Elderly Driving Habits: What You Need to Know

What is the typical behavior of an elderly driver?

A) limits driving to low-risk situations

B) gives up driving

C) drives just as often as before

D) drives faster to compensate for sensory-motor losses

Final answer:

Typically, the elderly would limit their driving to low-risk situations. This is due to declines in sensory and motor functions like vision, hearing and muscle strength. Nevertheless, they adopt safer driving habits to compensate for these changes.

Explanation:

The typical behavior of an elderly driver is option A) to limit driving to low-risk situations. Research has shown that with advanced age sensory and motor functions gradually decline, including a decline in vision, hearing, reaction time, and muscle strength. This age-related decline can affect driving abilities and may cause the driver to drive slower than younger drivers. However, rather than giving up driving completely or driving faster to compensate, many elderly drivers still maintain some degree of independence by choosing to drive in conditions where they feel safer and more comfortable, such as on familiar routes, during daylight hours and in good weather conditions. Therefore, it is important to note that elderly driving habits adapt to compensate for these sensory-motor losses.