Legal Driving Age

Legal Driving Age

Driving a motor vehicle is one of the most powerful statements of independence in Western societies. This is especially the case in the United States, where even urban distances may be great and public transportation may be scarce. On the other side, statistics pertinent to older drivers have been heavily publicized, showing that drivers age 65 years and older have a higher fatality rate per mile driven than does any other age group except drivers under 25 years of age. Consequently, the topic of retiring from driving is a source of considerable apprehension for elders, their families, health care providers, and society at large (Wang, 2008).

Traffic crashes are a major public safety problem; overall, they are the leading cause of death by injury in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2005, there were almost 6.16 million police-reported crashes, 2.7 million injuries, and 43,443 deaths. Injuries that result from traffic crashes are the leading cause of death to individuals ages 1 through 34 and are the leading contributor to years of life lost due to premature death, surpassing heart disease, cancer, AIDS, and stroke. A 2000 NHTSA report estimated the cost of U.S. traffic crashes at over $230.6 billion annually (Wang, 2008).

Globally, traffic safety is a rising concern. The World Health Organization projects that by 2020, road traffic injuries and deaths will be the third most important contributor to global health problems, up from ninth in 2000. Eighty-five percent of the traffic deaths around the world occur to pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists in low- and middle-income countries. More than half of these fatalities occur among younger, able-bodied adults; the economic cost of these fatalities to these countries is estimated at $65 billion each year (Wang, 2008).

Age-related disabilities most likely to affect driving skills involve eyesight, cognition, and neuromuscular coordination and strength. In addition, a variety of medications commonly used by older individuals may jeopardize safe driving

Some populations may be overrepresented in the crash data because of behaviors associated with greater risks or may be overrepresented in injury data because they are less protected in some way. Such vulnerable populations include children, teenagers, older adults, communities of color, and nonmotorized road users (pedestrians and bicyclists).

Child passenger safety seats are key to protecting infants and children from motor vehicle injury. Because of their size and level of physical development, children are extremely vulnerable ...