When is it time for a senior to stop driving?
A special auto insurance topic
It will be very difficult for anyone to implement the change.
Although following a diet plan, exercise regimen, or educational program, doing so successfully results in positive changes that a person feels good about. When it comes to an older driver who has to stop driving, the associated loss of independence is painful, and very painful.
However, telling an older person to stop driving can be a necessary evil at some point or another.
Once an older driver begins to show diminished physical or mental abilities, including vision problems, hearing loss, slower reflexes, arthritis, diabetes (and, of course, Parkinson’s disease and dementia), it is prone to becoming a hazard on the road. . In addition, dependence on certain medications, such as anxiolytics, narcotics, and sleeping pills, is a sure risk to the driver, other drivers, and passengers, as well as pedestrians.
Underscoring the safety concerns of the older driver, insurance sources say that deaths from car accidents increase with those over 70 years of age.
Take a look at some of the warning signs that may indicate that it is no longer a good idea to be the navigator behind the wheel of a car:
• Tendency to be distracted
• slow to react
• Difficulty staying within the lane lines.
• difficulty changing into the proper traffic lane
• hit curbs
• scratch or dent the car or hit the garage or the mailbox on the sidewalk
• Side sweep of other vehicles
• Driving excessively fast or slow
• Failing to stop at a red light or stop sign
• Stop at a green light or when there is no stop sign.
• Tendency to get lost
Because it is such a sensitive topic and a change that will have a major impact on your loved one’s life, telling an older driver to stop driving is something you should plan for before discussing it.
Make a list of things that you or others have noticed that are telltale signs that it’s time to let someone else drive.
Arrange for alternative means of transportation that your loved one can rely on after they no longer drive: family, friends, volunteers at a senior center, public bus or train services, car services, etc.
Think about ways your older person can fill the void in life that he or she will feel once the keys are no longer available.
Above all, keep sensitivity in mind at all times. Be kind and compassionate as you show your loved one that you support and respect them and understand how difficult such a life change can be.