Senior driver risks — Montana Permit Test

Loss of vision, hearing and reaction time with age can develop almost unnoticed until a driver meets an emergency they can no longer handle.

Drivers 65 and over have the highest crash rate per mile after drivers under 24, often because the change crept up on them.

Deterioration of vision, hearing, and reaction time develops almost unnoticed until we find ourselves faced with an emergency that we are no longer equipped to handle.

Errors often reported for older drivers include inattention, failing to keep to the proper lane, failing to signal or to obey stop signs and signals, and driving unreasonably slowly on busy highways.

A car crawling along a busy highway forces faster traffic into sudden braking and risky passes.

Frequently reported errors made by older drivers include inattention, failure to drive in the proper lane, failure to signal or to observe stop signs and signals, and unreasonably slow driving on busy highways.

Older drivers are more likely to be hurt or killed in a crash: what would have been a minor accident years ago could mean injury or death now.

A fender-bender a young driver walks away from can break an older driver's ribs or hip.

Older drivers are more susceptible to injury and death.

According to the manual, how does the loss of vision, hearing and reaction time with age usually develop?

Almost unnoticed. Drivers 65 and over have the highest crash rate per mile after drivers under 24, often because the change crept up on them. Montana Driver Manual, p.74: “Deterioration of vision, hearing, and reaction time develops almost unnoticed until we find ourselves faced with an emergency that we are no longer equipped to handle.”