Safety and Education:
Tips For Older Drivers

“With increasing age comes health problems that may impair the ability to drive.”

Our society has a misconception today that as an individual gets older his/her driving ability inevitably deteriorates to the point that he/she will eventually no longer be able to drive. In fact, statistics show that the number of accidents involving older drivers is lower than other segments of the population.

What is true however, is that with increasing age comes health problems that may impair the ability to drive. Eyesight may change, hearing capacity may diminish and reflexes may slow down. Diseases that show up in later years may impair driving ability. Slowly progressing conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and arthritis are all serious conditions that may not be immediately diagnosed. These become serious risk factors for older drivers.

What Can You Do?
Tips on Maintaining Top Driving Skills

The good news is that there are proactive measures to ensure safe and pleasurable driving on the road. Below are suggestions that will keep older drivers safe, while sharpening their driving abilities.

Get a Check-Up Regularly. The first and foremost priority is to get a check-up from your healthcare provider. In part, good driving is dependent upon our vision, hearing and reflexes. The upgrade of corrective lenses could be the difference between being able to see a problem and avoid a devastating accident. Ask your health care provider to review side effects of medications you are taking. Also inquire about whether any of your medications have the potential to impair cognitive skills on the road.

Enroll in a Driving Class – Today there are more seniors than ever living longer, happier and more fulfilling lives. With this boom of the population comes specialized classes, and services that focus on issues that seniors face today. One of them is driving. There are many driving classes tailored specifically to people 50 and over. One of the biggest programs available is AARP’s Driver safety program. This driver refresher course is an eight-hour course taught in two, four-hour increments. For $10, drivers brush up on their driving skills and learn additional safe driving defensive techniques. The class covers vision changes, hearing changes, effects of medications on driving ability, reaction time changes, left turns and right-of-way situations, new laws and how they affect you, and hazardous driving situations. For seniors taking the class, there is a possibility of obtaining an insurance discount upon full class completion. Other good resources for driving classes are the Department of Transportation, The Automobile Association of America (AAA) and The National Safety Council. You may also consult with your local senior center for additional resources.

Older Drivers and Additional Safety Measures

For older drivers with slower reflexes there are additional measures that can be taken to avoid mishaps on the road.

Avoid driving at night – disorientation and night blindness are two common causes of nighttime collision. If you must drive at night, make sure that you are not fatigued and drive slowly.

Avoid heavy traffic and unfamiliar roads – the stress combined with slow reflexes can be a formula for disaster. Make sure you are comfortable on your driving routes. Indecision coupled with confusion in a driving situation because you are unfamiliar can cause an unwanted situation.

Brush up on the rules of the road – Contact your local department of licensing for the most current handbook on up-to-date driving laws. Rules and laws change periodically, and it is a good idea to refresh your memory on current standards. Bad habits in driving practices may develop over time and this is a perfect opportunity to correct them.

Following these safety guidelines will allow driving to continue to be an enjoyable experience for years to come. The small precautions taken now can assist in avoiding the heartache of traffic collisions, or an unnecessary license suspension due to circumstances that could have been avoided. For more information on defensive driving and safety precautions for seniors, contact AARP at (888) 227-7669, The Department of Transportation’s Auto Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236, or visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website for a wealth of information on safety and older drivers at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

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