Seniors Support Tougher License Renewal

Seven out of 10 people 65 and older agree that the rules need to be stricter for older drivers renewing their licenses.

Results released today of a report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety show that more than 70 percent of drivers ages 65 and older agree that renewal should take place in person and that the process should require a medical exam.

“Even though public perception tends to unfairly characterize seniors as a menace on the road, these findings indicate that older Americans tend to support policies to keep themselves safer behind the wheel,” AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety CEO Peter Kissinger said.

The same report says almost 90 percent of drivers ages 65 and older reported not being in a crash or having any moving violations in the past two years. Among drivers 75 and older, 65 percent said they didn’t use a cell phone while driving compared to only 48 percent of drivers between 65 and 69 years old.

Over the next five years, the AAA Foundation plans to conduct a long-term study of driving habits among 3,000 older drivers.