Is It Time to Stop Driving?

In 1970, the average price of a new car was $3,543, and the best-selling car was the Ford Galaxy—all 18 feet and 3,860 pounds of it. Gas was 36 cents per gallon, which meant you could fill the Galaxy’s 24.6-gallon tank for just under $9 dollars.

Cars and gas prices have changed, and as a senior, you have changed as well. Changes to your vision, hearing, reflexes, cognitive skills and physical coordination may have diminished your driving ability. This means you have more difficulty identifying approaching hazards and obstacles, or reading road signs, and knowing the location of vehicles around you in traffic. Your night vision may not be as good as it once was. Your eyesight may be blurred by diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, or age-related macular degeneration. Medications may also impair your driving skills.

The question for the senior and family members: Is it time to stop driving?

Signs It Is Time to Stop Driving

If you are experiencing any of these issues, it is time to reconsider whether you should be driving:

• Failure to yield or stop when prompted by signs or traffic lights
• Inability to recognize the right of way
• Inability to keep track of speed limits
• Forgetting to signal when turning or switching lanes
• Becoming lost in areas that should be familiar
• Erratic control of speeds
• Difficulty judging distance between vehicles and objects
• Struggling to merge or change lanes
• Frequent “near misses” in which accidents were narrowly avoided
• Road rage, anxiety and stress while driving
• An increase in unexplained dents and traffic tickets

For Family Members: Having the Talk

As a family member, you need to understand that your loved one’s generation has had a different relationship with the automobile than you have. There was no social media to connect with others in the 70s. You had your car, and your socialization relied on the places it could take you.

Now, when so many things are a struggle for your loved one and his or her diminishing abilities have made life more constrained, you are telling your senior it is time to stop driving – the primary symbol of independence and capability. So, the conversation may be awkward and difficult.

Older adults and family members should start talking early about driving issues, before it becomes a significant hazard. You can point out the warning signals that you have seen. It would also be helpful to secure your senior’s physician input as a source of medical authority.

A self-assessment by your loved one of their driving capabilities may be helpful.

The National Highway Safety and Transportation provides information on safe driving for seniors as well as how medical conditions can affect driving.

In addition, many state departments of motor vehicles (DMV) offer information and resources on older adults and driving issues, including driver improvement programs, and driver self-assessments.

Ask your senior what their driving experience has been lately? How do they feel when they drive? Have they noticed any changes in their driving abilities? Asking questions may help them see and agree that driving may not be advisable at this stage of their lives.

Part of the process is to reassure the senior that he or she will still be able to make it to the grocery store, physician appointments, and social engagements. They may be able to take the bus, or utilize other transportation services like Uber or Lyft, or ride-sharing services. Services like Instacart and GrubHub can help deliver supplies to the home. There are also pet supply delivery services like Chewy.

Moving to an assisted living community is another option. These communities provide transportation, as well shopping and errand services for residents.

As much as you want handing over the keys to be a mutual decision, you cannot compromise on safety. If your senior is a significant risk and refuses to surrender the car keys, you can file an unsafe driver report with your state DMV. A DMV representative will then contact your loved one and request a medical evaluation; a driving test may also be required. Depending on the findings, their license may be restricted or revoked altogether.

Hopefully it doesn’t ever come to that.

To learn more tips on senior independence, visit Bethesda’s Caregiver Tips blog.