Driving Restrictions After A Certain Age: How Will They Affect You?
Police in Britain were surprised when they pulled over a man in his 80s, who informed them that he had been driving for 70 years—and had never had a driver's license. At least he was experienced behind the wheel, even if he had never technically been able to drive. Older drivers in the US may face additional restrictions applied to their driver's license, and if this applies to you, hopefully, you haven't been driving for decades without one!
State-to-State
Any age-based restrictions vary wildly from state to state. For example, license renewal in California must be performed in-person after the age of 70 and comes with a mandatory eye test and written exam. In Oregon, every license renewal after the age of 50 requires an eye test. Other states have no age-based restrictions, so the rules can be significantly different depending on the state that issued the license. If there's any doubt about a driver's abilities after a certain age, they may need to take a formal driving test. If this affects you, it may be unwise to assume that you'll automatically pass with flying colors. The road rules have inevitably changed since you started driving. You may benefit from a refresher course before any mandated driving test, so it can be smart to sign up for a basic driver improvement course from a local driving school.
Your Circumstances
Although a person's driving skills may be affected by certain conditions that become prevalent with age, this isn't something that affects all drivers. Certainly, if you should experience diminished vision or be affected by a degenerative condition that may impede your reaction time behind the wheel, you may wish to ask your doctor if they feel you should be taking any specific precautions.
Older Drivers
It could be assumed that these restrictions are in place due to the belief that older drivers may be less safe behind the wheel, but this is debatable. The overwhelming majority of victims who die in car crashes are aged from 15 to 64. The percentage of older drivers (75 and up) killed in car crashes is declining.
While you may not agree with these age-based restrictions, they're a necessity for keeping your license (depending on your state). Be sure to consider your abilities behind the wheel, heeding medical advice as appropriate. And even when you're not being subjected to a mandatory driving test, a basic driver improvement course can be helpful if you want to refamiliarize yourself with the fundamentals.
