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New Car Features Help Keep Seniors Behind the Wheel

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Senior woman driving

Things are grim for senior citizens who want to drive. To begin with, according to a AAA report, 90% of motorists over the age of 65 have a variety of impairing health issues which contribute to the fact they are almost twice as likely to die in a car crash than drivers between 55 and 64–with that risk rising to four times as likely if the driver is 85 or older.

However, on the other side of the grim coin, according to a study released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and Columbia University, seniors who stop driving are struck by grave health declines—they become nearly twice as likely to become depressed, have a five times greater chance of going into a long-term care facility, and even may show an accelerated decline in cognition, productivity, and participation in activities outside of the home.

Thankfully, though, as pointed out by Jim Gorzelany of Forbes, cars are now equipped with a number of senior-friendly features to make it easier to drive, including push-button start, heads-up displays, parking aid technology, adaptive headlamps, adaptive cruise control, and a number of safety warning and auto-braking systems.

In addition, AAA offers a number of senior driving tips, including many videos in its CarFit series to make sure your car is positioned at the optimal level for your driving.