Challenges to Safe Driving and Transportation Solutions
Will someone be able to drive safely to doctor appointments and pick up groceries and medications? Can they safely drive to visit friends?
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Warning signs
Taken from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/older-drivers)
- Getting Lost
- Dents or scratches (new or unsure how they happened)
- Tickets (for unsafe driving or impaired driving)
- Crash or near-crash
- Overwhelmed by road signs and conditions
- Medications or illnesses that affect driving abilities or advised to stop driving
- Driving too fast or slow
Driving Abilities
Unsafe driving may be a result of deficits in underlying skills, medication side effects, or the symptoms of a disease or illness.
Underlying skills required for driving:
- Physical Capabilities: reaction time to step on the break or swerve, coordination to turn and manage gears, endurance, range of motion to turn the wheel and turn head, balance to get in and out of the car
- Vision: depth perception, acuity to see long distances and read signs, scan the road, track people crossing the road, visual attention
- Cognition: Prioritize attention (pay attention to the most important threat), executive functioning (process several factors and determine the best response, problem-solving), navigation skills, planning abilities, determining maintenance needs, recognize vehicle issues
Medical conditions and medication side effects can cause constant or temporary symptoms and affect the ability to drive safely.
Never change or stop any medication without consulting your doctor.
- Dizziness, lightheadedness
- Numbness or abnormal sensation in hands or feet
- Shortness of breath or fatigue
- Coordination difficulties
- Visual disturbances
- Pain or discomfort
- Memory or cognitive changes
Specific conditions to pay extra attention to in regards to driving safety and may cause some of the above: arthritis (limiting movement), neuropathy, uncontrolled high or low blood sugar, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, low vision, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, sleep apnea, seizures, narcolepsy, Parkinson’s Disease and similar neurological disorders, transient ischemic attacks or history of strokes and uncontrolled high blood pressure, hearing loss.
Driving Rehabilitation and Interventions
Driving rehabilitation programs can assist with assessing and retraining older drivers or adults who have experienced an illness if they are appropriate candidates.
See our Resources Page for Driving Rehabilitation Specialist Directory.
Community mobility or the ability to safely move around in the community including stores, doctors’ offices, parks, theaters, religious centers, etc. must be considered as well. Seeing and stepping up on curbs, navigating uneven sidewalks or over rugs with a walker, and reaching for items in a store is only a couple of examples of challenges aging adults may face in the community.
Safely managing walkers, canes, groceries, and taking items in and out of the vehicle requires strength, dexterity, range of motion, balance, coordination, and planning abilities. These abilities may start to decrease in aging adults as a result of medical conditions.
Vision checkups, working with a rehabilitation professional, and exercise as prescribed by a qualified medical professional may improve someone’s ability to drive, move safely around the community and manage items in and out of the car.
Talking about Unsafe Driving
Giving up driving and the freedoms and opportunities many associate with driving can be extremely challenging. However, ignoring the warning signs of unsafe driving can also have terrible consequences. Below are some resources and creative examples to maintain quality of life and freedom safely.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has excellent resources on older adults and driving including information on how to influence older drivers, case examples, additional information about specific conditions and more and you can access it here.
Reading Aging Uniquely’s Ways to Improve Communication and Relationships and Adapting to Roles can also help.
Please note these are only examples and every person is unique and must work with a qualified health professional for their unique plan. Aging Uniquely is not liable and you are responsible for you and/ or your loved one’s actions and health. See our disclaimer here at the bottom of the page.
Example:
Alice loves driving on Wednesday evenings to play bridge with friends, Friday afternoons to the grocery store and Saturday evenings to practice her faith. She has recently become overwhelmed when in traffic and has had a couple close calls when it starts to get dark. Alice has not had any issues driving during daylight hours or in low traffic situations.
Possible strategies:
- Have eyes checked
- Host bridge at her house
- Have a friend pick her up on the way to bridge and to her place of faith since these activities occur in the evenings when it is getting dark
- Offer to drive her or find alternative transportation to these places
- Recommend driving to the grocery store at a different day or time with less traffic than Friday afternoons
- Recommend ordering groceries to be delivered if being at the grocery store or shopping is not important to her
Alternative Transportation Options
- Rideshare services including Uber, Lyft, etc.
- Local transit systems and ask about specific services for those with disabilities (usually provided for a discounted fare)
- Reach out to neighbors and friends
- Hire a caregiver that is able to provide transportation
- Contact your local area on aging for additional transportation options.
Check back on Aging Uniquely’s Blog for more information on community mobility and fall prevention.
Next: Must Check Home Maintenance for Safety with Older Adults
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Sources:
United States Department of Transportation. (n.d.). Older Driver Safety. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/older-drivers.
Aging Uniquely Health and Legal Disclaimer:
By continuing with this site, you are agreeing that you acknowledge and understand this disclaimer in full and will not hold Aging Uniquely, parent companies or content creators liable for the information or use of information on this site because everyone ages uniquely and has unique needs. The content on Aging Uniquely sites is for general information purposes only and Aging Uniquely does not provide medical or health advice. It is not a substitute for medical or health professional advice and you should never ignore professional medical advice or delay seeking emergency care because of something you read on the Aging Uniquely website or social media platforms. If you are experiencing a medical emergency call 911 or seek emergency services. Aging Uniquely is not responsible for what may happen if you use their information in place of medical or professional advice. You are responsible for your own health and safety or how you apply this advice to adults/older adults you support. I highly recommend you consult the proper qualified medical or health profession before implementing any information from Aging Uniquely or other health related websites.