BELLINGHAM — The risks of driving increase as you age, due largely to increases in vulnerability to injury, although physical changes associated with aging also can impact your ability to drive. According to the National Safety Council, people above the age of 75 had the highest death rate from car accidents in 2022 of any age group, at 19.2 deaths per 100,000 people.
For context, across all age groups, 13.8 out of every 100,000 people died from a car crash that year. But does Washington have an age limit for driving or impose any additional restrictions on older adults trying to renew their licenses? Here’s what Washington State Department of Licensing policy requires.
Washington leaves it up to older drivers and their families to decide if and when to take away the keys, according to the DOL. “We don’t have any age cap for when you can no longer drive,” DOL Communications Consultant Thomas Charlson said in an email to McClatchy. “We do have driver safety tips for seniors on our website.
We try to encourage drivers over the age of 55 to take ongoing collision prevention courses. Taking a course can help someone understand the effects aging has on their driving ability.” However, if you’re concerned about the safety of an older driver, you can ask the DOL to evaluate whether or not they’re fit to drive.
“If someone has concerns about a senior citizen’s ability to drive safely, they can contact us and request an evaluation of their driving ability. They�.