An Individual s Reflexes Increase With Age - 1612 Words

An individual’s reflexes decrease with age which affects their ability to drive. The ability to make quick decisions is an important skill to have to avoid accidents. Reflexes allow an individual to react quickly to a dangerous driving situation. It is the time an individual takes to slam on the brake or avoid an obstruction that makes reflexes so important while driving, Geriatrics’ poor reflexes create delayed reactions which ultimately increase the risk for accidents. Reflexes are needed to prevent various types of accidents such as rear-ending and pedestrian striking. It is probable that as one ages, the connection between the two hemispheres of your brain become delayed (University of Michigan). Author Rachael Seidler states, â€Å"The†¦show more content†¦Cognition is defined as a mental action that is a result of intuition, sensation, and perception. Medical Doctors at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine states, â€Å"cognitive impair ment is defined as a decline in at least one of the following domains: short-term memory, attention, orientation, judgment and problem-solving skills, and visuospatial skills (Washington University). All important skills to have drive, it is evident that geriatrics’ cognitive impairment affect the ability to drive safely. Prevalent medical problems such as Dementia and Alzheimer s disease also contribute to an older driver’s cognitive impairment. Whether it is forgetting to put on a seatbelt or forgetting how to drive to a familiar location, these diseases affect safe driving. According to S. Lloyd, â€Å"Outpatient surveys indicate that about 30 percent of older adults with dementia are current drivers† (American Academy of Family Physicians). Dementia can affect memory, visual perception, and focus while driving. One of the most dangerous symptoms of Dementia is confusion. Confusion varies including forgetting familiar roads, forgetting meanings of road signs , or forgetting the basic rules of the road. It is evident that confusion at four way stops and intersections increases the risk for accident occurrence as well. One of the most prevalent type of accidents occurs due to brake pedal confusion. At a local