Too old to drive?

by Bob Gillespie
As usual, when I submit a post I like to put in my two cents worth. I think the article below can be a great help to older drivers, and to the family members of older drivers. (I will have to be careful what I say here because I'm an older driver.)

Actually, I'm in my sixties - that's pretty old, right? But everything is relative; a person in their eighties might think of me as young. Now that makes me feel good.

Anyway, I do agree with the post below, in that the older one gets, the more one should keep tabs on their vision, reaction time, etc. Speaking for myself, my vision is not as good, but I fixed that problem with an excellent pair of eye glasses. I'm not as flexible as I used to be when turning around, so I use my three mirrors quite a bit now when reversing. Well, truck drivers have to rely totally on their mirrors when they back up, so it's not such a bad thing.

I should hasten to add that when I'm instructing younger people, I tell them to really crank themselves around so they can see everything.

However, no matter what a persons age, they can benefit greatly with a really good defensive driving education program. For example, if a person has taken lessons from a driving school but has not taken any classroom lessons, an ebook on defensive driving would be valuable. The reason is that in-car lessons don't leave enough time to learn all about safe, defensive driving.
There's just too much information to cover.


(NAPSI)-Driving has long been a family affair. Be it family road trips, the infamous "backseat driver" in the family or teaching a teen how to drive, driving is a hot topic for families. What's more, families also play an important role in encouraging safe driving practices among their older loved ones. "Families nationwide are dealing with the sensitive issue of older driver safety," says Elinor Ginzler, AARP's Director of Livable Communities and an authority on older driver safety.

"AARP encourages families to talk openly with loved ones about safe driving practices. Older drivers trust the advice of family-be it spouse or children-when it comes to their well-being."Today, about one in seven drivers is age 65 or older.

This figure is expected to rise significantly in the years ahead, increasing the need for safe driving practices. By the time the last baby boomers turn 65, in 2029, about one in four drivers will be age 65 or older.

Older drivers face different challenges on the road than do their younger counterparts. Age-related changes-such as impaired vision and slower reflexes and response time-can affect their driving skills. Older drivers may be able to maintain safe driving skills as well as extend their driving years by:

• Conducting regular self-assessment of driving capacities
• Attending a driver-refresher course
• Recognizing and addressing vision changes
• Maintaining quick reflexes and flexibility by staying physically active
• Therapeutic interventions from certified driving rehabilitation specialists.

However, if older drivers continue to experience a decline in driving abilities, it might be time for them to consider limiting driving or hanging up the keys altogether. If you or a loved one experiences any of the following signs, it might be time to talk about safe driving practices and transportation alternatives:

• Frequent "close calls" (i.e., near accidents)
• Dents or scrapes on the car or on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, curbs, etc.
• Trouble judging gaps in traffic at intersections and on highway entrance/exit ramps
• Getting lost
• Difficulty seeing the sides of the road when looking straight ahead
• Slower response time; trouble moving foot from gas to brake pedal or confusing the two pedals
• Getting distracted easily or having trouble concentrating
• Difficulty turning around to check over the shoulder while backing up or changing lanes
• Frequent traffic tickets or "warnings" by traffic or law enforcement officers in the last year or two.

"Although most older drivers believe that they should be the one to make the final decision about driving, they also agree that their physician should advise them," says Dr. Carl Soderstrom, Director of the Driver Safety Research Program for the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. "By providing evaluations about medical fitness to drive, clinicians can help their patients make informed and wise decisions, or become familiar with mobility alternatives in their community."

If you are concerned about a loved one's driving, start a conversation about driving that's based on your observations. It's also important that they understand you're broaching the topic out of sincere concern for their well-being. In recommending driving solutions, offer various options depending on the degree of impairment.

For example, suggest that they limit driving to certain times of the day or familiar areas. Additionally, encourage them to gradually begin using alternative transportation, including rides from family and friends, taxis or public transportation.

To help drivers refresh their skills, AARP offers a classroom course, as well as an online driver's safety course, that teaches safe driving strategies to address age-related changes that affect one's driving ability. To learn more about older driver safety, visit www.aarp.org/ families/driver_safety/ or call (888) 227-7669 toll free.