Opinion: Older adult drivers should be required to retake the road test

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in the following article belong solely to the author and do not reflect or represent Newsner. 

I am fully aware that taking away a person’s driver’s license also takes away their independence, but if it’s for their safety and those around them, then it shouldn’t even be a question.

According to the CDC, in 2020 nearly 48 million people age 65 and older held a driver’s license, a 68% since 2000. And as older adults continue to stay healthy, that number will continue to rise.

While senior citizens aren’t the most likely to cause an accident – it’s those under 40 – people over 65 are more likely to get into an accident due to various age-related challenges. In 2020, nearly 7,500 older adults were killed in crashes and almost 200,000 were treated in hospitals for injuries.

Currently, there is no federal law mandating when people of a certain age should stop driving, and I don’t think we need to go as far as working to get a law into place. But I do think we need to reevaluate what happens when a person turns 70 and in the eyes of the law can still legally able to operate a vehicle.

When it comes to renewing your license, every state is different.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, as of 2020, 21 states have a shorter renewal length based on the age of the driver. For example, in Florida the standard renewal period is eight years, but once a driver reaches 80 years old they must renew their license every six years. Maine allows drivers under the age of 65 to renew their licenses every six years, while people over 65 must renew theirs every four years.

Renewal length period aside, we need to discuss vision tests and road tests.

As of 2020, only four states tested older drivers for visual acuity once they reached a certain age. The remaining states either held a minimum requirement for all drivers no matter their age but do not test on-site or required everyone, no matter their age, take a visual acuity test during their in-person renewal.

All states should enforce a visual acuity test for everyone either during a driver’s in-person renewal or if they can renew online or by mail, they should be able to submit results from a recent eye exam.

Perhaps the most worrisome part of it all, is that there is only one state that requires people over a certain age retake the road test before they can renew their license. However, that could soon change as an Illinois legislator looks to end the road test requirement for those over the age of 75 in his state.

Some argue it’s ageist, while others believe those with traffic violations need it more than a senior citizen.

Retesting elderly drivers at regular intervals can help identify issues a person may have with driving, and if necessary adjustments can be made to keep them on the road.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that while strength, thinking skills, and eyesight can weaken with age, getting older doesn’t mean someone can’t drive safely. Since one person’s abilities may stay sharp while another’s decline, there shouldn’t be an age limit for driving—just a law for people over a certain age to retake the road test.