Signs A Loved One Should No Longer Drive

The ability to drive is a symbol of freedom—freedom to travel to work, to visit friends and relatives, and to go basically wherever you want to go. This freedom is a privilege for people who can obey or follow the rules of the road.

Although most people become more conservative as drivers as they get older, statistics show that older adults are more likely to be in multi-car crashes or to receive more traffic citations than younger drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that drivers at age 65 and older face an increase of traffic accidents. The fatality rate for drivers 85 and over is nine times as high as the rate for drivers 25 through 69 years old.

So, what should you look for as you pay attention to your loved one's driving?

There are three behavioral factors that may contribute to these statistics —

• showing poor judgment in making left-hand turns,
• drifting within the traffic lane,
• or refusing to change behavior in response to a rapidly escalating situation.

When people age, they tend to lose strength, coordination and flexibility. These factors can slow your reaction time in the above mentioned areas of concern. Pain or disease can also be a factor in slowing reactions, too. Older adults who suffer from diseases like Parkinson's disease or stroke can have their driving ability impaired. If an older adult has Alzheimer's disease or memory loss, he probably should not drive at all.

Also, some eye conditions can interfere with your loved one's ability to focus his peripheral vision, or to see in the dark. Finally, hearing is also imperative to have in top form as your loved one needs to be able to differentiate between his car, other horns and sirens.

It's important to have your loved one checked out by his doctors to confirm any such maladies. Perhaps your loved one is taking new medication that affects his driving. Read all medication labels carefully. Side effects can make any person feel light-headed or drowsy, or react with other medications that your loved one is already taking. Check with your loved one's doctor or pharmacist to see how medications may affect his driving.

Medical signs are just one set of warnings regarding your loved one's driving. You also need to look at driving behavior. Notice if there are new dents or scratches on the car from minor scrapes in parking lots. See if your loved one takes a long time for a simple errand. Perhaps, you could even follow your loved one to see his driving firsthand while he thinks no one is watching.

Realize it is important to approach your loved one with your concerns with compassion. It may be a hard conversation to have, but it is necessary to keep your loved one and others on the road safe.

References: National Institute on Aging, smartmotorist.com, helpguide.org