Your drive downhill starts earlier than you think

It’s not something to be happy about but the reality is I’m at that stage in life where there are more kilometers behind me than remain ahead.

So, as a driver, that puts me squarely in the Golden Oldie camp. But, blessed with good genes and the sense not to indulge too much in the usual youthful excesses, I still function perfectly well behind the wheel.

Which brings me to my pet peeve: those politicians, health professionals, safety gurus and just plain younger motorists who think grey hair and cobwebs are the only grey matter we’ve got once we get behind the wheel. To them, we need fog lamps on at all times.

But hang on a minute here! Whether or not you like to admit it, the reality is that the ticking of your biological clock stops for no man or woman. Advancing age can have an affect on your driving as early as your mid-40s.

That mid-life milestone has a well-known impact on the lives of women but it’s also a stage where men often react to it by joining a health club, buying a Harley or '60s muscle car, opting for a cosmetic nip 'n tuck, hair transplant or just trying their aging smiles on waitresses half their age (or younger).

Thus far, I haven’t felt the need to resort to any such temptations. Well, not exactly. I still smile at waitresses, but with the same lack of effect it had in my callow youth.

So, all you middle-aged, apprentice Golden Oldies, listen up! While you’ve been busy driving through your fast-paced life your body’s been starting to slow down. Maybe you’ve noticed, maybe not.

Your mid-40s is about the point mental sharpness takes a turn for the worse. Thought processing slows and multi-tasking – critical in today’s electronics, information, entertainment, and communications system-laden cars – becomes more challenging.

PR Newswire/Sutter Neuroscience Institute

In your 20s you had around 100 billion nerve cells in your brain to work with. By the time you hit your 40s, though, you could be shedding 10,000 of them each day. That can affect memory, co-ordination and brain function. Think about that and how it applies to your daily drive, an activity requiring perception, good judgement, quick responses and good physical ability.

For most of us, it’s the eyes that send an early message as failing sight kicks in. Our ability to focus deteriorates, so reading traffic signs or absorbing instrument panel information can be a problem. Peripheral vision may be reduced, making lane changes or turns more hazardous. Handling headlight glare at night becomes harder to handle. And that’s not even taking developing medical conditions into account, such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes or other eye problems. We generally think of those as a safety concern for older people, but they can affect drivers of any age.

Then, of course, there’s your body breakdown. That can creep up on you as muscles age or the lingering effects of old sports injuries take their toll. Once you’re into your 40s you can lose roughly two percent of your muscle strength each year. By the time you’re into your 60s you’re dealing with 40 percent less muscle strength and range of motion. All of which means losing, to some degree or other, the strength needed to work your car’s controls, freedom of movement, and a loss of flexibility and mobility for entry and exit. Not to mention simple things like over-the-shoulder checks for lane changes or loading groceries or other items in the cargo area.

Geoff Caddick/PR Newswire

Even arthritic pain can show up well before old age. Remember those old sports injuries I mentioned? The result is creaky joints that may make it harder to work the foot pedals, turn your upper body to ensure good visibility when reversing, or even grip the steering wheel properly.

And let’s not forget your hearing. By your mid-50s all those rock concerts, heavy metal music and too-loud headphones will start catching up to you.

So, there’s no question advancing years can make driving difficult for older drivers. But mid-life motoring grants you no immunity from age-related impairment.

Hook up the above to the jumper cables of Important Knowledge and jolt yourself with this revelation: Who would you prefer to share the road with? A relatively healthy and alert Golden Oldie aware of his or her physical/cognitive limits and driving sensibly or an over-aggressive, middle-ager struggling with high blood-pressure, substance abuse and a heart condition brought on by obesity and a sedentary life style?