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Virginia’s Senior Drivers Sharply Increase Risk of Accidents on Roads

Statistics consistently reveal that driving skills decrease with age, putting senior drivers at an increased risk of car accidents in Virginia. But to the elderly, driving represents freedom, independence and self-sufficiency. To take this away from a senior driver is devastating. Senior drivers, who have not depended on anyone but themselves for several years, suddenly find themselves helpless when they lose their license.

According to Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles Highway Safety Office*, 62 driver fatalities were caused by senior drivers over 70 years of age in 2010, with another 2,019 driver injuries caused by senior drivers in the Commonwealth. Statistics also show that, at 75 years of age, the risk of driver fatalities increases significantly, and at 85 years of age, the fatality rate is even higher than that of new teenage drivers.

Senior drivers' increased risk of motor vehicle accidents in Virginia can be attributed to the following:

• Reaction Time - Decreased reaction time results in the inability to make quick decisions and, consequently, elderly drivers make poor judgments and become confused.
• Eyesight - Eyesight worsens with age; common eye problems in seniors include cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
• Medications - Use of prescription drugs may lead to increased drowsiness and lack of focus.
• Pain and Stiffness in Muscles - Pain and stiffness in the neck leads to difficulty looking over the shoulder; pain and stiffness in the legs leads to difficultly moving the foot from the accelerator to the brake.

Even though senior drivers may be experiencing these risk factors, they remain silent out of fear that their license may be taken away. Explaining to a senior driver the increased risk he or she poses on the roads in Virginia is a very difficult conversation to undertake. Unfortunately, losing their license means losing their independence, regardless of others on the road.

The following are warning signs that your senior driver is at an increased risk of causing a Virginia motor vehicle accident:

• Driving too fast or too slow
• Decreased response time to other vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists
• Ignoring or passing through stop signs or red lights and failing to yield to the right-of-way
• Confused and anxious, particularly on crowded roadways
• Drifting between lanes
• Muscle tightness and difficulty turning the head
• Getting lost more often
• Difficulty parking

If your loved one demonstrates any of these warning signs, it is important to have a conversation with the senior driver. Let them know that revoking their license is not necessarily the only option. Senior drivers can take the following steps before a decision is made to take away the driver's license:

• Avoid driving at night
• Drive only in familiar locations
• Avoid expressways and freeways, especially during rush hour
• Do not drive alone

If you or a family member has been involved in a car accident, you need the immediate assistance of a Virginia car accident lawyer who has experience and knowledge. Michael Weisberg has been representing clients for more than forty years in southeastern Virginia, including the greater Norfolk and Portsmouth areas.

Contact Attorney Weisberg toll free at (800) 690-0235 today. Also be sure to order your FREE copy of his book, What You Need to Know About Getting a Fair and Reasonable Settlement.

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