As the population gets older, the number of seniors on the road also increases. The number of drivers age 65 or older on the road is going up exponentially. It jumped 20 percent to 33 million in 2009, and it’s expected to rise to 70 million by 2030.

It’s also no secret that as we age, our skills to do things like drive a vehicle naturally diminish.
Washington Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing would like to share AAA’s five factors to keep an eye on if you or a senior loved one is still behind the wheel.

Vision
The need for good vision in order to drive is self-explanatory. Most states require vision tests as part of driver’s license renewals, but vision diminishes gradually in most cases, so it may be hard to determine if you have a problem before it’s too late. Driving at night is usually the first thing that becomes difficult, along with difficulty changing focus.

Hearing
Hearing loss could impair your ability to hear horns, along with potential upcoming hazards like railroad crossing signals and sirens from emergency vehicles.

Reaction Time
A driver is said to have less than one-half second to react to avoid a potential collision, and someone makes an average of 20 major decisions per each mile driven. A high number of stimuli can easily overwhelm older drivers, and physical issues like muscle stiffness and joint pain can also cause a decrease in reaction time.

Medications
Side effects from medications can impair one’s ability to drive. This is an issue for people of any age, but as seniors tend to take more medications, the risk for adverse reactions (from combining medications) and side-effects like drowsiness is more of a concern for the older population.

Cognitive Abilities
The brain needs more time to process information as we age, and this can include having trouble remembering where you’re going, not realizing you’re in a right-turn only lane until it’s too late, etc. Obviously, conditions like dementia can cause further issues when it comes to driving safely.

If you’re concerned about any of these factors, you can schedule a professional driving assessment.