As parents or friends grow into their senior years, safe driving can be a concern. Driving can be progressively challenging for seniors as they age due to a lack of clear vision, limited mobility, slower reflexes, poor memory and anxiety, among other things. The effects of aging can increase the risk of accidents and decrease or eliminate the ability to get behind the wheel.

Effects of Aging on Driving Safety

Driving should feel like second nature by the time you are a senior, however individuals need to be aware of how their bodies are changing. As bodies and minds age, it can reduce physical strength, coordination, and agility. The following are examples of how you might see or feel the effects of aging:

• Joint Stiffness/Limited Range of Motion: making it difficult to check your blind spots with ease.
• Impaired Vision: making driving at night difficult or limiting your ability to read road signs at a proper distance.
• Reduced Reaction Time: preventing you from noticing crossing pedestrians or vehicles with enough time to properly react.
• Increased Comprehension Time: preventing you from making quick decisions in busy traffic or construction areas because you’re feeling mentally lost, frustrated or unsure what to do.
• Limited Focus/Memory: causing you to be confused, lost or turned around in your own neighborhood.
• Negative Medication Interactions: causing impairment due to dizziness, drowsiness, or other side effects.

Driving Safety Tips

Although aging can decrease your ability to drive, there are ways to prolong your healthy driving career. Below are 4 tips for senior to be safe on the road.

1. Health Check-Up. See your family doctor to make sure your vision, hearing, and overall health is sufficient for safe driving. Your doctor/pharmacist can also help with any possible medication questions/interactions.
2. Make Sure Your Car Fits and Works. Generally, a vehicle with an automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes will be a necessity. It is also safe to assume you should look for a car that has high safety standards in crash tests. Once you find that perfect fit, you need to ensure the maintenance is kept up to date. Your vehicle is much like your body – regular checkups keep it healthy. This would include keeping your mirrors and windshield/window clean and fog-free.
3. Plan Your Route. Even if it’s a familiar trip to the grocery store or doctor, route planning is still essential for every car trip. Part of the plan should include a backup route in case of construction, detours, or accidents. While planning your route, minimize potentially dangerous/stressful areas, such as unprotected left turns, yield intersections, schools/playgrounds, high traffic areas, etc.
4. Know Your Limitations and Have a Backup. At some point, checkups and planning will not be enough. Weather, stress, or illness could cause unexpected changes to your driving plans. If you are hesitant about driving, don’t do it. Ask a friend or family member for a ride, or explore public transportation options. Whatever the reason, it never hurts to have a backup on hand.

Warning Signs

How do you know when to stop driving? At some point you will have to decide when it is necessary to turn over the keys. You’ll likely notice warning signs that it is time, including:

• Too Many ‘Close Calls.’ Close calls are those incidents where you barely avoided a collision with a person, vehicle, building, mail box, etc.
• You’re Lost. You may have gone to the same gas station a million times, but somehow on your way home, you ended up in a different neighborhood.
• Blurry Signs. You wanted to turn on Harrison Street, but passed by it thinking it said Hamton Street. Signs are a very important aspect of driving, if you can’t read them, take caution.
• Lots of Honking. Driver’s generally use their horn to signal to other drivers to be careful or pay attention. If you feel as though other drivers are honking at you more often, then there is probably a reason.
• Family/Police Concern. If your family members have approached you about your driving, or if a police officer has given you a final warning, you should reevaluate your situation and reach out for help.

Assessments

Thanks to the wonderful world of internet, there are lots of tools to assist seniors with their driving. Here are a few we’ve come across:

• AAASeniors.com offers a tool that allows drivers to assess their own performance. Answer the 15 questions and read the safety suggestions. They also offer a 12 page brochure on safety tips for driving.
• SeniorDrivers.org offers an interactive assessment to give an estimate of your crash risk.
• AARP.org offers Driver Safety Programs in select areas. Visit their site to find a class offered in your area.

Everyone enjoys driving in their own ways. With these tips and tools, senior drivers have the opportunity to evaluate their driving skills and hopefully continue driving safely for as long as desired.