On my way to school everyday I pass by an intersection. This intersection is like any other intersection, but there seems to be more accidents at this intersection than at others. It is depressing to hear on the news the next day that a life had been lost in an accident because of an elderly driver pulling out in front of another car. Almost all of the accidents that happen at that intersection are related to elderly drivers. I do not wish to demean elderly drivers, I just want to make our roadways safer. Elderly drivers should be retested for several reasons. One reason is that as people get older their vision often starts to deteriorate. Another reason to retest is because when people age their reaction time gets slower. The last reason…show more content… Whether it is mistaking the gas for the brake pedal or failing to see an oncoming car before making a turn, the impairments of elderly drivers tend to be a leading cause in fatal accidents. Elderly people tend to experience degeneration of their senses such as declining eyesight including lack of peripheral vision, and hearing that can affect a decision a person could make as they are driving (“Retest Elderly Drivers”). In order to take into account some of these declining senses, some places around the country are making their road signs bigger so that they are easier to notice. Car manufacturers are also designing larger dashboard displays to make it easier to read. There needs to be a way to evaluate these natural declines in one’s senses and determine whether or not a person meets the appropriate criteria to keep their license primarily based on his or her test results and not solely on their age (“Retest Elderly Drivers”). In several states, a new idea of a “graded license” (“Retest Elderly Drivers”) has been introduced. This means that drivers over the age of 55 are tested on their driving abilities every four years. Drivers over the age of 75 have to be tested every two
