What Happens to a Person's Driving Skills as He Ages?

Older drivers may encounter impairments in their ability to drive, including decreased reaction time and visual acuity. There are ways to assess driving skill level and methods that can be used to accommodate or compensate for impaired driving abilities. As driving skills continue to deteriorate, a family member or close friend will need to seek medical advice on how to recommend a transition from driving for the senior.

Recognizing Diminished Capacity

• As older citizens continue to drive, it may become necessary for family and friends to recognize signs that advanced age and medical conditions may be seriously impairing the senior's driving ability. If an older driver is beginning to ignore traffic signs and misjudging distances, as well as becoming lost in areas that he was familiar with, his cognitive abilities are diminishing. Also, notice if the older driver exhibits slow reaction time to traffic emergencies, cuts off other drivers, or if a number of scrapes and accidental dents begin to appear on the car.

Vision Problems

• Vision problems begin to become more and more apparent in senior drivers as their field of vision is affected by diminished visual depth perception which can result in accidents and injuries. The senior's visual acuity is impacted, and the reaction time necessary to safely avoid a possible approaching accident can usually be directly tied to growing eyesight problems, according to the Caregiver website.

Decreasing Motor Skills

• As older drivers continue to age, their physical strength begins to lessen, and other factors of age, such as stiffening joints and ligaments, impact the ability to look for approaching traffic problems. When older drivers encounter a traffic emergency, their ability to respond and use brakes may often be challenging, due to arthritic problems in the legs or knees, stiffness in the neck muscles or temporary disorientation due to mild forgetfulness.

Neurological Medical Issues

• Older drivers who forget to turn off their turn signals, drive through traffic lights or fail to watch for other drivers' actions are showing behavior that should not be ignored. These may be symptoms of the onset of dementia or a sign of Alzheimer's. As these medical diseases progress, the affected driver's ability to reason, think and recognize approaching traffic dangers steadily declines. As seniors age, there may be fluctuating levels of fatigue and alertness due to medical conditions or medications that impact their driving ability, according to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.