Drivers 66 and older are limited to five-year license terms while eight-year terms are allowed for younger ones. State law requires first-time applicants to undergo tests on rules of the road, road signs and visual acuity, plus a road test. North Carolina requires drivers to have at least 20/40 vision in one or both eyes in order to drive without corrective lenses. A 72-year-old needs 16 times the amount of light required by a 20-year-old to drive safely.'

The amount of light needed by drivers doubles every 13 years, starting at age 20. 'Signs may be misunderstood or not seen quickly enough to caution older drivers about upcoming exits, obstacles or changes in traffic patterns. 'Deteriorated vision among older drivers may make small or complex road signage difficult to process,' TRIP reported. The TRIP report recommended steps that states could take to make driving safer for older drivers. in 2016 for both the number of traffic fatalities involving 65-plus drivers - 285 deaths - and the number of older drivers killed: 175. North Carolina ranked fifth-highest in the U.S. In 2016, the state's share of older drivers was about the same as their share of fatal accidents. The number of North Carolina drivers 65 and older grew 22 percent between 20, to nearly 1.4 million, the group reported, while the number of fatal accidents involving older drivers rose 30 percent. People 65 and older are a fast-growing share of licensed drivers, the transportation research group TRIP reported in March, and the number of fatal crashes involving older drivers is also increasing.

spokesman Steve Hahn says, 'diminished ability can happen at any age.' The group encourages members to refresh their knowledge of road signs and changes in driving laws but, N.C. I'm not sure avoiding long lines is worth putting lives in danger.'īut AARP, the association of Americans 50 and older, stands against age-based testing standards. For many people, when they go to get their license renewed, that's the first time they find out something's wrong with their vision. 'We're just relying on people to say, oh, I don't think anything's changed.

'Corrected vision is crucial to safe driving,' said AAA Carolinas spokeswoman Tiffany Wright.

Florida Driver S License Eye Chart