Doctors Can Help Reduce Elderly Car Crashes, Says Study

A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that doctors may have more power to prevent elderly patients from causing car crashes than they think.

The study found that when doctors warned elderly patients and their families of the patient’s decreased ability to drive and also warned local authorities, the number of overall crashes among elderly drivers in the area dropped. It tracked over 100,000 elderly drivers in Canada, which requires health conditions to be reported to driver licensing authorities. When doctors warned patients and their families directly about health conditions in addition to reporting them, the rate of accidents among elderly drivers dropped by 45 percent.

A wide range of medical conditions common in older drivers can impair their ability to drive – from arthritis to limited vision to Alzheimer’s disease. Many accidents involving older drivers do not cause injury, but others can cause serious harm or even death and not only to the older driver, but to other motorists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.

Currently, individual U.S. states have control over whether or not doctors within the state are required to report medical conditions that impair a driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle safely. Some states require these reports; others do not.

Old age comes with unique challenges, and one of the hardest is knowing when it’s time to give up driving. If you’ve been injured in any type of Missouri auto accident, call an experienced St. Louis car crash attorney at Page Law today for a free consultation: our number is (314) 322-8515.