Page 9 - Safe Mobility for Life E-book

CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTAND CHAPTER 1

As we age, many of us might see a steady decline in
some of the important skills needed for driving. Natural
age-related changes do not affect all drivers at the same
age or in the same way. Starting around age 55 there
is generally a slow decrease in our ability to process
information quickly, remember and judge driving
events, and respond rapidly to other vehicles and road
users we encounter on the road.

In this chapter, you will gain a better understanding
of the specific impact that aging and medications
can have on your ability to drive safely, how to identify
changes in your driving behavior, and what to do to
address these issues. You will also learn more about your
Florida driver license and ID card.

THE IMPACT OF AGING ON DRIVING
Specific skills such as vision, memory, strength,
flexibility, and quick reaction time decline as we age, but
how soon this happens varies from person to person.
Learning more about how the specific changes can
affect safe driving skills will help you prepare to achieve
safe mobility for life.

Vision

Did you know that 90 percent of the information needed
to stay safe on the road comes from your vision? Visual
decline is the most critical loss for drivers of all ages.
When driving, aging eyes need:

▶ More light to help distinguish features along the
roadway.

Chapter 1: Understand 5