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 doesn’t have an age cap for drivers
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’ll have to provide specific information about their medical and visual condition,” Charlson said. “However, we do not consider age as a requirement for re-examination. Based on the information they provide, we’ll investigate the issue and take action when necessary.”
In-person renewal and vision tests
Washington does place one restriction on older drivers, though. Anyone over the age of 70 wishing to renew their license must do so in person, while younger drivers have other options.
“The only requirement we have for customers over the age of 70 is that they must renew their driver license in person,” Charlson said. “They cannot renew online or by mail. For those under the age of 70, they are allowed to renew online every other renewal.”
State law requires that you take a vision test every time you renew in person, so anyone over 70 has to take a vision test every six to eight years in order to keep their license, while younger drivers have to take the test every 12 to 16 years in most cases.
Changes could be coming soon
In April of 2023, the state legislature passed a bill allocating the state’s transportation budget through June of 2025. The bill asked that the DOL, along with the Department of Health, Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the state bar and outside specialists, put together a plan to improve the safety of elderly drivers. While the bill was partially vetoed by Gov. Jay Inslee, that particular requirement made it through the cut.
The DOL will submit its report by December of this year. According to the bill, the report will include a review of current policies and a tool to test whether or not a driver is a safety risk and an analysis of whether or not the department should establish a medical advisory board.
