With a growing elderly population, cognitive decline in drivers has become a significant public safety concern. More than 32 million individuals who are 70 or older have driver’s licenses, and that number is growing quickly. In addition, almost 10% of U.S. seniors (those 65 and older) have dementia, and an additional 22% have mild cognitive impairment. Between a quarter and a half of individuals with mild to moderate dementia still drive. As cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and decision‐making skills deteriorate, a driverʹs ability to operate a vehicle safely can be compromised, putting drivers, passengers, other motorists and pedestrians at risk.
Case Western Reserve University School of Law faculty members Sharona Hoffman, the Edgar A. Hahn Professor of Law, and Cassandra Burke Robertson, the John Deaver Drinko – BakerHostetler Professor of Law, wrote a legal case study assessing this topic in a forthcoming article for UC Irvine Law Review.
Titled “Patient Autonomy, Public Safety, and Drivers with Cognitive Decline,” they explored how the challenges of cognitive decline in relation to driving is crucial for maintaining elderly individuals’ quality of life