More caution needed in licensing older drivers

When an 85-year-old woman drives into a pedestrian in November and then into a school bus in May, it stands to reason that her driving skills ought to be re-evaluated. And Salem police are certainly correct in asking the state to order her to retake her driver's license exam. But closing the barn door after the horses have galloped off down the highway seems too little too late.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the nearly 25 million people age 70 years and older in the United States make up approximately 9 percent of the total U.S. population but account for close to 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and around 18 percent of all pedestrian deaths annually. Ohio must find ways to help and, if necessary, regulate older drivers with diminishing abilities who can no longer be safe on the roads.
Being old, in and of itself, is not enough of a reason to curtail driving privileges. But problems emerge when aging contributes to physical or cognitive deficits. And even then, physical limitations can be adapted for.
John Landis, occupational therapy assistant and certified driver training instructor for the physically/cognitively impaired at Forum Health-Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, says that the greater problems arise from a decline in cognitive skills like memory, reaction time, concentration and attention span. Hillside has one of the relatively few programs in Ohio that offers a complete driver evaluation for those whose physicians -- sometimes at the request of a caregiver -- are concerned about their safety on the road.
Court involvement
The Older Driver Evaluation Program at Ohio State University has a formal program with the municipal courts of Circleville, Columbus and Upper Arlington whichs allow the judge to use the evaluation either as an alternative to formal charges for a motor vehicle violation, as a means of identifying deficits that might threaten future successful driving and independence or as a means of determining current function and potentially lessening license suspension time.
But in this area, there is little more that law enforcement officers can do than request that the Bureau of Motor Vehicles retest the driver. But even that may not be enough. Landis says that the BMV visual test is insignificant and the distance driven is not really enough. What's needed, he says, is a comprehensive evaluation that examines visual status, strength, coordination and cognitive skills.
Such programs, however, are voluntary and expensive. Yet more and more Americans will need them.
Just as teen drivers have special regulations that apply to them, it may be time to consider special regulations for older drivers as well.