Senior Behind the Wheel

By Lee Simon

Seniors Can Drive Safely
Of course you want to keep your senior driver driving, for as long as you can. Maybe you (the reader) are the senior driver. Either way, theres a strong desire to keep on driving.
But only if its still safe, right? This book is written to help you/or your senior driver, avoid the dangers of the road. It takes you through the whole list of dangers and helps you know what to do about each of them.
No senior driver wants to give up or lose his or her drivers license. To not have it any more changes a lot of things. No more independence. Somebody else has to take you to where you want or need to go. This book will help you/or your senior driver, postpone that day. It also has lots of tips for the senior driver to use the very next time he or she drives. And, the good news is that
its yours for the low price of $9.99.

A senior driver has an extra responsibility. Why? Because in our senior years we cannot do the task of driving as well as we used to. Even if youre still a good driver, many things change when you get up in years. These things make driving, for seniors, even more dangerous. But, be aware, that senior drivers have more accidents than any other age group except new, teen drivers. This should alert you that driving is dangerous, especially for the senior. Per mile driven, the fatality rate for drivers 85 years and older is nine times higher than the rate for drivers 25 to 69 years old. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury-related death for
Heres a list of the topics with which this book will help you.
Motorcycles Pg. 4
We all know that they are dangerous to drive, but this chapter deals with why they are dangerous to be around when you are driving your car.

Big Trucks Pg. 5
Where are the four blind spots and how to avoid them; the six other dangers that semi-tractor trailers pose and how to avoid them.

Safety Belts Pg. 7
Why it is so important to wear them each and every time you drive; what the risks are of not wearing the seat belt and some statistics that back this up.

Intersections Pg. 9
The dangers that are present at any intersection and some safety tips that greatly reduce the dangers of driving at intersections. This is especially true for senior drivers.
Roadway Hazards Pg. 10
The three types of hazards and the two things you must do to make them much less of a danger to you.

Drowsy Driving Pg. 12
How to prevent drowsy driving and the four warning signs prior to falling asleep at the wheel. Tips on how to keep yourself awake at the wheel.

Other Elderly Drivers Pg. 15
Why they are a danger to others; what to expect when around them, and how you, a senior driver can avoid getting run into by other senior drivers.

Distracted Drivers Pg. 16
An entire section on how extremely dangerous it is to talk or text on the cell phone. Then, a section about the many other things that distract senior drivers and why they are so dangerous.

Aggressive Drivers Pg. 18
The many types of and dangers of aggressive driving; how it turns into dangerous road rage, and how to control your anger.

Drunk and Drugged Driving Pg. 19
What the police look for; how alcohol and drugs impair driving; some very sobering facts and what to do if you or your friend(s) have been drinking or smoking pot and want to drive a car.

Crashes Pg. 23
What are the major causes of crashes; how to prevents getting into one; what to do if you are involved in an accident; what to do on curves; how to avoid a head-on collision.

Speeding Pg. 26
Why speeding is so very dangerous.

General Tips, Driving on Snow&Ice and Gas Savers Pg. 27
Everyone wants to save on gas. Here are some handy tips, plus some other general things that will help you.

Lots of General Tips for Senior Drivers Pg. 30
These will help you be a much safer driver.

Driving Defensively
Get it now, for just $9.99, and sleep better tonight, since you can order

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 18, 2010
• ISBN: 9781456818814

Lee Simon

Lee Simon is the published author of six books. This is his fourth book that deals with young people. He was a school teacher for 23 years; his wife Anne is an independent school principal. Their combined experience brings a great deal of insight into what is going on with kids and their fascination with, and even addition to electronic social media. Together they have taken in 20 kids over the course of ten years in a special therapeutic foster care program. Lee knows kids and he knows social media. This book will help you deal with the issues.

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 by Lee Simon.

ISBN:          Ebook                                      978-1-4568-1881-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was created in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

90367

Contents

Introduction

Motorcycles

Big Trucks

Safety Belts

Intersections

Hazards

Drowsy Driving

Elderly Drivers

Distracted Drivers

Aggressive Drivers

Drugged Driving

Crashes

Speeding

General Tips, Driving on

Snow&Ice, and Gas Savers

Tips for Senior Drivers

Conclusion

Introduction

This book, Senior Behind the Wheel is written for you, the senior driver. It will not preach at you and it will not tell you what you have to do. That is for you to decide; it’s your choice. But, be aware, that senior drivers have more accidents than any other age group except new, teen drivers. This should alert you that driving is dangerous, especially for the senior. Per mile driven, the fatality rate for drivers 85 years and older is nine times higher than the rate for drivers 25 to 69 years old. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury-related death for seniors.

Three things impair elderly driving:

Vision

Vision is the primary sense you use in driving. It is 90% of driving. Visual acuity and field of vision tend to decline with age as a result of physical changes and an increase in diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and stroke. Other problems commonly experienced by older drivers are glare and impaired contrast sensitivity, especially at night.

MentalSkill

Driving is a complex activity that requires a variety of high-level mental skills, including memory, visual processing, and attention, Certain medical conditions (such as dementia) and medications that are common in the older population have a large impact on cognition, and thus on driving.

MotorAbilities

Motor abilities such as muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility, are necessary for operating vehicle controls and turning to view traffic. Even prior to driving, motor abilities are needed to enter the car safely and fasten the seatbelt. Changes related to age and musculoskeletal diseases (such as arthritis) can decrease an individual’s ability to drive safety and comfortably.

If you have an attitude that says, I can drive fine; those things don’t affect me, watch out. You can keep the attitude you presently have and go right on driving dangerously. You are driving dangerously now. Not that you drive recklessly, not at all. But it is dangerous to drive around not knowing some of the things that can help you drive much more safely. Thus, it is dangerous not to know the things you will learn as you read this book.

That’s what this book is about. Danger. There are so many dangers inherent in driving a motor vehicle. You and I together will take a look at each and every one of them. But not in a boring way. I will make it interesting for you to read. I’ll use language that keeps you reading. When you finish this book you will be a much safer driver. All you have to do is desire to be.

You can read this book from front to back, straight through. Or, you can pick a topic or two and read just those and think about