I asked an AI “At what age should the elderly stop driving”
The reply was excellent.
1) The number was 75. It was surrounded with “there is much evidence showing 75 yr olds are safer drivers than those teens and 20s. There is much evidence reflexes and judgement of the elderly are ample for driving.
2) The rationale was ability to heal from a wreck. That fades with age. It is more dangerous for the old.
A peripheral item was noted about elderly get hurt and can’t recover just as much as a car passenger vs driver. That was not the AI’s point. It said that no keys meant fewer trips. Food got delivered rather than a trip to the grocery store.
Regardless, it’s a factor the discussion nearly never addresses. We prefer a car because of the convenience at older age. We are at greater danger as a result. The old can’t recover.
Largely missing from this discussion is the issue of elderly drivers with dementia. I can tell you (from experience) that they lack any capability to listen or reason. I fought the good fight for 2 years early in my husband’s dementia journey to stop his driving enduring unfettered rage and fear of physical retaliation whenever I oh-so-gently raised the issue of not driving anymore. I finally had to hide the keys and disable his truck. It’s a fight I wouldn’t wish on anybody. 54 years of marriage and he truly despised me for the last 4 years of his life. Pray you never have to deal with a demented driver prone to road rage.