Friday, February 24, 2012

Aging affects the driving process:

Thanks to Sri:
Kannan Padmanabhan kannan_400@yahoo.com
Feb 23
Dear All,
Very useful info.
Kannan

Driving and Ageing - Take Care  !!!!!
Below mentioned input is reproduced from an article, published by British Columbia Automobile Association.
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Aging affects the driving process:

Driving is a complex, fast-paced activity. A typical driver makes 25 decisions per kilometer. Aging affects all 3 steps in the driving process: sensing, deciding and acting.
1. Sensing: Good eyesight is essential fr safe driving. You receive 85-90% of the information needed to drive through your eyes. One of the most common changes you will notice is with your vision. Here are some facts about aging and the eyes:
You need more light to see
At age 45 you require 4 times as much light as when you were 19
At age 60 you require 10 times as much
When looking from the speedometer to the road ahead:
It takes a younger driver about 2 seconds to focus
A driver over 40 takes 3 seconds or more
Your eyes become more sensitive to glare:
At age 55 it takes 8 times longer to recover from glare than at age 16
Your ability to see the difference between colours decreases
It could take you twice as long to see brake lights flash on as when you were younger
Your peripheral vision or ability to see what’s happening to the sides, decreases
It might take you longer to see the cyclist coming up beside your car
As you age the chance of having one of these visual conditions increases:
Cataracts
Macular degeneration
Glaucoma
Your ability to focus slows down
Your depth perception or judging the distance between you and an object, decreases
You might have difficulty judging when it is safe to make a left turn
But there are some simple steps you can take to help minimize the effect aging eyes can have on driving:
Get regular eye exams
Limit your driving to daytime hours
Keep healthy and fit
Keep headlights, mirrors, and windshields clean
Hearing
Hearing loss can affect your ability to hear sounds such as sirens and horns. If hearing loss is found early you can be helped through treatment, such as hearing aids and surgery.
2. Deciding: Once your eyes and ears take in information, it’s up to your brain to process it and decide what to do. Age increases the time it takes the brain to process information and makes it harder to ignore distractions. For many people, experience and good driving habits can compensate for these changes.
Here are a few things you can do:
Keep a safe distance behind the car in front of you
Choose a route that avoids difficult turns
Focus on driving: avoid distractions such as cell phones
Plan your route ahead of time
3. Acting: As you age it takes longer to perform physical activities due to:
Weaker muscles
Reduced flexibility
Conditions such as arthritis
Effects of medication
 TAKE CARE AND HAVE  SAFE DRIVING

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