Florida has a high percentage of elderly drivers who should not be driving a vehicle due to low reaction times and possible medical conditions that affect the senses. Unfortunately, car accidents occur with older people, leading to personal injury and worse. If you’re on the road with one of these drivers, you can use the following warning signs to spot them and avoid a collision:
Are they staying within their lane?
If you come upon an elderly driver who is unsafe, you can spot this by how they handle driving in their lane. When you see them drift into other lanes, make sudden lane changes or straddle lanes, it’s a strong indicator you should avoid them. Another indicator to look for when you’re near a bad elderly driver is their failure to use turn signals appropriately when changing lanes.
Automobile maneuverability
Other unsafe warning signs of a dangerous elderly driver are associated with their ability to maneuver their vehicle. If they accelerate without reason or stop abruptly without cause, keeping a fair distance between you and their car is best. Seeing an older person driving significantly slower than the legal speed limit can also signal a problem.
What’s the condition of their automobile?
Do you notice scrapes and dents on the vehicle or objects surrounding where they park and drive? If their mailbox or garage has multiple signs of damage, it can indicate the presence of an unsafe older driver. Coming in contact with one of these individuals could lead to a car wreck and personal injury to you, passengers or them if they can’t operate their vehicle correctly.
If you’re driving and notice a bad driver, you may want to report them to the police. If you have an elderly relative you believe is unsafe, you can report them to the DMV.