Seniors and Driving – The Law Enforcement Perspective

Though seniors may realize their driving skills are not what they should be, it’s often a family member that brings the subject up first. In many cases, however, there is someone who observes the diminishing skills of senior drivers before family members do—the local law enforcement officer. According to Sergeant David Harris, supervisor of the traffic section of the Lynnwood Police Department, senior drivers face special challenges when they get behind the wheel. 

Collisions caused by seniors are rarer than they are for younger drivers, but when collisions do take place, the injuries can be more severe. Sergeant Harris, who oversees the investigation and reconstruction of all traffic accidents in the city, says that a primary cause of senior collisions is due to medical issues, particularly things like blackouts and heart attacks. Other medical conditions can influence driving as well: vision problems, the effects of certain medications, disorientation, dementia, and diabetes—which, without proper medication and diet, can appear as alcoholism. Physical mobility issues include the inability to hit either the brakes or the accelerator at the right moment (perception/reaction time), and difficulty turning one’s head around to look into the vehicle’s “blind spot.” Backing-up accidents are common.

To their credit, seniors are very responsible when it comes to possessing current licenses and carrying proper insurance. And their cars are generally well-maintained, which may be because a son or daughter has made sure the car gets regular service. As for which cars are safest, Sergeant Harris counsels that size does matter. “The bigger the better… Physics is physics, and it’s just safer to be in a larger car.” Seniors are also less likely to be driving while talking on cell phones. Most importantly, they are generally respectful of law enforcement, and will accept a ticket and the officer’s word that an infraction was made, even when they weren’t aware of making it. But that lack of awareness behind the wheel may be the so-called moment of truth, when it comes to assessing the merits of continuing to drive as the likelihood of age-related incidents increases. 

Traffic tickets and collisions can cause insurance rates to skyrocket. Sergeant Harris suggests that seniors who have been in accidents have their licenses re-evaluated soon afterwards. If it’s clear there are too many issues occurring for driving to be safe, then the family has to make a decision about whether it’s time to put the car keys in the drawer. Sergeant Harris would much rather the family makes that decision than leaves it up to the traffic officer. “Taking away someone’s driving privileges truly is taking away freedom. We know that. We’re very empathetic to that.” Most often, it’s a collision scene, not a traffic infraction, which exacerbates the need for a decision. As for what can prevent the collision and injury in the first place? “It’s the conversations before something happens,” says Sergeant Harris. 

Author: Michele Horwitz