Many car accidents are related to inexperience — so, why then, are seniors so frequently involved in wrecks? While experience counts for a lot, it doesn’t override a number of other issues that can come with age.
If you have been in a crash with a senior driver and you’re unsure why the collision occurred, there are several reasons to consider that it might have been their fault (not yours). These include:
Poor eyesight
A senior person’s vision is unlikely to be as good as it was when they were younger. Older people suffer from poor vision, particularly in reduced light, such as when driving at night. That can make it harder for them to navigate in traffic or spot other vehicles.
Slower processing times
The human brain is continuously taking in information when driving. People need to process a lot very quickly to decide how and whether to react. If someone’s thinking speed or clarity has diminished, it could mean the difference between swerving or hitting the brakes in time and doing it a moment too late.
Poor mobility
If someone has become frail in their old age, they may struggle to walk far while unaided and rely on their car to stay mobile. You can probably imagine how that weakness would reduce their ability to stamp down on the brake pedals or haul the steering wheel to one side in an emergency.
While it’s important to consider all the factors that may have contributed to a crash, the reality is that drivers of advanced age can struggle behind the wheel. If you’ve been in a wreck, you may want to seek legal guidance to quietly explore whether the other driver’s age could have affected their driving and explain what happened.