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Amanda McQuade
AP Seminar
26 February 2017
Remedial driving is a process which an individual may be required to fulfill for a number
of reasons, such as point deduction and ticket accumulation. In most states, when a driver
inclines to a certain age, they are required to remediate, or they have certain limitations to carry
their licenses. This is because elderly drivers can have difficulty reading road signs, and can
even end up on the wrong side of traffic lanes. But scientific research shows that problems can
develop much earlier in one's life. To determine whether or not everyone should remediate their
driving exams, there must be reputable data to show common complications with aging, and
Drivers will often find impairments that develop overtime that will make them unfit to
carry their licenses. These issues will make driving much more dangerous for others who are
around these drivers on public roadways. Complications such as Cardiovascular disease, bone
and muscle shrinkage, memory loss, as well as poor hearing and blurry vision (Mayo Clinic
Staff) are likely to occur overtime making driving more dangerous for other drivers. As an
individual grows older, hair cells located inside the ear are damaged by loud sounds and high
pitches that happen overtime (AsapSCIENCE). This can make driving more dangerous as
hearing loss can make it a lot harder to notice horns, sirens, and noises (National Institute of
Health). Vision remains another prominent concern, when it comes to the operation of motor
vehicles. According to Harvard Womens Health Watch, visual impairments such as macular
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degeneration affected 13% of healthy drivers aged 65 and older. Although most vision problems
can be corrected with glasses or contacts, serious eye diseases can occur overtime, leaving
people with serious sensitivities to glare, incorrect perspective judgement, and difficulties telling
colors (Duffy, pg. 1). There are problems also concerning certain medications could impair
drivers. Products that contain stimulants may cause excitability or drowsiness. (U.S Food and
Drug Administration). Medications such as antidepressants, cold and allergy products, and pain
relievers can affect ones ability to drive. According to Drug info, The International Council on
Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Statement compares driving impairment caused by some common
medications with the levels of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) that would cause equal
impairment. By the BAC levels, medications such as Doxepin and Oxazepam have an estimated
antidepressant that may lead to car crashes. As described from trained doctors and other experts
in the medical field, there are also valid resources found in the studies and experiments
conducted to show how largely these medical issues affect quality of driving, and the prevalence
There have been medical evaluations, but there is still important information that is found
when experimenters and scientists use the scientific method to solve this grand dispute. The
method is used to test important theories and hypotheses that affect drivers and their quality of
driving. Yoo Young Hoogendam and others co-wrote an informative article on the worsening of
fine motor skills overtime. In their study of civilians aged 45 and older, 1.3% of the population
tested showed signs of tremors. This experiment was conducted by examining cognitive
development and movements that are caused by cerebral structures. These results concluded that
as communities age, there is a defined decrease in motor skills that can start at as young as 45
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years old. This is important for all drivers both young and old to consider. There are also
concerns for visual impairments, which was the main idea for the Blue Mountain Eye Study. The
Study was intended to test the older demographic for glaucoma, and other ocular disorders. The
Blue Mountain Eye Study concluded that 9.2% of the population tested showed signs of
glaucoma and increased pressures of the eyeball (National Library of Medicine). In another case
study, organized by Paul Mitchell and others, visual impairment is assessed based on the Blue
Mountain Eye Study, which had happened prior to this experiment based on age. Of the 452
who reported having ceased driving, 51 said they have stopped because of problems with
vision. (Mitchell et al). With hard data presented and explained through various methods and
experiments following the scientific method, show that not only elderly drivers, but the populace
should also be included, due to signs of aging that can be present in individuals as young as 45.
There are important medical issues, alike the symptoms associated with impaired driving,
how these conditions affect an individuals quality of driving, and the medications that can cause
dangerous driving. Scientific research has made correlations between chronic conditions of the
human body, and its association with accidents. This raises important scientific issues, on how
these problems might be solved. This also allows the potential refinement for remediation, as
well as drivers courses, especially in medical aspects. This scientific research allows
consideration for more in-depth perception on each individuals medical record, and how its
activities correlate with their driving record. As well as testing individuals before they get behind
the wheel in the visual methods, auditory and physical exercises can be included when
remediating to allow better judgement if the individual is suited to drive. It should also be noted
by doctors, that when they prescribe medications to their patients, it should be their responsibility
to let their patients know if the medication will cause side effects and other factors associated
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with impaired driving. There are overwhelming positives with remediation of any age, as it has
been proven that anyone is able to develop issues that impair their driving. Science does not
mirage the issue, and directly addresses it as a fact, that remediation leads to a safer future for all
drivers.
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Works Cited:
Hoogendam, Young Yoo et al. Older Age Relates to Worsening of Fine Motor Skills: A
Population-Based Study of Middle-Aged and Elderly Persons. Frontiers in Aging
Neuroscience. PMC, 2014, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4174769/.
2017.
Mayo Clinic Staff. Aging: What to Expect. Mayo Clinic, 2015, pp. 1-2,
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/aging/art-20046070.
2017.
Mitchell, Paul et al. Impaired Vision and Other Factors Associated with Driving Cessation in
the Elderly: The Blue Mountains Eye Study. 2001, EBSCOhost,
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9bbad909-64b4-
42b8-a422-22c
68355e185%40sessionmgr120&vid=6&hid=118. 2017.
How Old are Your Ears? (Hearing Test). YouTube, Uploaded by AsapSCIENCE, 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxcbppCX6Rk. 2017.
Driving Safely as We Get Older. Harvard Womens Health Watch. 2007, EBSCOhost.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=aeaa309b-cd9b-492b-9835-
b677c698c2b
9%40sessionmgr4006&vid=10&hid=4206&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN1c3R1aWQm
Y3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=25165
582&db=f6h. 2017.