Licensing Older Drivers
Traffic accidents are a s
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Traffic accidents are a serious public health issue. In the summer of 2003, 86-year-old George Russell Weller drove his car into a Santa Monica, California street market, killing 10 people and injuring numerous others (Mehren, n.p.). Weller, who appeared disoriented when he got out of his car, later told police that he had accidentally pressed on the accelerator instead of the brakes. As is usually the case when such accidents occur, politicians and public health officials began again to raise the issue of the regulation of older drivers. This paper explores the issues surrounding such regulation and concludes that there is sufficient evidence to support state-wide regular mandatory testing of older drivers as well as a significant push for alternative transportation methods for the elderly.To put the issue of older drivers in context, it must first be noted that the problems posed by older drivers is relatively small compared with that of younger drivers, primarily because there are fewer older drivers and they drive fewer miles. However, safety analysts and planners foresee demographic changes in American society that will likely increase the risks posed by older drivers. Between 1980 and 1989, the number of traffic fatalities decreased 20 percent (Bedard, Stones, Guyatt and Hirdes, 751). However, fatalities among drivers 65 and older increased 19 percent. Moreover, census predictions suggest that as the American population ages, the numb
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nd, note that young drivers still proportionately cause more accidents than do older drivers. They also argue, however, that while demands for oversight of the licensing of older drivers may be understandable, such policies should be crafted to identify older drivers who are actually impaired rather than target competent drivers merely because they are old (Coley, 1). Older drivers generally resist attempts to burden their abilities to obtain a license because they see their license as the key to their ôidentity, freedom and independenceö (Coley, 1).
The statistics quoted above do offer support for the regulation of older drivers. It is undeniable that age often brings with it certain diminished mental and motor capacities that can affect a personÆs ability to operate a motor vehicle. As Coley points out, however, the question is not one of age, but one of impairment. Older drivers often experience physical and mental problems that younger people can also experience. For example, older people may experience physical, mental and cognitive thinking deficiencies (Coley, 1). However, younger people with ailments such as multiple sclerosis or minor brain damage may also experience such deficiencies. Older people may also suffe
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1503
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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