We want to continue driving as long as we can do so safely. However, 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.

Warning Signs
 

What are the warning signs when someone should begin to limit driving or stop altogether?
 

1. Feeling uncomfortable and nervous or fearful while driving
2. Dents and scrapes on the car or on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, curbs etc.
3. Difficulty staying in the lane of travel
4. Getting lost
5. Trouble paying attention to signals, road signs and pavement markings
6. Slower response to unexpected situations
7. Medical conditions or medications that may be affecting the ability to handle the car safely
8. Frequent "close calls" (i.e. almost crashing)
9. Trouble judging gaps in traffics at intersections and on highway entrance/exit ramps
10. Other drivers honking at you and instances when you are angry at other drivers
11. Friends or relatives not wanting to drive with you
12. Difficulty seeing the sides of the road when looking straight ahead
13. Easily distracted or having a hard time concentrating while driving
14. Having a hard time turning around to check over your shoulder while backing up or changing lanes
15. Frequent traffic tickets or "warnings" by traffic or law enforcement officers in the last year or two

If you notice one or more of these warning signs you may want to have your driving assessed by a professional or attend a driver refresher class. You may also want to consult with your doctor if you are having unusual concentration or memory problems, or other physical symptoms that may be affecting your ability to drive.

How Can I Help Someone Else Limit or Stop Driving?

Most drivers monitor themselves and gradually limit or stop driving when they feel that a certain driving situation or driving in general is not safe. However, some people fail to recognize declining abilities, or they fear stopping to drive because it will make them permanently dependent on others for the necessities of life, and it may reduce their social and leisure activities as well. Conditions such as dementia or early stages of Alzheimers disease may make some drivers unable to evaluate their driving properly.

Step 1 – Assess the situation. It will help to personally ride with the person and observe his or her driving habits first hand.
 

Step 2 – Begin a process of having conversations about driving with the driver. As people age they tend to look first to family members (spouse and children) for candid advice concerning their well-being and health issues. Have conversations early and often. Start the conversation out of a sincere sense of caring for the person's well-being and base it on things you have observed.
 

Step 3 – Suggest various options, depending on the degree of impairment. One size does not fit all and while stopping driving may be the only answer in some cases, stopping driving too early can cause a person's overall health to decline prematurely. You may want t

• Have him or her take a Mature Driver Education Course, which are generally offered through AARP and AAA.
• Limit driving to certain times of day or familiar areas.
• Encourage the driver to consider and gradually begin using other methods of transportation; such as rides from family and friends, public transportation, paratransit services, taxis or other public or private transportation options in your community. Accompany the person during initial trials of alternate forms of transportation.

Step 4 – Seek additional help if necessary. If the person is not taking proper action in response to your concern and the impairment is increasingly obvious, it may be necessary to involve the driver's doctor.

Source:  AARP Driver Safety Program