As the large population of baby boomers reaches seniority, the percentage of older drivers involved in fatal crashes is expected to climb 25% by the year 2030. Senior citizens have been criticized for their conservative driving habits and for their declined capabilities, especially as individuals reach and surpass the age of 75. Studies show that drivers are much more vulnerable to crash-related injury and death after they reach 75 years of age. As a result, many drivers on the road are advocating for stricter regulations on elderly drivers.

Stricter laws and reforms on elderly drivers have already been enacted in Texas as a result of Katie's Law. This law eliminates the opportunity for renewing a driver's license by mail, internet or telephone to applicants who are 79 years of age or older. Katie's Law is named after 17-year-old Katie Bolka who was killed in May of 2006 when an elderly woman disregarded a red traffic light and proceeded through the intersection, striking Katie's car on the driver's side. Katie lost her life and her parents worked tirelessly to encourage legislation that would reform the standard for driver's license renewal across the nation.

With more than 20 million drivers in the United States who are over the age of 70, the risk of collision for this age group has risen to second that of teenagers. Elderly drivers typically suffer from declined abilities such as poor judgment in making left-hand turns, drifting within the traffic lane, and decreased ability to change behavior in response to an unexpected situation. Age brings about a level of fragileness and also a substantial loss of keen awareness, and studies show that fragility begins to increase around the ages of 60-64.

One of the reasons that seniors are considered more fragile is because more than 80% of people over the age of 65 take at least one prescription medicine on a daily basis. Many of these prescriptions carry warnings about motor vehicle operation, and some of the most common anti-depressants, hypoglycemic and antihistamines have the potential to reduce one's ability to drive safely. Unfortunately, many senior citizens do not follow the guidelines and warnings on their medications because of the inconvenience it can cause.

In addition to dealing with debilitating health problems such as hearing loss, arthritis, vision problems, fatigue and movability problems, elderly drivers must also deal with anxiety, frustration, memory loss, diminished concentration and information overload, especially in high-traffic situations. When several of these factors are combined, they can be deadly for the elderly driver and others involved. As a result, states like California have required mandatory driving tests for anyone involved in a fatal crash or three or more crashes in one year. California also requires drivers over the age of 70 to retest if they are involved in two or more crashes in one year.

Even though not all drivers who are considered to be senior citizens are limited in their driving abilities, statistics show that there is a greater risk for accidents the older the driver is. Even though it may seem unfair to restrict the rights of most elderly drivers for problems and accidents that are caused by a lesser percentage, it makes sense to require more frequent license renewal testing after a driver reaches a certain age. Elderly drivers can also contribute to making the road a safer place by consulting their physician or pharmacist before starting new medicine to see if the drug affects their ability to drive. We can also expect to see changes in the future thanks to driving rehabilitation specialists who are specifically trained to work with elderly drivers.