AAA

How to Help a Senior Driver

Eighty-six percent of respondents to a recent AAA survey said they were "concerned" about their elderly parent's ability to drive. Thirty-nine percent said they were "very concerned." Assessing a mature driver's abilities and possibly one day making the decision to take away the keys is a decision that often will involve many people. It may be necessary to discuss the issue with the spouse, other family members, and health care professionals.

The important steps are:

Early Planning

Most people want to keep driving as long as possible. While experts agree that driving ability generally begins to deteriorate at age 55, all drivers are not the same. Some people can continue to drive safely well into old age. Others can't. The earlier you discuss the inevitable consequences of aging with the senior in your life, the better you and your loved one can agree to the plan of action that works best.

Plan now for a time when driving may no longer be a safe option:

  • Conduct periodic driving assessments. Every 6 months or so, ask the senior to take you for a drive so you can see their driving firsthand and note any changes. AAA Foundation offers Drivers 55 Plus: Check Your Own Performance, a tool that allows drivers to assess their own performance.
  • Schedule regular medical check-ups and eye exams. A complete medical exam can reveal specific physical conditions that affect driving. For example, qualified medical personnel can check an older driver's decision-making skills, reaction time, muscle strength, and joint flexibility.
  • Encourage regular exercise. The driver's physician can suggest an exercise routine to maintain strength, flexibility, and general well-being. In addition, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also publishes the brochure, Flexibility Fitness Training Package for Improving Older Driver Performance (PDF). It outlines exercises aimed specifically at joint flexibility related to driving.
  • Think about and discuss the gradual adjustments that may need to be made as you or the senior in your life gets older. Sometimes, just a few simple adjustments, such as limiting driving to certain times of day, avoiding night driving or adding an extra-wide mirror, can help prolong a senior's driving.
  • Identify alternative modes of transportation well before skills diminish.
  • If you are discussing or considering retirement, take the same careful approach to transportation that you would with finances and other retirement-related decisions.
  • In choosing a retirement home, look at access to public transportation, the ability to walk to services, and whether transportation is provided by the facility.
  • Choose a safer car. AAA offers advice for seniors about buying a vehicle and CarFit, developed by the American Society on Aging (ASA) in collaboration with AAA, AARP, and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), is a tool designed to help mature drivers find out how well their car "fits" and what actions they can take to improve that fit.

Return to Top

Communication

For many seniors, the mere thought of giving up the keys or limiting their driving provokes feelings of dependence, abandonment, and virtual imprisonment. Mature drivers may resent their children or others making decisions for them. It's important to hear and understand the older driver's concerns. You cannot help older drivers if you alienate them. Here are some more tips for communicating about this sensitive topic.

  • Remember that most older drivers think of themselves as safe, in fact, safer than younger drivers.
  • Don't scold or lecture a loved one about giving up the keys. The more you alienate them, the less you can help.
  • Show them you know how important driving is in their lives.
  • Explain that you want them to stay safely behind the wheel for as long as possible. Their safety and the safety of others on the road is the number one objective.
  • Be positive and supportive, not bossy.
  • Remember, parents have played the role of decision-maker for a lifetime. Don't expect them to comfortably accept a role reversal in which their child becomes the decision-maker.
  • Assess the older driver's behind-the-wheel skills as objectively as you can. Encourage the senior driver to take a self-assessment and visit a medical professional for a vision and driving-fitness check-up.
  • Talk about strategies to correct specific driving weaknesses, overcome their fears, and set their mind at ease.
  • Assessing an older driver's abilities and one day making the decision to take away the keys is a decision that may involve many people. To overcome resistance, consider discussing the issue with the driver's spouse, other family members, and health care professionals such as a doctor or driver rehabilitation specialist. Another credible voice may help in discussing these issues.
  • Assure the senior driver of your continued love and support.

Return to Top

Skills Assessment

Ideally, the older driver should assess his or her own performance. A crucial first step in owning up to behind-the-wheel safety, a self-assessment prompts the driver not only to recognize and correct possible shortcomings, but also to plan ahead for inevitable effects of aging. The assessment also helps the driver understand your concern.

The AAA Foundation's Drivers 55 Plus is a tool that allows drivers to assess their own performance. It provides specific safety suggestions based on the driver's answers to 15 questions.

AAA's AAA Roadwise Review is a computer-based self-assessment tool that measures the eight functional abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among senior drivers.

The AAA Foundation also offers The Older and Wiser Driver as both a 12-page brochure (PDF) and 22-minute video. Both versions include safety tips and information about what to expect with aging.

Return to Top

Looking out for Signs of Risky Behavior

You can ride along with a driver and look for signs of risky behind-the-wheel behavior. Here are some things to look for:

  • Does the driver neglect to buckle up? Going unbelted might be a bad habit -- or it may indicate a poor fit or trouble fastening a belt.
  • Does the driver have difficulty working the pedals? A driver who lifts his or her leg to move from the accelerator to the brake, rather than keeping a heel on the floor and pressing with the toes, may be signaling waning strength.
  • Does the driver have difficulty merging on freeways or turning onto busy streets? Vision problems may impair his or her ability to judge the speed and distance of approaching traffic.
  • When merging or changing lanes, does the driver rely only on the mirrors, rather than turning fully to check the blind spots over his or her shoulder? Does the driver turn around completely when backing up? Failing to do so may be a bad habit -- or may indicate the onset of stiffness in the neck and back.
  • Does the driver have trouble seeing other vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians, especially at night?Deteriorating night vision or sensitivity to glare may be the cause.
  • Does the driver seem to ignore or "miss" stop signs and other traffic signals? Perhaps he or she is inattentive or cannot spot the signs in a crowded, constantly moving visual field.
  • Does the driver react too slowly to sirens and flashing lights of emergency vehicles?
  • Does the driver weave, straddle lanes, drift into other lanes, or change lanes without signaling?
  • Does the driver position the car improperly for turns (especially left turns), or attempt turns from the wrong lane?
  • Do other drivers honk or pass frequently, even when the traffic stream is moving relatively slowly? This may indicate difficulty keeping pace with fast-changing conditions.
  • Does the driver tend to park far from his or her destination? A problem judging distances or making tight maneuvers may underlie the fear of closer parking spots.
  • Does the driver get lost or disoriented easily, even in familiar places?
  • Do you find yourself giving directions or prompting the driver frequently?
  • Has the driver been issued two or more traffic tickets or warnings in the past two years? Tickets can predict greatest risk for collision.
  • Has the driver been involved in two or more collisions or "near-misses" in the past two years? Rear-enders, parking lot fender-benders, and side collisions while turning across traffic rank as the most common mishaps for drivers with diminishing skills, depth perception, or reaction time.