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Tips for Older Drivers (Mayo Clinic)
Driving can sometimes be challenging for older adults. Follow
these driver safety tips, from taking good care of yourself
to planning ahead and updating your skills.
AARP
Driver Safety Program
Cars have changed. So have the traffic rules, driving conditions,
and the roads you travel every day. Some drivers age 50-plus
have never looked back since they got their first driver's
licenses, but even the most experienced benefit from brushing
up on their driving skills. Locate a program near you or register
for the online course.
Alzheimer's,
Dementia & Driving (Hartford)
This is a booklet on Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and
how such degenerative diseases affect older person's ability
to drive. Also includes a "contract" for the elderly
person to complete with his/her family on driving.
AMA
Physician's Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers
(AMA)
Developed by the American Medical Association in cooperation
with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Assessing
and Counseling Older Drivers (American Medical Assn.)
To assist physicans in evalulating the ability of older patients
to operate a motor vehicle safely as part of their everyday,
personal activities.
Driver
Education (AARP)
Links and info about driver safety classes, courses, what
older drivers need to know, etc.
Driving
Safely While Aging Gracefully (NHTSA)
Most older people are capable and have a lifetime of valuable
driving experience. For these reasons, decisions about a person's
ability to drive should never be based on age alone. However,
changes in vision, physical fitness and reflexes may cause
safety concerns. People who accurately assess these changes
can adjust their driving habits so that they stay safe on
the road, or choose other kinds of transportation. This booklet,
developed by the USAA Educational Foundation, AARP, and the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, outlines the
physical effects of aging, as well as tips on coping with
them so that you remain a safe driver as long as you can.
Elderly
Drivers: An Age-old Problem (Business West Online - 2/1/10)
Do you remember the day when you received your driver’s
license? Most people experienced a rush of excitement and
a sense of freedom that they could clearly recall many years
later. Now imagine losing this mobility and freedom ... or,
even worse, being the one who has to inform an elderly driver
that their driver’s license should be limited or even
taken away.
FAQ:
Are there any legal courses of action available to prevent
an elderly person from driving (in lieu of having them declared
incapacitated)? Answer: You (or whomever has knowledge of
the elderly person's limitations and/or problematic driving
behavior) can ask the Secretary of State to reexamine the
older driver to determine if they meet the requisite standards.
The SoS has a PDF on their website of their pamphlet on this
topic that provides a link to the reexamination request form:
Driving
for Life: A Guide for Older Drivers and Their Families.
How
to Improve Seniors' Driving Skills (Edmonds.com)
The dangers posed by senior drivers — combined with the
difficulty of figuring out when they have reached the point
of posing a risk — are spurring unprecedented efforts
to come up with solutions. These initiatives to improve seniors'
driving skills include more self-limited driving, improvement
classes, vision adjustments, physical rehabilitation, cognitive-skills
enhancement and tougher licensing laws. Here's a look at some
of what researchers, insurers, not-for-profit associations,
health-care organizations, government agencies and seniors
themselves are doing in each area.
Motor
Vehicle Related Injuries Among Older Adults: A Growing Public
Health Concern (Centers for Disease Control)
In a recent issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
researchers from CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention
and Control summarized 1990–1997 surveillance data from
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on motor
vehicle–related injuries and fatalities among older adults.
Older
Adult Drivers: Fact Sheet (Centers for Disease Control)
In 2007, there were 31 million licensed drivers ages 65 and
older in the United States. Driving helps older adults stay
mobile and independent. But the risk of being injured or killed
in a motor vehicle crash increases as you age. An average
of 500 older adults are injured every day as occupants of
motor vehicles. Thankfully, there are steps that older adults
can take to stay safer on the roads.
Senior
Drivers.Org (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety)
awebsite portal for senior drivers, their families, researchers,
and alternative transportation providers.
Senior
Driving: Safety Tips, Warning Signs, and Knowing When to Stop
(HelpGuide.org)
Driver safety is an important and often sensitive issue for
seniors. The changes of normal aging can sometimes interfere
with the ability to drive. Learn to reduce these risk factors.
Talking
With Your Aged Parent About Driving
As our parents age, it is normal to worry about their safety
while driving. As difficult as it is, if you have reason to
believe that your parents could be dangerous behind the wheel,
it's important to deal with the issue sooner rather than later
-- because later could be too late.
The
Aging Parent Driving Dilemma (Parent Giving)
Driving for most of us represents freedom, independence and
control and allows us to go where we want to and have the
experiences we would liketo have. But driving is a sophisticated
skill which required complex cognitive functioning. It’s
important that your begin a dialogue with your parent about
driving.
The
DriveABLE Assessment
For assessing the medically-at-risk and geriatric driver,
an evidence-based decision about a patient's fitness to drive.
When
to Stop Driving (AARP)
For many of us the time may come when we must limit or stop
driving, either temporarily or permanently. The following
advice may be able to assist you or someone you care about.
Why
are Older Drivers at Risk? (American Medical Assn.)
Older drivers have a higher risk of traffic fatalities for
two reasons. First, drivers age 75 and older are involved
in significantly more motor vehicle crashes per mile driven
than middle-aged drivers. Second, older drivers are considerably
more fragile than their younger counterparts, and are therefore
more likely to suffer a fatal injury in the event of a crash.
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