Old People Driving Draft

Throughout the United States of America there is an abundance of issues in regard to civilians causing problems on the roads, which we drive on every day. Issues such as driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, reckless driving and lack of attention paid while driving are the first problems that would come to ones mind when thinking about the dangers that we can all potentially face on the road. But an issue that I would like to address that a lot of people do not consider a hazard on the road is elderly civilians behind the wheel on the same roads as us. This is a problem that has not been so much sporadic, but rather quite frequent and this is something that cannot be put on a pedestal any longer. It is time for our elders to step up to the plate and see that when they get behind the wheel not only are they putting us in danger but also they are putting themselves within the grasp of death or severe injury. I am not trying to say that all old people are bad drivers, just that the majority of them are from what I have seen on the road and dealt with in my family. Also I am not trying to say that old people shouldn’t simply not be able to drive after a certain age, but rather they should have to take a test like the one teenagers have to take now-a-days to get their drivers permit. If our elders are truly competent to drive on the same roads as us then a simple drivers test wouldn’t cause too much harm. People 65 years and older represent 13 percent of the population in America and 17 percent of all motor vehicle deaths. The age of senior citizen drivers is a serious national concern. I believe that everyone would agree that drivers need additional skills and knowledge to compensate for decreased abilities that are due to aging. The aging progression can potentially reduce a driver's capability to deal with traffic incidents both physically and mentally, and can also increase the seriousness of injuries that occur when in a motor vehicle