Indicators It May Be Time For A Senior To Limit Or Stop Driving

It’s common for adult children to worry about the safety of their elderly parents’ driving, rightfully so, since it’s normal for driving abilities to change as we get older. Getting older doesn’t automatically mean that one shouldn’t be behind the wheel. An important part of maintaining senior health is by regularly monitoring their driving abilities because there comes a point for nearly everyone when driving on the road is no longer safe, particularly true for people who have age-related health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Loss of mobility, unfortunately, is one of the harshest realities associated with aging, which can be very difficult to assess or address. The biggest hurdle is to convince a loved one that it is time to surrender their driver’s license. There are no two ways about the fact that it is a sensitive topic, especially for seniors who fear losing their independence or being seen as incapable.

But, the question is how to know when your parents should stop driving!

As we all know, safely driving a vehicle requires both physical and cognitive capabilities, which means a better approach is to look for warning signs of unsafe driving, such as becoming easily distracted while driving, having frequent close calls, driving too fast or too slow for road conditions, decrease in self-esteem while driving, hitting curbs when taking turns, having difficulty maintaining the correct lane of traffic/forgetting to signal when switching lanes, getting scrapes or dents in car, etc. It will be better that you have a discussion after you’ve noticed that your loved one has shown some of these warning signs, which will help you know if you need to insist on talking about it since there are real reasons to be worried then.

Although there’s no average age to stop driving, usual age-related changes in the body, such as physical changes including decreased vision, impaired vision, pain or stiffness, leg pain or weakness, general loss of strength, and cognitive changes including decrease in multi-tasking ability and delayed response to unexpected situations- can increase the risk of having an accident.

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Here are some important signs you should keep an eye out for that indicate that driving is no longer safe:

Deteriorating Health- Some health conditions can make it difficult to drive safely, such as dementia that impairs a person’s judgment behind the wheel, Parkinson’s which affects a person’s physical ability to drive a car well.

Driving has become stressful and confusing- Driving can become stressful and challenging if your parent is working hard to make up for any physical challenges. They might also show signs of confusion, anger, or be easily distracted, which can put an individual at an increased risk of getting lost or causing an accident.

Changes in their driving habits- A person’s driving skills may decrease with age. Watch out for red flags like they’ve stopped buckling up (seatbelt), changing lanes without even glancing at their blind spot, etc.

Sensory Impairment- A healthcare provider may recommend against driving if your parent has vision problem like glaucoma or macular degeneration, or trouble hearing. Routine eye and hearing checks are essential to ensure you are still able to drive safely.

The best way to have the talk with your senior loved one is by leading with compassion. Your goal, ultimately, should be to leave the conversation with your loved one feeling as if their role was as pivotal as yours and that you arrived at the decision together, instead of feeling like they have been dictated by you. Emphasize that you are coming from a place of care.