The risk of being killed in a car accident in New Jersey and around the country increases with age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is in part due to declines in vision and cognitive functioning of older motorists, which makes driving safely more difficult, but it is also due to their susceptibility to medical complications after an accident.
There are several factors that already help protect the safety of older drivers. Older drivers are less likely to drive impaired than younger drivers and are more likely to wear seat belts. Older drivers are also more likely to wait until conditions are safest and avoid driving during bad weather or at night.
Older adults can take several precaution to reduce the risk of serious harm or death in an auto accident even further. Staying in optimal health and consulting a doctor for regular checkups and eye exams can help them drive more safely. Finding the safest route and only driving in good weather conditions as much as possible are also good safety precautions for older drivers. Due to slower reaction times related to advanced age, it is a good idea for elderly drivers to leave plenty of spaces between themselves and cars in front of them and to plan their routes ahead of time.
Regardless of precautions, there will always be the possibility of being injured in a drunk driving accident that was the fault of the impaired driver. A personal injury attorney may be able to assist an injured victim by filing a lawsuit for damages based on theory that the impaired driver’s negligence was the proximate cause of the accident.
