Elderly Drivers Research Paper

The Hazard of Elderly Drivers “The Congress shall have Power…to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States…” (Section 8 [1] United States Constitution). Under the Constitution of the United States of America, government has the ability to implement laws that provide for the general well being of its citizens. Regardless of the circumstance, the government must act in the best interest of the civilians living within the United States. One of the most prominent dangers to every single person in America is the automobile. Even the most adroit driver in the country is in danger while on the road simply because of the mistakes that other less talented drivers make. An obvious group of drivers that
The motor vehicle has always been one of the major contributors to the death rate in America. Every time a person enters a car he is putting himself into a tremendous amount of danger. In the year 2007, accidents ranked as the fifth highest cause for number of deaths in America (Leading Causes of Death). Not only do car accidents cause deaths and injuries, but they also result in an enormous amount of money that is needed to fix damages. For example, in 2005 there were approximately “6,420,000” documented car accidents in the U.S. (Car Accident Statistics). These accidents resulted in over “42,000” deaths and about “2,900,000” injuries (Car Accident Statistics). Not only were the people involved hurt, but their bank accounts were hurt as well. In this year alone, the money spent amounted to an unbelievable “230,000,000,000 dollars” (Car Accident Statistics). While the benefits of the automobile clearly outweigh the negatives, any measure to reduce accidents and the consequences of accidents should be taken by both individual drivers and the
Many believe that this is simply age discrimination, and that a person’s age is no definite predictor of his driving ability (Older Drivers, Elderly Driving, Seniors at the Wheel). In addition, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) states that, “age alone is not sufficient information to judge driving ability” (Should Elderly Drivers Be Retested?). While this may be a valid point, the statistics obviously show that many old people do suffer from impaired driving, and are putting everyone on the road in danger. Also, a lot of elderly drivers argue that it is a basic freedom as an American to drive without being prosecuted (Dr. Gwenn). Although driving may seem like a right, it is actually a privilege, and nowhere in the constitution does it state anything about the right to drive. It is also true that elderly tend to drive only in good conditions, and that the high fatality rate may be caused by an increased susceptibility to injuries during a car accident (CDC-Motor Vehicle Safety). This does not change the fact that these senior citizens are still getting into more accidents than any other age group besides teens. Even though there are many people against retesting the elderly, the logic behind their beliefs is not sufficient enough to halt the enforcement of these road tests for