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. 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.
