Helpful driving tips for seniors to ensure your older loved ones can stay safe on the road & gracefully retire from driving when the time is right
Safe driving for seniors comes down to going with the flow of age-related changes.
Everyone encounters their fair share of health hurdles as they age, whether it’s vision or hearing loss, physical limitations, or medical conditions. The key is to take the necessary precautions to account for these and create a safer environment for everyone on the road.
In the article below, you’ll find a helpful guide including risks to look out for, driving safety tips for seniors, and essential information on how to tell when it’s time to hand in the keys and how to make that transition smoothly.
Age-Related Changes to Look Out for
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) recommends keeping a watchful eye out for the following factors, as they can impact your elderly loved one’s ability to drive:
Decreased mobility – Pain and stiffness in muscles and joints may make it harder to turn the wheel, press on the pedals, and turn your head to watch your surroundings, heavily affecting your awareness.
Decreased vision – Reduced vision can drastically affect seniors’ safety on the road. When it’s hard to see pedestrians, obstacles, and vehicles, read street signs, make out landmarks, and see clearly at night, the risk of accidents goes up.
Hearing loss – If your loved one has hearing loss, they may not be able to adequately hear emergency vehicle sirens, car horns, and even alerts coming from inside the car.
Slower reaction time and reflexes – With age, the ability to react quickly and dodge an obstacle in the road or hit the brakes fast enough to avoid a collision declines. Stiff joints and muscles can also factor into this. Things can go wrong in an instant while driving, and fast reflexes are crucial to avoid potential crashes.
Medications – Many medications can cause drowsiness, lightheadedness, and lack of focus. They often come with a list of side effects and warnings about driving, but you can never be too careful. Even on medications that you wouldn’t expect to affect your loved one’s driving ability, look up their side effects just in case.
Medical conditions – Certain conditions (dementia, arthritis, stroke, Parkinson’s, etc.) can make it unsafe to drive. If your loved one has or develops any potentially risky health issues, consult with their doctor for a professional recommendation on whether or not it’s safe to continue driving.
Another key change is that muscular strength declines with age, which, like decreased mobility, can affect how forcefully drivers can turn and press the pedals.
Driving Tips for Seniors
With these risks in mind, the following driving tips for seniors will add a healthy dose of preparation and awareness to the equation, allowing your loved one to enjoy their vehicular independence for longer:
- Wear any necessary vision or hearing aids (glasses, contacts, hearing aids, etc.) while driving to ensure your senses are as sharp as possible.
- If you have leg mobility or strength issues, consider having hand controls installed so you can safely control the gas and brake pedals with your hands.
- Avoid driving in low-light conditions (dawn, dusk, and night) and bad weather to ensure visibility is always as high as possible.
- Schedule regular doctor visits to ensure your vision and hearing are at a healthy enough level to drive.
- Get regular exercise to improve muscle strength, mobility, and flexibility.
- Give yourself plenty of space between you and the cars in front of you. An especially cautious following distance will ensure you have room to stop if someone slams on their brakes.
- Stick to familiar roads as often as possible to reduce the risk of getting lost or turned around. If you’re driving somewhere new, plan your route in advance and communicate your plans with a trusted friend or loved one.
- Minimize distractions, such as phone use, eating, applying makeup, reaching for items, etc., to maintain heightened focus on your surroundings.
- Use the buddy system whenever possible, and notify friends or family that you’ll be driving alone if no one’s available to ride with you.
- Consider taking a senior driving course to test your skills. If you have room for improvement, AAA offers an online course focused on safe driving for seniors to improve your performance on the road and extend your driving career. Also, AARP can help you find an in-person course in your area to brush up on your skills.
- Don’t get behind the wheel if you’re feeling drowsy, sluggish, or lightheaded (whether due to medication or not). If you need to make an appointment or social gathering, arrange a ride with a friend, family member, or a taxi service, like Uber, Lyft, or a senior transportation service.
Recognizing When It’s Time to Hand in the Keys
The driving safety tips for seniors we just covered will go a long way toward improving your older loved one’s performance and confidence behind the wheel.
But they can only do so much for so long.
Eventually, age-related declines in mobility, vision, and reflexes become too big of a safety risk for elderly drivers.
At that point, it can be tough for both the senior and you, their caregiver.
On the one hand, your loved one may have trouble admitting that it’s time to retire from driving, and understandably so.
That means they’ll no longer be able to go where they want, when they want—restaurants, friends’ houses, social activities, doctor’s appointments, etc. They’ll have to rely entirely on friends, family, and transportation services to get around. It’s a difficult transition to make, often more so mentally than physically.
On the other hand, as their caregiver, bringing up such a touchy subject can be intimidating. No one wants to hear that it’s time to surrender such a significant chunk of their independence, but you’re concerned for their safety, and you want to address the topic before something happens.
So, how do you know when it’s time?
The NIA recognizes the following as signs that it’s unsafe for your older loved one to continue driving:
- Multiple vehicle crashes, near misses, or new dents or scrapes on the car
- Two or more traffic tickets or warnings within the last two years
- Increases in car insurance premiums because of driving issues
- Comments from neighbors or friends about erratic, unsafe, or aggressive driving
- Anxiety about driving, especially at night
- Health issues that might affect driving, including problems with vision, hearing, and movement
- Complaints about the speed, sudden lane changes, or actions of other drivers
- Recommendations from a doctor to modify driving habits or quit driving entirely
Additionally, if they frequently lose their way on the road or have difficulty staying in their lane, they can pose a threat to themselves and nearby drivers.
How to Broach the Subject
Before tackling this tough topic, use the above NIA guidelines to ensure they’re truly at a point where it’s dangerous to keep driving, as bringing it up too soon may make it more difficult to address later.
When the time is right, do your best to go into the conversation prepared. If you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with your loved one’s travel needs, and bring solutions to the table that will allow them to maintain their hobbies and social life.
This can look like coordinating with friends and family to give them rides when you’re available, and setting them up with a ride service if not.
Also, avoid bringing up your loved one’s age during the talk. Stay on the topic of their driving skills, and make it clear that the ultimate goal is to ensure their safety while still helping them live their life to the fullest.
Keep it positive, be supportive, and avoid “you” phrasing that puts the blame directly on them, such as “you can’t drive safely anymore.” Instead, say things like, “The family and I are scared for your safety on the road.”
Language like this will keep you from coming across as confrontational and help maintain a constructive, respectful exchange.
If they don’t respond well and things get heated, don’t press the issue. End the conversation respectfully and give it some time before broaching it again.
If you haven’t brought the topic up before but you’re expecting resistance, try introducing it gradually over time rather than all at once. Ask them how they feel about driving, if they’ve encountered any problems, and assess their general safety and confidence level as you go.
If they reveal frequent issues on the road or negative feelings about driving, you can begin gently suggesting safe alternatives.
Safe Driving for Seniors: A Team Effort
At the end of the day, this transition requires healthy communication and a combined effort from you, your elderly loved one, and your network of trusted friends and family.
Retiring from driving is never easy, but we hope these tips will help make the transition as smooth as possible.
