Texoma Area Living Well Magazine May/June 2022 | Page 46

Senior driving safety When is it time to put down the keys ?

Courtesy BANKRATE

While aging is a natural part of life , it does not make the conversation any easier when we need to tell the ones we care about that it might be time to put away the keys . Having this conversation is tough , but it is in the best interest of the individual ’ s safety . Drivers who are 65 and older are 16 % more likely to cause an accident compared to adults aged 25 to 64 . There is no designated time frame for when you should tell someone they should stop driving for the sake of their safety and others , which means recognizing the right time is often left to the caregivers or loved ones . Knowing the signs and understanding how to start the conversation can go a long way .

Seniors may face health issues that impact their ability to drive safely . Although not an exhaustive list , the health problems an older person might encounter could include bad vision , brain damage from a stroke , Dementia , or arthritis . In addition , older people tend to use more prescription drugs , which can have side effects like drowsiness , blurred vision and confusion and have negative impacts on driving .
Driving stats for seniors
• Over 700 older adult drivers are injured in car accidents each day and more than 20 are killed in car accidents .
• There are more than 30 million licensed drivers on the road who are 70 or older ..
• Drivers aged 65-69 have the lowest number of auto insurance property damage claims , but the number of claims begins to increase at age 70 .
• Drivers aged 75 and older have higher death rates from accidents versus middle-aged drivers , according to the CDC .
• Across all ages , including the senior population , male drivers are more likely to die in a car accident than female drivers .
• Failure to yield the right-of-way is one of the most common causes for fatal accidents among senior drivers .
What to watch for : signs of an unsafe driver
The ability to exhibit safe driving behavior does not usually come to an immediate halt , but is typically rather a gradual process that can eventually lead to putting lives in danger . Look for the following signs if you are concerned about an older person ’ s ability to drive :
• Driving extremely slowly
• Not using turn signals
• Trouble making turns or properly changing lanes
• Parking outside of the lines of a space
• Failing to stop at red lights or stop signs
• Running into things and getting scrapes or dents on the car
Physical and Cognitive Capabilities
• Not being able to see or hear what is going on outside the vehicle
• Difficulty backing up
• Delayed responses to events around them
• Needs someone else to tell them how to drive
• Frequently getting lost or forgetting their destination
• Getting confused frequently about how to handle different situations
44 • MAY / JUNE 2022