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With the aging of the baby-boom generation, more and more seniors are staying active and staying behind the wheel longer. As a result, it’s important to be aware of some driving safety and auto insurance tips for the ever-increasing number of senior citizens among us.

Incentives for Staying Safe: Auto Insurance Discounts for Mature Drivers
As a group, drivers 75 and older have one of the highest rates of fatal daytime accidents. Often, senior drivers in such accidents had no idea that their driving abilities had gradually become impaired over the years. An accident is often the first indication that an elderly person should stop driving. Until one occurs, senior drivers are reluctant to give up their independence.

Because of this, it’s important that senior drivers stay proactively involved in keeping their driving skills sharp. That’s why, in many states, we offer an auto insurance discount for mature drivers if a person meets a given age criteria and has taken an approved mature driver safety course.

Want to know more? Get an auto insurance quote for your ZIP Code and see if the mature driver auto insurance discount is available. When you get your auto insurance quote, you’ll be able to see the eligibility rules for your state’s mature driver auto insurance discount.

Auto Design
Regardless of age, most drivers should consider the impact of auto design features on their ability to drive safely. For seniors who may be subject to physical limitations, freedom of movement, unrestricted visibility, and ease of use are important factors in enhancing driving safety.

Some factors that can decrease an older driver's mobility are non-adjustable seats, awkward restraint devices, and heavy doors. Seats should be fully adjustable, allowing drivers to sit comfortably with a clear view of the road, display panels, and mirrors. Seat belts and shoulder harnesses should be easy to reach, requiring little or no maneuvering to properly fasten.

Doors should be lightweight, since heavier doors may be difficult to open or close. Doors may fly open if not shut right; in the event of an accident, heavy doors may serve to trap a senior in the car.

Ease of use is also an important consideration in safe auto design for seniors. Dashboard control panels and display screens should be clear to read and easy to understand. The vehicle body should be structured so that it maximizes the driver's view of the road and does not block peripheral views. (Accidents and resulting auto insurance claims happen frequently because senior drivers are unable to see everything that’s going on around them.)

Specific Physical Conditions
Though physical impairment may not always impair driving, it’s good to be aware of problems that can affect older drivers' safety. It’s advisable that all senior drivers ask their physicians at annual check-ups about conditions and medications that may affect their ability to drive. Other questions to ask the doctor include:

• When and where is it appropriate for me to drive?
• Are there any exercises I can do to improve my overall strength and flexibility?

Some of the following health issues merit special attention when considering seniors' driving performance, as there is a strong statistical correlation between such problems and accidents and auto insurance claims involving the elderly.

• Falling Episodes: Any senior who has had one or more serious falls in the past two years should consider greatly reducing or stopping driving entirely. Such falls can be indicative of more serious health problems and can also cause injuries that limit driving ability.

• Neurological Disorders:In very early stages of dementia or other neurological disorders, drivers may seem to continue to drive safely. However, as these types of disease advance, drivers can easily become disoriented behind the wheel. Some may become lost on familiar streets, confuse the accelerator and brake pedals, or be unable to respond rapidly to the actions of another driver.

• Diabetes: Seniors with diabetes should also be aware of potential diabetes-related complications and their impact on driving ability. This is particularly true of low blood sugar and problems with vision. Moments when blood sugar drastically plunges can cause confusion and disorientation in diabetics of any age.
  
  Elderly diabetics are also more likely to have undetected problems with leaky blood vessels in the eye. Occasionally, this leakage can suddenly obscure vision, which, at the very least, can cause a fender bender and increased auto insurance rates.

• Inflammation: Bursitis, arthritis, and other severe inflammations can decrease a senior driver's mobility, making it difficult to manipulate gears and similar devices. In the worst-case scenario, these kinds of ailments can impair a senior driver's ability to get out of an auto in the event of an accident. For drivers suffering from these conditions, it’s especially important to consider auto design features.

• Vision Problems: Recent improvements in treatment may allow seniors with milder cases of glaucoma or cataracts to remain on the road. However, those suffering from these conditions should avoid driving during twilight hours or at night, as well as in situations marked by poor visibility.

• Foot Problems: Senior drivers may also suffer from multiple problems with their feet: calluses, bunions, toe deformities, and poor circulation. If a senior driver has several of these problems, it may be more difficult to operate the accelerator and brakes, which can increase the likelihood of collision.

Prevention: Minimize the Risk of Accidents & Auto Insurance Claims
In addition to speaking specifically with their doctor about driving, seniors can also consult occupational and physical therapists who may have recommendations for exercises and regimens that improve general strength and ease of movement. Such specialists may also suggest special adaptive devices for autos that make driving easier.

If friends and loved ones begin to sense that a senior has difficulty driving, they should offer driving services to help seniors do errands and get around. Often, seniors continue driving even when they have doubts about their own ability because they don't want to inconvenience others and help isn’t offered.

For their own and others' safety, seniors should also keep their state's department of motor vehicles informed of health conditions that may impair their driving. Many states have added special requirements for elderly drivers, limiting the ability to renew a drivers license by mail, as well as requiring medical and/or visual exams for drivers over a certain age.

Though many challenges face elderly drivers, senior drivers can do a lot to ensure that they not only continue to drive, but also drive safely and keep their auto insurance rates low. Mature driving courses are a great way for seniors to get informed about potential problems and to freshen up on safe driving techniques. (Plus, as mentioned above, senior drivers may be eligible for an
auto insurance discount by taking such a course.)