In recent years, debates about whether individuals over a certain age should continue driving in traffic are increasingly growing.
Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Lecturer Özgür Şener, evaluating the issue of elderly drivers and traffic safety, said, “It is necessary to correctly perceive traffic, anticipate dangers, and react appropriately to them. Therefore, our eyes, ears, muscles, reflexes, and cognitive perception are among the critical elements for driving safety.”
Şener, stating that individuals’ suitability to drive should be evaluated with regular health check-ups, said, “Instead of long intervals like 5-10 years, detailed health check-ups on an annual basis should evaluate a person’s necessary functions for driving, and they should be allowed to continue driving as long as they are fit.”
Lecturer at Üsküdar University, Department of Occupational Health and Safety, and Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener evaluated aging and safe driving in traffic.
Those over 69 cannot drive commercial vehicles
Lecturer Özgür Şener stated that there is currently a 69-year age limit for commercial driving, saying, “One must have completed 68 years but not yet started 69. Those above this age cannot drive commercially. Beyond this, there is no currently defined upper age limit. We are in a period where age definitions have been pushed forward. Concepts like middle age, advanced age, and elderly have changed. People can be quite vigorous at 75. However, looking at the general living conditions in our country, it is not possible to say that everyone at 75 is vigorous and healthy. For this reason, it is necessary to evaluate individuals' current health status, rather than their age, and whether they have the necessary condition for safe driving. The easiest way to do this could be health check-ups and cognitive tests.”
Relationship between traffic accidents and age factor is unknown
Lecturer Özgür Şener stated that although traffic accidents in our country are monitored by the General Directorate of Security and TÜİK, detailed criteria regarding the age factor are generally not sufficiently addressed, saying, “However, it is a known fact that, for example, after the age of 40, people start to experience significant problems in their vision. Yet, vision is one of the most critical functions for safe vehicle use. Therefore, instead of talking about a general limitation like ‘75 years and older,’ it would be more appropriate to make an evaluation by considering individuals' health status.”
Hand-foot coordination is also a critical factor when driving
Şener noted that everyone ages and some functions begin to decline as one gets older, continuing as follows:
“Among the most important aspects for driving are vision and hearing; being able to perceive external sounds and traffic flow is of great importance. Furthermore, hand-foot coordination is also a critical factor when driving. Especially after the age of 40, as muscles begin to weaken, muscle loss can occur if insufficient physical activity is maintained, which can make it difficult to achieve the necessary hand-foot coordination during driving. For example, when you encounter a sudden danger – if a pedestrian suddenly appears in front of you – the time it takes to remove your foot from the accelerator and press the brake is vital. In addition, cognitive abilities also play a decisive role in driving safety. It is necessary to correctly perceive traffic, anticipate dangers, and react appropriately to them. Therefore, our eyes, ears, muscles, reflexes, and cognitive perception are among the critical elements for driving safety.”
Telling individuals above a certain age 'Do not drive any longer'...
Lecturer Özgür Şener noted that when it comes to revoking a person's driving privilege, a strong public transportation system must first be provided, saying, “Because this has two significant effects. First, it restricts the person's own mobility. If individuals over a certain age are told ‘Do not drive any longer,’ it becomes harder for them to get from point A to point B, and their quality of life is negatively affected. Their daily routines, such as going shopping, visiting the market, or seeing their children or grandchildren, are disrupted. Since transportation plays an important role in a person's life, losing this freedom, even if it is not safe, means a major change.”
Individuals' suitability to drive should be evaluated with regular health check-ups
Lecturer Özgür Şener from Üsküdar University, Department of Occupational Health and Safety, stated that the second important point is that individuals who do not drive will need someone else's help, saying, “In this case, either family members or someone from their close circle will have to support them. However, this may not always be a practical solution. Therefore, as a healthier approach, individuals' suitability to drive should be evaluated with regular health check-ups. Instead of long intervals like 5-10 years, detailed health check-ups on an annual basis should evaluate a person’s necessary functions for driving, and they should be allowed to continue driving as long as they are fit.”
