Many people in the United States drive a car. Driving is a privilege and gives a sense of freedom. Many older adults depend on driving to maintain their independence and allow them to get to various events and appointments, including medical appointments. Unfortunately, a person can develop physical or cognitive challenges that affect their driving ability. At some point, people need to consider driving behaviors, crash risk, and driving performance. When considering these factors, one must balance senior drivers with safety for all road users.

What are some warning signs of an unsafe senior driver?

• · Delayed response to unexpected situations, such as slow reaction time and reflexes
• · Becoming easily distracted by driving
• · Decrease in confidence while driving
• · Having difficulty moving into or maintaining the correct lane of traffic
• · Hitting curbs when making right turns or backing up
• · Getting scrapes or dents on car, garage, or mailbox
• · Having frequent close calls
• · Driving too fast or too slow for road conditions

What are other factors to consider for senior drivers?

• Stiff joints and muscles, such as arthritis, might affect one’s ability to drive. Challenges could include turning the head to look back, turning the steering wheel, or braking safely.
  
• Eyesight may decrease and make it harder to see people, signs, streets, things, and movement outside a person’s direct line of sight. Nighttime driving may become difficult because of headlights or streetlights. On the other hand, during certain times of the day, the sun could be blinding. The important part is to ensure a person’s eye prescription is up to date and correct.
  
• Hearing can affect one’s ability to notice horns, sirens, or even noises coming from one’s car. These can affect one’s ability to pull over, get out of the way, or know of possible car problems.
  
• Medications and medical conditions can affect driving. Some medications have side effects of drowsiness, lightheadedness, or decreasing a person’s alertness, which all lead to unsafe driving. On the other hand, medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease may result in uncontrollable movements, which results in loss of coordination and balance. Besides the physical, there are cognitive medical conditions, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, that affect memory and decision-making skills, which in turn affects driving.

How does the DMV handle senior drivers?

Although many seniors continue to drive safely, the DMV has special rules for drivers 70 and older who seek to renew their licenses. For example, drivers 70 and older must renew their licenses in person every five years and submit to a vision and written test. Furthermore, depending on any report filed by a law enforcement officer, physician, or family member, a person may be subject to a road test. The DMV may also impose driving restrictions on a person, such as:

• No freeway driving
• No nighttime driving
• Other time of day restrictions, such as no rush hour driving
• Require an extra right-side mirror on a vehicle
• Require lumbar support for a proper driving position
• Geographical restrictions
• Wearing bioptic telescopic lenses when driving

What options are available to deal with a possible unsafe driver?

California DMV allows drivers, courts, police, other DMVs, family members, or any source to report an unsafe driver. Anonymous reports are not accepted, but anyone can ask that their name be kept confidential, and the DMV will honor that.

Another option is to enroll the driver in a local Mature Driver Improvement Program. These programs provide instructions for

• Defensive driving
• California motor vehicle laws
• Updates on rules of the road
• Discuss the effects that medication, fatigue, alcohol, and visual or auditory limitations have on a person’s driving ability.

A final option is to have a professional assess a person’s driving skills. Various large companies such as AAA offer this service, as well as small local companies. Costs vary, and a non-biased third party can evaluate a driver and provide their professional opinion.

Going through the stages of aging can affect a person’s ability to drive. STAGES is here to guide you through how to deal with the situation.