Aging drivers

Drivers who acknowledge their limitations and address them are more likely to maintain safe driving abilities than those who don't.

Aging is generally accompanied by changes that may adversely affect a person's cognitive and motor skills.

• Deterioration of vision, reflexes and hearing begin to accelerate around age 50 with noticeable changes at 60.
• Aging drivers are more likely than younger drivers to have cognitive impairments, which may affect their driving ability to the point that it is no longer safe for them to be behind the wheel.

Acknowledging limitations

Aging drivers who acknowledge their limitations and take steps to address them are more likely to maintain safe driving abilities than those who don't. This begins with adjusting driving habits in order to compensate for physical limitations, or no longer driving when our cognitive abilities begin to deteriorate.

The Older Wiser Driver guide will help older drivers assess their driving practices and make them aware of any actions they can take to make their driving safer.

Additional resources for aging drivers and their families:

• Canada Safety Council: Safety and the Aging Driver
• Canadian Automobile Association: Helping Aging Drivers

Statistics

For detailed statistics on driver factors and accidents in Saskatchewan, review Section 5 - Driver Factors (pdf, 218 kb) of our Traffic Accident Information System (TAIS) report.