Elderly Car Accidents
Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney Los Angeles California
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Each year motor vehicle accidents caused by elderly drivers increase. One of the main causes is early dementia or the pre-dementia condition called mild cognitive impairment.
50% Fail on road Driving Tests
Resent tests have shown that those people who had mild cognitive impairment, which is the stage between normal cognitive age and early dementia, 50 percent of those participants failed the on road driving test.
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Several things make people in this age group more likely to have an elderly car accident. Your ability to drive safely may be affected by such age related changes as:
- poor eyesight
- sensitivity to glare
- poor night vision
- slower reaction time
- Arthritis
- neurologic disease
- impaired coordination
- balance
In the United States, older men die in car accidents at a rate two to three times higher than that of older women. Also when a crash involved an older driver and a teen driver, the older driver was 3 times as likely as the younger driver to be the one struck.
Elderly car accidents can be off-set by driving fewer miles, driving less often and more slowly, driving less at night and during rush hours. Winter driving is also very tricky for the elderly because slippery pavement and other hazards require more physical strength and concentration.
Transportation alternatives are available for the elderly and senior drivers such as:- Public Transportation
- Car pooling
- Use of Family Members or Friends