Plan-- Amar Mehta
P3 There are many social implications of older people driving, and even not driving. Older people do cause loads of accidents, however all age groups do, so you can not count this as an implication. However older people tend to drive slower and this sometimes causes other drivers on the road to become annoyed with them, causing road rage to grow. However, if old people are stopped from driving, they will lose their independence, this may cause them to stay indoors, all alone, and become ill from depression. It may also force them to use public transport, which in many countries like the USA is unavailable, and in countries where it is available it isn’t the best as many of the occupants’ tend to be secondary school kids. Some who are rough, this endangers elderly people’s safety. [8]
P2 However many people would argue that elderly people should be allowed to drive. This is because of many reasons. Firstly, old people have actually got into fewer accidents that 17-24 year olds. According to the DFT, 27.8% of accidents were cause by drivers in the age of 17-24. Where as only 7.9% of accidents were caused by drivers 70 and over [8]. This source is very reliable because it comes from a governmental company, however there maybe some hints of bias in this source as there are many old people in the company. Old people are also trying to do their best to keep the ability to drive. Mandatory driving tests are being taken in California. It requires anyone retesting if they are involved in a fatal car crash or three or more crashes in one year. If drivers are 70 or older and are involved in two or more car crash they are required to retest. However, this system is only in place in California, but there have been proposals in sever other American states to toughen licensing requirements for elder people, but these proposals have been thwarted by groups who represent elderly people. They believe that it is discrimination to take age-based measures on licensing requirements. In Pennsylvania physicians a required to report any disabilities that may affect a driver’s ability, however doctors are hesitant to do this as it may endanger their relationship with the patients [1]. All of these measures are being taken out by the government, but the elderly drivers themselves are also taking actions. They realise that they are incapable of driving as well as they could when they were young. Some decide to drive in daylight, so there eyesight is not exposed as badly, and they drive on quitter roads which avoids risk of accident. [6]
