Motor vehicles are the leading cause of accidental death among elders aged 65 to 74 and the second leading cause for those over 75 years. Should Florida adopt mandatory testing of drivers over the age of 65?
I believe that Florida should adopt mandatory testing of drivers over age 65 for multiple reasons. First, the population of citizens retirement age and over is an ever increasing number in Florida. Second, enacting a law like this could help decrease the number of casualties the elderly population experiences due to this. Finally, this would help ensure that people who should not be on the road are not, providing safety for the other drivers on the road as well. As mentioned in our text, elderly drivers account for the smallest percentage of accidents, rarely drink and drive, and have the fewest miles driven of any age group. However, when compared on a per mile basis, drivers over the age of 75 have the worst driving record of all. Many problems are associated with the elders decreasing ability to drive as they age. The primary of these issues being vision impairments. As people age their vision was no where near as sharp as it once was, making it difficult for them to see, especially at night. Another important factor to consider when evaluating the safety of elderly drivers is their reaction time. Delayed reaction time accounts for many accidents. Driving is an activity that demands much of all of our senses at one time. This may be difficult for many elders who are experiencing one, if not more, issues with these systems. Florida (because of its higher population of the elderly) should definitely address the issues associated with the elderly and driving. Though some transportation services do exist for the elderly today, many more may need to be put in place as more people age and become less likely to drive. Other states may consider putting this law into effect as well. After all, it will not only protect the elderly, but it may save many other lives on the road.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Aging Stereotypes
A stereotype, as defined by dictionary.com is "a generalization usually exaggerated or oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to define or distinguish a group." Stereotypes exist for all types of people; from the overweight population to people of particular races. Stereotypes can be positive, but are more commonly remembered as having negative connotations.
I was walking through Wal-Mart recently in search of a bottle of club soda. While on my endeavor I'm stumbled upon a man who was also in search of a type of 'soda', he was in fact looking for baking soda. He appeared to be at least 70 and so I was eager to assist him with his search. After walking from aisle to aisle, we had no luck. The man looked at me, defeated, and said, "I heard that soda and vinegar is a great for unclogging your pipes." Without thinking, I asked, "Are you having problems going?" The man and I stared at each other for a while and after a few awkward moments of silence we both started laughing. Luckily, the man had a sense of humor. Afterwards, I realized he was talking about the plumbing in his house. I was relieved at the man's sense of humor, as well as his reaction. Although it may seem innocent, this is a perfect example of a common stereotype about the elderly.
The elderly population is viewed as an extremely fragile and vulnerable group. While this may be true in certain instances, the elderly are very much an independent population. In fact, many communities now exist that cater to the needs of the elderly. Although these communities do exist to promote positivity in regards to the elderly, so do their resistant counterparts... stereotypes. Common stereotypes include: being grumpy, frumpy and stingy. Some people completely disregard the elderly as a group. Others baby them as if they are completely helpless. But, many elderly people are just the opposite. Being self reliant is important to many members of the elderly population. Because the life expectancy is rapidly growing in this country, people are making changes to their lives now, in hopes of living to their full "term". The elderly population is often disregarded in society, but things are starting to change. The AOA, better known as the Administration on Aging, is putting forth a huge effort in order to educate the rest of our society on the elderly population, and to promote understanding for both parties across the board.
In my experience I upheld the stereotype that the elderly population may not be as healthy as the youthful ones. However, the man in Wal-Mart was not constipated at all. In fact he was disproving the stereotype of helplessness by fixing the plumbing in his own house. It just goes to show, stereotypes are generalizations, and can be very misleading.
I was walking through Wal-Mart recently in search of a bottle of club soda. While on my endeavor I'm stumbled upon a man who was also in search of a type of 'soda', he was in fact looking for baking soda. He appeared to be at least 70 and so I was eager to assist him with his search. After walking from aisle to aisle, we had no luck. The man looked at me, defeated, and said, "I heard that soda and vinegar is a great for unclogging your pipes." Without thinking, I asked, "Are you having problems going?" The man and I stared at each other for a while and after a few awkward moments of silence we both started laughing. Luckily, the man had a sense of humor. Afterwards, I realized he was talking about the plumbing in his house. I was relieved at the man's sense of humor, as well as his reaction. Although it may seem innocent, this is a perfect example of a common stereotype about the elderly.
The elderly population is viewed as an extremely fragile and vulnerable group. While this may be true in certain instances, the elderly are very much an independent population. In fact, many communities now exist that cater to the needs of the elderly. Although these communities do exist to promote positivity in regards to the elderly, so do their resistant counterparts... stereotypes. Common stereotypes include: being grumpy, frumpy and stingy. Some people completely disregard the elderly as a group. Others baby them as if they are completely helpless. But, many elderly people are just the opposite. Being self reliant is important to many members of the elderly population. Because the life expectancy is rapidly growing in this country, people are making changes to their lives now, in hopes of living to their full "term". The elderly population is often disregarded in society, but things are starting to change. The AOA, better known as the Administration on Aging, is putting forth a huge effort in order to educate the rest of our society on the elderly population, and to promote understanding for both parties across the board.
In my experience I upheld the stereotype that the elderly population may not be as healthy as the youthful ones. However, the man in Wal-Mart was not constipated at all. In fact he was disproving the stereotype of helplessness by fixing the plumbing in his own house. It just goes to show, stereotypes are generalizations, and can be very misleading.
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