At the wheel watch for the STOP signs
Driving can make us feel confident, independent, and in control. For many of us, driving is optimal mobility and a key aspect of maintaining our independence as we age. By reducing risk factors and incorporating safe driving practices, driving could continue safely long into the future. But even if you find that you or someone you help to care for needs to reduce driving time or give up the keys entirely, it doesn’t mean the end of independence.
What can affect our driving ability?
Some health issues can affect reaction time, reflexes and other aspects of driving, such as:
Some medications can slow down reaction time or cause sleepiness.
Eyesight or vision problems. Poor eyesight can affect the ability to see clearly front-on or from the sides.
Hearing loss. You may not be able to hear a car horn or siren.
Mobility problems or pain. You may have difficulty or be slower with pulling the handbrake, using the footbrake, or moving your head to check your side vision.
Memory problems. You may get lost, confused or disorientated if in an unfamiliar area.
If the change in driving ability is linked to a health condition, there could be a solution that would allow driving to continue safely. Speak to your GP or pharmacist about any health problems or medications that might be affecting the ability to drive safely. Regular check-ups are critical to staying in the best possible driving shape.
Tips for maintaining driving ability
Get your eyes checked every year. Make sure that corrective lenses are current. Keep the windshield, mirrors, and headlights clean, and turn the brightness up on the instrument panel on your dashboard. If you have glaucoma, tinted eyeglasses can help to reduce glare.
Have your hearing checked annually. If you need hearing aids, make sure you wear them while driving. Be careful when opening car windows, though, as draughts can sometimes impair a hearing aid’s effectiveness.
Talk with a doctor about how ailments or medications can affect your driving ability. Prescription drugs are designed and prescribed to treat conditions and produce specific outcomes within the body. However, along with the benefits comes a host of common potential side effects that can affect driving abilities. These can include drowsiness, dizziness, slowed reaction time and movement, fainting, blurred vision, excitability, and inability to focus. Antidepressants, cold and allergy medications, anti-anxiety drugs, narcotic pain medications, tranquilisers, and sleeping pills are most commonly associated with these disruptive side effects.
Get plenty of sleep. This is essential to driving well and overall general good health. There are steps you can take to help you sleep well and you can also talk with your doctor about the effect sleep medications may have on your driving.
How to spot the warning signs of unsafe driving
Signs of unsafe driving can sometimes come up gradually, or a recent change in health may make problems worse. Even if the individual warning signs seem minor, together they can add up to a substantial risk. Keep an eye out for:
Frequent close calls (i.e., almost crashing), dents and scrapes on the car, or on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, and kerbs.
Increased infringement notices, traffic tickets or “warnings” from council or Police.
Trouble with the fundamentals of driving, such as making sudden lane changes, drifting into other lanes, and braking or accelerating suddenly without reason. Other examples include failing to use the indicator or keeping it on without changing lanes.
Not seeing traffic lights and street signs, or having to drive closer and closer to them to see them clearly.
Not hearing emergency sirens or horns.
Missing exits that used to be second nature or getting lost frequently. While everyone has occasional lapses, if there’s an increasing pattern it’s time to get evaluated by a doctor.
Problems with reflexes and range of motion, such as not reacting quickly enough if there’s a need to brake suddenly or quickly look back, confusing the accelerator and brake pedals, getting flustered while driving, or being quick to anger when behind the wheel.
How to talk to a loved one about unsafe driving
Driving safety can be a sensitive issue for older drivers. A driver’s licence signifies more than the ability to drive a car: it’s a symbol of freedom and self-sufficiency. If you find yourself in the position of talking to an older friend or family member about their driving, remember the following:
Be respectful. Driving is often an integral part of independence. At the same time, don’t be intimidated or back down if you have real concerns.
Give specific examples. Instead of generalisations like “You can’t drive safely anymore”, outline specific concerns that you’ve noticed. For example: “You have a harder time turning your head than you used to”, or “You braked suddenly at stop signs three times the last time we drove”.
Find strength in numbers. If more than one family member or close friend has noticed a change it’s less likely to be taken as nagging. A loved one may also listen to a more impartial party, such as a doctor or driving specialist.
Understand the difficulty of the transition. Your loved one may experience a profound sense of loss having given up the keys, and not being able to drive can lead to isolation and depression. Try to help with the transition as much as possible. If it’s safe, try transitioning them out of driving slowly to give them time to adjust. For example, they might start the transition by no longer driving at night or on motorways, or by using a shuttle service to specific appointments, such as the doctor.
TIP: Sometimes more stringent action is needed to stop an older driver who may be reluctant to accept there is an issue, or will deny it outright. In this case, you could enlist the help of local police, or make an anonymous report. Alternatively, you can take away the person’s car keys, or sell or disable the car. These options can have difficult consequences, but your loved one’s potential anger at you for “interfering” is preferable to letting them injure — or kill — themselves or a pedestrian through a driving error.
Practical steps to help someone stop driving
Along with supporting an older loved one emotionally when they have to give up driving, you can also find practical ways to help them make the transition to being car-less.
Learn about public and community transport. Research their local public transport and any community or alternative transport options. It could help to go with them the first few times they try these to make sure they feel comfortable.
Identify other transport options. Are there any other solutions closer to home? Is there a neighbour who would be willing to drive your loved one for a small fee or even no fee? Options with opportunities for social contact are especially helpful, such as carpooling with others to activities.
Investigate Uber and Lyft. Many seniors either don’t have a smartphone or aren’t comfortable using it. But for those who do, once a ride service app is set up on their phone, services like Uber and Lyft are easy to learn how to use. Because the cost is charged automatically to a credit card there is no need to worry about cash or having to pay using a card at the time. For seniors who need extra assistance, Uber offers uberASSIST. This service uses drivers who are trained to help riders get into and out of the vehicle and can accommodate folding wheelchairs, walkers and scooters. Uber also offers uberWAV with wheelchair-accessible vehicles, though availability can be limited.
Help to find activities that don’t involve driving. Your loved one may need help, especially at first, finding ways to occupy their time without a car. Make sure they’re aware of local activities and resources in their area.
Investigate supermarket delivery options. Some older people may be used to making regular car trips to the supermarket. Help them learn how to order online for delivery, or see if a neighbour could help out with click and collect orders.
How to help with the transition to life after driving
Wherever they are on the driving continuum — whether they’re still driving, driving with restrictions, or must give up driving altogether — you can play a valuable role. Your caring, active participation in their lives will reassure them that ceasing to drive doesn’t have to sentence them to isolation and boredom.
Make it a habit to check in often, just to chat or share some news.
Offer to drive them to the activities they enjoy — or help find someone else who can take them.
See that they’re included in family outings, like their grandchildren’s school events or a day at the beach.
Encourage them to try taking the bus on their next trip to the pharmacy, or to walk if it isn’t too far away, and offer to go with them if you can.
Urge them to ask for rides from friends, and to reciprocate in whatever way they can (baking or preparing a meal, for example).
Help them develop new routines and interests that don’t require driving, like gardening or walking.
Your support and involvement in their lives will make giving up the car a far less lonely and frightening prospect.
