Driving and Older Adults
Most drivers monitor themselves and gradually limit or stop driving when they feel that certain situations or driving in general is not safe. However, some people fail to recognize declining abilities while others may resist hanging up the keys, fearing it will reduce their independence, socialization, and ability to participate in familiar activities. Conditions such as dementia or early stages of Alzheimer’s disease may make some drivers unable to evaluate their driving properly.
The following steps and resources are useful whether you are concerned about your own driving or the driving abilities of another person.
Step 1: Assess the Situation
Check the “15 Warning Signs” to identify areas of concern. It may help to have someone ride with you or to ride with the person about whom you are concerned to observe driving habits first hand.
Helpful Resources
- Drivers 55 Plus: Check Your Own Performance
- Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer
Both are available at www.SeniorDrivers.org; click on “giving up keys.”
Step 2: Talk About It.
As people age, they tend to look first to family members (spouse and children) for candid advice concerning their well-being and health issues. Have conversations early and often. Start the conversation out of a sincere sense of caring for the person’s well-being and base it on specific things you have observed.
Helpful Resource
Step 3: Consider Your Options
There are many ways to address driving issues and concerns. The options you choose will depend on the type and degree of impairment. One size does not fit all, and, while no longer driving may be the only answer in some cases, stopping too early can cause a person’s overall health to decline prematurely.
Helpful Resources and Options
- Take a classroom or on-line refresher course such as the AARP Driver Safety Program. For information, call (888) 227-7669 or visit www.aarp.org/drive.
- For information on how to help an older driver, read or download “How to Help an Older Driver: A Guide for Planning for Safe Transportation” at www.SeniorDrivers.org.
- For guidance on making adjustments to maximize comfort and control of a vehicle, read or download “Car Fit: Helping Mature Drivers Find Their Perfect Fit” from www.SeniorDrivers.org; click on “giving up keys.”
- For information about memory loss and driving, order “At the Crossroads: A Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, and Driving” from www.thehartford.com/alzheimers/brochure.html or write to The Hartford, At the Crossroads, 200 Executive Blvd., Southington, CT 06489.
Additional resources include:
- “AARP’s Older Driver Skill Assessment and Resource Guide: Creating Mobility Choices” (D14957). Order from AARP Fulfillment, EE 01251, 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049.
- “Driving Safely While Aging Gracefully” from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, available at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Driving Safely Aging Web/index.html.
- For information on local resources see the Driving Assessments and Resources section
- Encourage the driver to consider and gradually begin using other methods of transportation such as rides from family and friends, public transportation, paratransit services such as Tulsa Transit’s Lift Program, taxis, or other public or private transportation options. See the Transportation section. It may be helpful to accompany the person during initial trials of alternate forms of transportation.
Step 4: Seek Additional Help if Necessary.
If the person is not taking proper action in response to your concern and the impairment is increasingly obvious, it may be necessary to involve the driver’s doctor.
In Oklahoma, if you feel that a medical or vision problem may threaten personal or public safety, contact the Medical Desk at Oklahoma’s Department of Public Safety, P.O. Box 11415, Oklahoma City, OK 73136 or call (405) 425-2424.
