Personal Injury Law

Aging Drivers and Safety

By Regan Zambri & Long

Posted by Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

A recent article in the Washington Post addresses the concerns of many families regarding how to determine when an aging driver is no longer safe behind the wheel and how best to deal with taking away that independence.  Although older drivers frequently retain the cognitive functions necessary to drive, other progressive diseases that come with aging complicate matters. Being able to drive represents maintaining independence and confidence for older drivers.  However, "a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office found that drivers 75 and older were more likely than drivers in all other age groups, including adolescents, to be involved in a fatal crash."

Even though some states are requiring more stringent renewal requirements to include vision exams or a doctor's approval, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "there is no single test or screening tool that will reliably weed out unsafe older drivers."  Proactive involvement by families and physicians will likely be the best way to prevent older drivers on the highways as they become more dangerous.

Protect your family and the memories of your grandparents. Don't allow them to drive beyond the time it is safe for them to do so. 

The issue of how and when to determine whether someone has become too risky to safely drive has been the subject of frequent previous postings on the DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog:

• Alzeheimer's Study Illustrates Need for Reliable Tests of Driving Skill and Cognitive Ability
• Safe Driving for Those Who Take Medications
• Older Drivers Not the Most Dangerous: New Study
• Senior Drivers; Special Equipment and Helpful Advice
• When Should You Ask a Family Member to Stop Driving? Look for Warning Signs for Aging Drivers
• AARP Driving Course for Adults over 50

Do you have any questions about this post?

About the author:

Mr. Zambri is a board-certified civil trial attorney by the National Board of Trial Advocates and a Past-President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. He has been rated by Washingtonian magazine as a "Big Gun" and among the "top 1%" of all lawyers in the Washington metropolitan area. The magazine also describes him as "one of Washington's best--most honest and effective lawyers" who specializes in personal injury matters, including automobile accident claims, premises liability, product liability, medical malpractice, and work-accident claims. He has successfully litigated multiple cases against truck and bus companies, the Washington Metropolitan Area transit Authority, and other automobile owners. His law firm, in fact, has obtained the largest settlement ever in a personal injury case involving WMATA. Mr. Zambri has been named one of the "Best Lawyers in America" by Best Lawyers (2011 edition), as well as a "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyer magazine (March/April 2010)-- national publications that honor the top lawyers in America.

If you have any questions about your legal rights, please email Mr. Zambri at szambri@reganfirm.com or call him at 202-822-1899.

Full post as published by DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog on August 17, 2010 (boomark / email).