Driving and Aging

Driving is an important part of independence.  People frequently talk about how they would want to give up driving if they thought they were a danger to other people.  The reality is this is can be a difficult decision.  It should be approached with patience.

All drivers have problems if they tired, driving in the dark or are distracted by cell phone radios or the emotions of a bad day.  Alcohol and many drugs impair the driving of people no matter what their age.  One accident can be a signal that another accident will follow if immediate changes are not made.

The American Medical Association reports that:

• ·         Age related driving fragility begins to increase at ages 60 to 64.
• ·         By age 85, drivers’ vehicle fatality rate is 9 times higher than drivers age 25 to 69.

There are important changes that occur with aging that effect a person’s ability to drive safely.  Reactions times become slower.  Flexibility and strength of the joints and muscles, especially the neck, arms and hands can make driving more difficult.  Vision problems from glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye problems can make driving very unsafe.  Hearing loss is a common problem with aging.  Since hearing loss means losing the ability to hear high pitched sounds like a siren, horns and railroad bells this can become a true safety problem.

Sleep apnea can cause serious driving problems because someone can fall asleep while they are at the wheel.

Memory problems can make learning a new route very difficult.  Construction can be so confusing that a person that has been doing well is suddenly miles from home and quite lost.

Diabetes and other diseases can make feeling the gas and break pedals difficult.  Long toenails and poor foot hygiene can make using the pedals painful. Stopping quickly becomes difficult.

An important part of deciding to give up driving is finding another way of getting around.  Family members can be helpful to help find safer ways of getting to the grocery store and social events.

One of the most important reasons to give up driving is to avoid hurting someone else. A driving evaluation can help people decide if they are truly safe to drive.  Many communities have these at the license office or local hospitals.  An eye and hearing exam may find problems that can be fixed and allow a person to continue driving. 

Here are a few specific problems that may mean it is time to think about giving up driving.

Does the driver:

1. Use pain medicine including prescribed narcotics?
2. Have trouble seeing over the dashboard or reaching the pedals?
3. Have seizures?
4. Notice that other drivers honk at them frequently?
5. Struggle to find the controls on the car?
6. Seem surprised by cars that suddenly appear?
7. Hit cars, curbs or even the garage?
8. Frequently feel that most other drivers are either too fast or too slow?
9. Have many tickets?
10. Have a hard time stopping at the right place in intersections or doesn’t stop at all?
11. Hear sirens?
12. Have the strength to turn the wheel rapidly to avoid obstacles?
13. Have extensive arthritis that limits the ability to turn the neck or grip the steering wheel?
14. Get passed on the right hand side frequently?

The reality is that many aging drivers may be able to drive safely by limiting their driving to slow speeds during the daytime.   They avoid times when children are going back and forth to school. They avoid the rush hour traffic.  Highway driving may be something that is easily given up because of the faster reaction times that are needed. Driving short distances close to a person's home might be done more easily.

The hardest thing to do is to give up driving before you become a hazard and before you hurt yourself or someone else.  If you are concerned about someone else driving it is important to understand that these issues need to be addressed carefully and with kind patience.  Other options for transportation have to be arranged.  This makes giving up driving much easier to accept.