Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 5

McQuade 1

Amanda McQuade

Mr. Jason King

AP Seminar

26 February 2017

Independent Research Study

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

how it will affect drivers overtime.

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
McQuade 2

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

BAC equivalent of .08%. It can be as common as an aging process, or as seemingly simple as an

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

of disorders in certain age groups.

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
McQuade 3

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
McQuade 4

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.
McQuade 5

Works Cited:

Duffy, A. Maureen. Normal Vision Changes, no. 125, VisionAware,


http://www.visionaware.org/info/your-eye-condition/eye-health/normal-vision-
changes/12
5. 2017.

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.

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi