Southwest Florida residents are increasingly concerned about whether older adults can continue driving safely. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that the average adult lives seven to ten years longer than they can drive safely.
Local resident David Watson said, “I’m 82 and I haven’t had any accidents.”
Another community member, Sally Free, argued that the study didn’t consider all age groups and should factor in more variables.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers 70 and older have a higher fatal crash rate per mile than any age group except 16- to 19-year-olds. Vicky Byrom shared her own family experience.
“My dad’s vision was going so, yeah, we just said you can’t drive anymore,” Byrom said. “And how did he take that? Not good. I mean, he knew that we were right, but it’s hard.”
Florida has a system for reporting unsafe drivers. Residents can anonymously file Form 72190, “Report a Driver Whose Ability is Questionable,” with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
In 2024, the state received more than 3,100 reports, and 942 drivers had their licenses suspended after medical reviews. Drivers under review must turn in a doctor’s report within 45 days.
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