In Future, Cars May Come with Silver Rating to Denote Senior Safety

If a proposal by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to add a new Silver rating to its five-star crash test rating system is successful, in the future, senior motorists may be able to determine if a car has specific features that will keep them safe in an accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering a senior crash test rating system for automobiles. The Silver rating would indicate extra safety for senior drivers.

As seniors age, they experience a number of changes that may increase their risk of being involved in an accident. The changes include imbalance in eye-hand coordination, failing vision, failing hearing, slower reflexes, delayed responses and a number of other changes that seriously increase a person’s risk of being involved in an accident.

The auto industry has been heavily investing in technology to help reduce the risk of accidents. Some of those technologies are highly suitable for senior citizens.

For instance, many seniors may be on medications, and may be at a much higher risk of dozing off at the wheel. A lane departure warning system or drowsy driving alert system could help alert the senior citizen who is beginning to fall asleep at the wheel.

Other possible features that a senior citizen-safe car should have are inflatable seat belts, which can help protect a person’s chest and abdominal region from serious or fatal injuries in the event of accident. Other features that Houston car accident lawyers would like to see in automobiles rated safe for senior drivers are backover camera systems to prevent accidents when a senior backs over a pedestrian behind the car, and devices to reduce the risk of sudden acceleration.

Update 10/18: To read more about senior driving safety, visit: https://www.consumerreports.org/elderly-driving/how-seniors-are-driving-safer-driving-longer/