Online Traffic School

Once a driver becomes 65 years old, it’s important to acknowledge the inevitable mental and physical declines we all experience (provided we live that long). This section provides facts and strategies to help us drive safely for as long as possible. We also address the unfortunate, yet probable, scenario of informing a parent, grandparent, or other loved one that they need to modify their driving behavior or even give up driving altogether.

According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2017 approximately 44,000,000 Americans were ages 65 and older and driving. This is a 63% increase from 1998. Driving helps mature individuals maintain mobility and independence. Risk of death from driving increases as we reach 65 and older. 7700 Americans in that age group died from driving in 2017. Age-related declines in visual and cognitive functions, such as ability to reason and remember, decrease - as well as declines in physical abilities, such as range of motion in the neck, which is required for looking over one’s shoulder for approaching vehicles.

How do we lower elder deaths? Wearing seat belts, driving the speed limit and not driving after drinking are obvious answers which apply to all motorists regardless of age. Elder specific strategies include: not driving at night, avoiding heavy traffic periods, taking right turns only, or left turns only when given the green turning arrow. An elder motorist could consider these driving alternatives: getting a ride from a family member or friend, or taking Uber, Lyft or public transportation.

It’s also important to check with their doctor or pharmacist about how various medications they take affect their driving.

Age related driving problems affect the following factors critical to safe driving:

Eyesight: More light is needed to see at night, and more time for eyes to adjust to the light changes. Older eyes are also more sensitive glare from headlights, streetlights and the sun. Peripheral vision (side to side and up and down) tend to diminish.

Arthritis in the neck and shoulder make it harder to see vehicles behind you. If you’ve ever had a crick in your neck, you know how hard it is to turn your head quickly. Now imagine a motorcycle approaching rapidly from behind, could you see him in time to react appropriately? Probably not.

Mental: Alertness, judgement and reaction time diminish as well.

This next section deals with the difficult decision of persuading an elderly family member to curtail or stop driving at all. When should an elderly driver give up the keys?

Giving Up the Keys

Let’s consider the warning signs. Perhaps unexplainable new dents in their car or when riding with the elderly driver, you become more ill at ease. You may have to remind the driver of upcoming stop signs approaching when you can tell the driver is not going to stop.

Senior drivers (> 65) have greater amount of fatalities per miles driven than any other group other than teenagers. Younger drives crash more but senior crashes are more likely to be fatal.

It is time to have ‘stop driving’ conversation with mom or dad, but you are reluctant knowing the response you will get. It is hard for elderly drivers to give up their keys; it is taking away some of their freedom.

Generation United found that 39% of respondents reported the hardest conversation with aging parents is not finances but handing over the keys.

Here a few tips to help handle situation:

• Start the conversation early: “In the future, how should I approach the subject when I see you are less safe on the road?”
• Observe his/her driving abilities. How do they follow the rules of the road without being reminded? How do they handle changing lanes, maintaining safe speeds and awareness and adapting to oncoming traffic? If concerned, you could cite these objective concerns when having the talk with your elderly family member. Avoid vague and generalizations, such as stating, “You are a bad driver.”
• Know available resources. Talk with the driver’s doctor, local police or an elder law attorney to see what fits the particular driver situation.
• Acknowledge the difficulty of the conversation and approach it respectfully: “Mom, we are becoming concerned about your driving. Can we sit and talk about it?”
• Have a one-on-one meeting. It’s not an ‘intervention.’ Select one family member who is the most tactful to lead the conversation.
• Avoid confrontation. Do not accuse the elderly driver of being an unsafe driver (even if they are) or start with the assumption they should stop driving immediately. Stick to factual issues such as, “you don’t see well at night, perhaps driving only during the day is a better idea.” Stay calm and don’t raise your voice.
• Listen and acknowledge the elderly driver’s feelings.
• Work together and solicit their input. Offer alternate transportation: “I will drive you, as well as her family members and friends.”

back to lessons