Peachtree City Personal Injury Lawyer - Increasing Risk of Accidents Posed by Aging Population

The number of motorists in Atlanta and around the country is expected to jump from 9 million to 20 million in the next two decades. You don't have to be a traffic safety expert or an injury lawyer in Atlanta to understand how that could impact motorist safety.

My Fox Atlanta has a report on senior drivers and the special limitations they face while driving. The report makes for interesting reading, and includes insights from traffic safety experts in Atlanta, senior motorists and health experts. Statistically, the figures are in favor of senior motorists. Contrary to what people like to believe, older citizens are not more likely to be involved in an accident than younger drivers. In fact, the data shows that in an accident involving both a younger and older motorist, the younger motorist is more than twice as likely to have been at fault in the accident. Older motorists, not surprisingly, cite these facts when they defend their right to drive.

When it comes to the special risks that older motorists face however, there is no denying the fact that as a person ages, he/she is very likely to find many of his/her senses dulling. These persons may suffer from failing vision and some degree of hearing loss which can impact the ability to drive. Older people may also find that their reflexes are not as sharp as they used to be. This can be dangerous in a driving emergency, when a motorist has to slam on the brakes or make a sudden turn.