Aging is a part of life. It is inevitable that as we age, we experience bodily changes that make things that were once so easy for us, a little bit harder. Driving is one of the skills where we need to make some adjustments as we age. However, by being aware of these changes and responding appropriately to them through safe driving practices, we can be confident that we will remain safe drivers even when we are well past our 60s. Here are some of the most important changes in your body that affect your driving abilities.
- Stiff Joints
- Vision Problems
- Hearing Impairment
- Slow Reaction Times
Stiff joints can lead to difficulty in foot and pedal movement and in some cases, making it hard to turn your head to look behind you, harder turn the steering wheel and push the brakes. If you feel these things, see your doctor and ask for any medication he/she can give you to ease your muscle and joint pains. In this condition, it would surely be advantageous if you drive a car with automatic transmission, power steering and power brakes so that you won't have to exert much physical effort. Try to always exercise to keep your body strong and flexible.
There are several vision problems associated with age such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration are associated with aging. Even if you don't have these specific eye diseases, it is inevitable that your eyesight will decline and you'll have trouble seeing things at night, you may find glare extra annoying and traffic signs may not be recognized so quickly.
The first way to counteract these vision problems is to have your eyes checked regularly. Ask your doctor if you have an eye disease such as cataract. It can be remedied by surgery. Also, make sure your prescription glasses are correct and updated and don't fail to wear them when driving. Refrain from driving at night if it's hard for you to see things in the dark.
Aging also causes hearing problems to arise. If this happens, you may not be able to discern horns, sirens and noises easily. Sounds are warnings and if you don't get them quickly, you may be putting yourself and your passengers in danger.
First, have your hearing checked on a regular basis. If you have any hearing difficulties, they can readily be treated by your doctor. It may also help if you use a hearing aid especially when driving. Refrain from playing loud music and ask your passengers to tone down their voices so that you won't be distracted from unnecessary noises.
Finally, when you age, your reaction time becomes slower, you get easily confused and distracted, and your attention span becomes shorter.
Some adjustments must be made to your usual driving practices to cope up with these changes. First, make sure there is adequate space between you and the car in front. If you ever need to stop in a while, start braking early on. As much as possible, avoid driving in place where traffic is high.
