Agreeing to Safe Limits
When driving assessments or medical exams reveal deficiencies that can't be corrected by retraining or other measures, older drivers must consider restricting their driving, or even think about hanging up the keys for good.
If the older driver has cooperated in the assessment process, actively participated in decisions along the way, and learned a little about the effects of aging -- and if you, as a loved one, broach the subject with tact and understanding -- he or she may accept the restrictions willingly. In fact, many older drivers will voluntarily restrict themselves to driving only during daylight and good weather, on well-known routes, and at off-peak times. They prefer such self-imposed restrictions to giving up the keys completely.
Some states have formalized this process, issuing "graduated licenses" that restrict driving privileges to certain hours and environments. These states usually include a written exam and a road test to assess the driver's abilities before restricting a license. Your state's department of motor vehicles can provide more information.
Map out a safe route to the grocery stores, malls, church, doctors' offices, or other frequent destinations, and practice driving it together.
Choose routes with:
- Good lighting
- Right-turn instead of left-turn intersections
- Instead of making a left turn to a destination, drive past the intersection and make three right turns around the block to get to the same spot. It's a little more time consuming, but a lot safer.
- Clear signs and signals
- Well marked lanes
- Easy-in, easy-out parking
- Light traffic
If your older driver worries about freeway driving, be sensitive to those concerns. Although Interstates are statistically safer than secondary roads and older drivers need practice (and perhaps re-fresher training) to keep their freeway-driving skills sharp, many drivers avoid the fast-paced environment. If the older driver prefers to avoid freeways, work to develop safe alternate routes.