Aging and The Elderly Driver

Are the elderly safe to drive? For the most part, but if you have an aging parent, there are some things to look out for. Like anything that declines with age, so do driving skills. And yet, telling an elderly parent they aren't fit to drive can be one of the most difficult things to do. Driving represents freedom and independence.  There are many things that can impair drivers who are elderly. They include: A slowdown in response time, a loss of clarity in vision and hearing, a loss of muscle strength and flexibility, drowsiness due to medications, a reduction in the ability to focus or concentration, and Lower tolerance for alcohol

Taken separately, none of these changes automatically means that elderly drivers should stop. But caregivers need to regularly evaluate the elderly person's driving skills to determine if they need to alter driving habits or stop driving altogether. So how can you tell if your elderly parent or friend may have a decline in their driving abilities? Signs include:

•    Driving either too fast or too slow
•    The need to ask passengers if it is clear to pass or turn
•    Responding slowly to or not noticing pedestrians, bicyclists and other drivers
•    Ignoring, disobeying or misinterpreting street signs and traffic lights
•    Failing to yield to other cars or pedestrians who have the right-of-way
•    Failing to judge distances between cars correctly
•    Becoming easily frustrated and angry
•    Appearing drowsy, confused or frightened
•    Having one or more near accidents or near misses
•    Drifting across lane markings or bumping into curbs
•    Forgetting to turn on headlights after dusk
•    Having difficulty with glare from oncoming headlights, streetlights, or other bright or shiny objects, especially at dawn, dusk and at night
•    Having difficulty turning their head, neck, shoulders or body while driving or parking
•    Having too little strength to turn the wheel quickly in an emergency
•    Getting lost repeatedly, even in familiar areas

If you are a caregiver or have an elderly parent, find out whether the elderly driver has had their vision or hearing tested recently or have had a physical examination that tests their reflexes. Ask also whether they taking medications that might make them drowsy for confused?

If the elderly person you know is having problems driving, there are programs that do help them adjust to their physical conditions. One program is AARP or the American Association of Retired Persons.  AARP has the 55-Alive Mature Driver Program, which helps older people deal with issues such as how to compensate for vision problems associated with aging.

There are some steps the elderly can take to adjust their driving needs to their age as well. They include:

•    Avoiding driving at night and, if possible, at dawn or dusk
•    Driving only to familiar locations
•    Avoiding driving to places far away from home
•    Avoiding expressways (freeways) and rush hour traffic
•    Leaving plenty of time to get where they are going
•    Not driving alone

If you feel these steps aren't sufficient, you might encourage your elderly loved one to take public transportation such as buses or trains. There are often discounts offered to seniors.

When it comes to the elderly and driving, it doesn't have to be all or nothing, there are many steps that can be taken before the final one of having their license taken away. It just may take some time or patience.