Boulder County first responders safely pull an 81-year-old man from his car in St. Vrain Creek, and they don’t know what caused the crash
So we have to ask, how do we keep Boulder Seniors safe when they drive?
The recent car crash and amazing rescue of a Boulder senior whose car flipped over in St. Vrain Creek reminds us to make sure that the older adults we love are safe to drive. We want to congratulate our Boulder County First Responders for their heroic rescue, and are thankful this accident was not fatal.
To help keep senior drivers safe, here are 5 Key Safety Tips for Eldely Boulder Drivers according to AAA:
Vision – A driver’s eyesight is critical in preventing car crashes, because nearly all the sensory input you need to drive a car comes from visual cues. If your eyesight is diminished, so is your ability to drive safely. This is especially important to senior drivers.
Hearing – According to the National Institutes of Health, hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Hearing loss can be dangerous, especially when in or near traffic. For example, the inability to hear high-pitched tones, such as sirens from emergency response vehicles, especially among background noise like horns or railroad warnings, can put you and other drivers at risk
.
Reaction time – Even if you have excellent judgment while driving, it may be challenging at times to integrate information from several sources at once. This can slow driver reaction time and inhibit safe driving in dangerous situations. It’s also possible that pain or stiffness in muscles or joints could make it difficult to react quickly during emergencies.
Medical conditions and medications – If not managed properly, medical conditions can increase your crash risk. Some of the most common conditions known to affect safe driving are impaired vision, physical limitations, dementia, diabetes, seizures and sleep disorders. Even if you have one or more of these medical conditions, if you work closely with your doctor, you often can continue safe driving.
Mind and cognition – As you get older, your brain needs more time to process information, making it more difficult to ignore distractions. The good news is that mature judgment, years of driving experience and good driving habits often can help senior drivers compensate for some diminished cognitive abilities. Cognition is the ability to remember information like locations or destinations and recognize and respond to things such as traffic signs and pavement markings. When driving, it involves being able to focus and make sound decisions in a hurry to avoid a crash.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE and for more great information and resources, visit seniordriving.aaa.com.
You can read more about the accident and rescue here: https://1310kfka.com/news/249903/
BrightStar Care of Boulder / Broomfield provides a full continuum of in home care services, including companionship, personal care, dementia care, transportation, medication assistance, skilled nursing and more, to improve clients’ health and quality of life.
To learn more about our local team of caregivers, skilled healthcare professionals, and home health care support for Colorado families and businesses, please Click Here