[Elderly automobile drivers--a problem with a future?].

Abstract

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the accident involvement of elderly drivers to date is low, corresponding to their low traffic participation. With a definite increase in the number of elderly drivers in the near future frequent adverse effects on traffic safety are expected. Particularly age changes in vision and reaction ability are considered to be important. Compared to a representative sample of different age groups, the elderly drivers themselves viewed an increasing number of elderly motorists far more positively. There is such a gap between the negative extraneous viewpoint and the elderly drivers' lack of self-criticism that a conflict between the generations affecting traffic safety will be produced.