Mandatory testing for older drivers challenges independence and dignity
By Robert P. Dean
Much has been said and written over the last several months regarding the ability of older drivers to continue to drive safely. Although accidents involving older drivers frequently draw attention and headlines because of their age, statistics indicate that older drivers are relatively safe drivers. According to a 2007 Rand Corporation study entitled, “What Risks Do Older Drivers Pose to Traffic Safety?,” people age 65 and older accounted for about 15% of all licensed drivers (in 2001) but only 7% of all two-car accidents (both fatal and non-fatal). Younger drivers, age 15 to 24, pose a far greater safety risk. According to the Rand report, these younger drivers represented 13% of all licensed drivers yet were responsible for 43% of all traffic accidents in the United States in 2001. Driving is a fast-paced, complex activity. It involves processing information about traffic and road conditions, deciding what to do, and then acting on those decisions in a matter of seconds. Age may affect driving ability in a variety of ways, including diminished vision, or slower decision making and reaction time. Despite medical evidence that demonstrates that driving skills may decline with age, the Rand report states that older drivers are not significantly riskier drivers. This is primarily because older drivers modify their driving habits to compensate for diminished driving skills as they age. For instance, older drivers drive far less frequently and average far fewer miles driven. Most older drivers use seat belts and have fewer citations for speeding, reckless driving, or alcohol-related charges. (In regards to drinking and driving fatalities, 6% of passenger vehicle drivers age 70 and older had blood alcohol concentration levels of 0.08 percent or higher compared with 41% for drivers age 16 to 59). Additionally, older drivers tend to avoid driving conditions that put them at greater risk for an accident, such as poor road conditions, or driving during peak traffic times or at night. The Rand report contrasts these tendencies with those of younger drivers, who show no particular driving pattern during the day, and drive more frequently at night. The Rand report also found that many older drivers give up driving entirely if they feel they are a driving risk to themselves or others.
There is currently a bill (H.3287) in the state Legislature to require the mandatory testing of all drivers age 75 and older at time of license renewal. It is my understanding that the criteria to test would be based solely on chronological age and not on any evidence of driving impairment. This type of approach is, in my opinion, discriminatory. We all want safe roads. We need to target unsafe and impaired drivers - not seniors - and enact legislation that will seek to ensure that all unsafe and impaired drivers regardless of age will be tested and removed from the roads as necessary. A coalition called ‘Safe Roads Now’, comprised of concerned organizations including the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging and Senior Center Directors, AARP Massachusetts, and AAA Southern New England is advocating for a law that will achieve the goal of safe roads for everyone by correcting the deficiencies in the current system. The Safe Roads Now coalition recommends “a performance-based approach to setting standards for driver licensing that incorporates two types of evidence: 1) linking a medical condition or functional impairment to impaired driving and/or increased crash risk; and 2) demonstrates the effectiveness of licensing practices or standards in improving performance and/or lowering crash risk.” A performance-based approach is vastly superior to and will be much more effective than an age-based testing approach that target seniors, and is far more likely to achieve the goal of safe roads for all.
(Editor’s Note: For more information on the Safe Roads Now initiative contact AARP Massachusetts at 1-617-305-0538 or www.aarp.org. The Rand report can be found at www.rand.org.)
Robert P. Dean is Executive Director of Elder Services.
