There are more than 41 million licensed drivers age 65 and older on the roads, up from 26 million 20 years ago. As a person ages, changes in vision, hearing, and reflexes may affect driving skills. The risk of being injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash also increases with age.
As we age, physical and mental changes affect the way we drive:
Arthritis: Joints get stiff, and muscles weaken, which makes it harder to turn your head to look back, turn the steering wheel quickly, or brake safely.
Eye sight: People, things, and movement outside direct line of sight might be harder to see, like street or traffic signs. Driving at might be challenging with the glare from oncoming headlights or street lights. Eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and some medicines may cause vision problems.
Hearing: Horns, sirens, or even noises coming from your own car may be more difficult to hear and cause a problem since these sounds warn you when you may need to pull over or get out of the way.
Reflexes: The aging process may cause shorter attention spans and reflexes may be slower. Loss of feeling or tingling in fingers and feet, or medical conditions like Parkinson’s or a stroke can make it more difficult to steer, or use the foot pedals.
Medications: Side effects that cause drowsiness or lightheadedness, may impair the ability to drive safely. Read the information provided with prescriptions to make sure they do not affect your driving.
Some general safe driving tips for seniors:
- Avoid driving at night, on the highway, or in bad weather, if these things concern you. Bad weather like rain, ice, or snow can make it hard for anyone to drive. Wait until the weather is better, call your family/friend, or use an alternative mode of transportation.
- Older drivers may also have problems when yielding the right of way, turning (especially making left turns), changing lanes, passing, and using expressway ramps.
- If you have health problems or medications that might make it unsafe for you to drive, talk with your doctor to make a plan to help you keep driving and decide when it is no longer safe to drive.
- Take a defensive driving course and refresh your driving skills, such as the course offered by AARP at St. Therese. This course teaches proven driving techniques to keep you safe on the road and you may even qualify for an insurance discount! You will learnfacts about the effects of medication on driving, how to reduce driver distractions and maintain the proper distance behind another car, the proper use of safety belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes, techniques for handling left turns, right-of-way, and roundabouts, and new technology found in cars today.
St. Therese of Lisieux will be hosting an AARP Driver Safety Course on March 27, and March 28, 2024 from 9:00am-1:00pm. If you are interested in participating in this class, please RSVP to the Parish Office Secretary at 586-254-4433 or Marilyn Cito, the Parish Nurse at 586-254-4433 Ext 320 or via email at Marilync@stol.church. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members.
If you decide it’s time to give up driving your car, talk with family/friends to make transportation arrangements. Check with your local community center for transportation services, Shelby Township Senior Citizens Transportation Bus (586-739-7540), Interfaith Volunteers (586-876-5321), The Area Agency on Aging 1-B (1-800-852-7795), or go to www.aaa1b.org for resources in Macomb County for transportation. There are other options such as Uber and Lyft rides, taxi services, and free or low-cost buses, if you are able to walk safely.
References
- www.nia.nih.gov/health/older-drivers, December 12, 2018.
- www.aarpdriversafety.org.
