Why all the fierce emotion when talking about senior citizen driving?
Remember when you got your first driver’s license? That sense of pride and freedom stayed with you. If you’ve ever had surgery and a driving restriction while you were …recovering, you know how your sense of independence was curtailed. So to understand aging parents, just take that emotion and intensify it by the number of years they have been driving.For older adults the fear that they may have to stop driving for good is almost too much to bear. The culture that we live in is built on mobility. Public transportation is available for former senior drivers, but it may be too difficult to take without some assistance. Families often live at a great distance. And friends are scattered and may have their own physical challenges to deal with. The loss of the ability to drive as a senior citizen can feel like being trapped, isolated and alone.
For many elders, and their loved ones, determining when they are no longer safe on the road is a difficult and heart wrenching process — but ignoring the issue can be dangerous. I have had clients voluntarily give up their license AFTER a (luckily) minor accident. And they all have said they were very fortunate and glad that no-one got hurt (or worse – killed).
Age alone is a poor predictor of driving skills. But for most people, age-related changes in vision, physical fitness, and reflexes creep in over the years and can hamper the ability to drive safely. Keep tabs on the following areas and ask yourself whether they inhibit driving ability.
Changes in vision and hearing. A loss of visual acuity can make it harder for drivers to see essential traffic signs, lane lines, and other drivers and pedestrians. Conditions common for older eyes — cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration — make it harder for drivers to see, and may also limit peripheral vision. A sensitivity to light at night, or night vision, can make the glare of oncoming headlights dangerous. And the loss of hearing can mean usual signals used to alert drivers, such as horns and sirens, go unheeded.
Limitations in physical fitness. A loss of muscle strength and flexibility can make it more difficult to steer, maneuver, grip the steering wheel, and pivot the head to check for traffic in the blind spot before changing lanes.
Slowed reflexes. Slower reflexes mean it may take a longer time for a driver to react to traffic signals, unexpected behavior in pedestrians and other motorists, and to gauge appropriate speeds.
Side effects of medication. Taken alone or interacting with one another, medications may cause drowsiness or confusion and make it difficult to focus. Many also have the unexpected side effect of lowering tolerance for alcohol, which can notoriously affect driving skills.
General health conditions. Physical and mental conditions that can appear in time with aging.
Warning Signs of Driving Problems It is often difficult to notice and regulate our own behavior. But it is usually “preferable” if an older driver notices his or her own diminished driving skills and takes action to improve or curtail driving voluntarily rather than being urged or directed to do so by another person.
If you do have any doubt as to whether you should continue to be driving, please look into the options below.
The AARP sponsors Driver Safety Courses nationwide, searchable by ZIP code at www.aarp.org or online at www.aarpdriversafety.org. And many local Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) branches also offer refresher courses, often referred to as Mature Driver improvement Programs. Some private driving schools also offer such courses.