivers to maintain their licenses. The processing of visual information is also slower, which does not fit with the road context where faster decisions are needed.