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How do you evaluate whether it is still safe for a parent to drive?
This is a very sensitive topic for many seniors as it is closely linked with maintaining their independence. But, we must remember that the primary responsibility is to guard their safety and the safety of others. If your parent has difficulty seeing clearly or has problems with making decisions quickly, it is time to stop driving.
Some seniors will argue that they are capable of driving as long as they have a current driver’s license from the DMV. Often times at the DMV, they may not be subjected to a road test or a real world environmental situation that focuses on the evaluation of response time and judging distances. The renewal process may not be a long enough screening process to pick up on some deficiencies. Therefore, the fact that some seniors may have successfully renewed their license without the DMV picking up on delayed response time should not be a surprise. And it may not really mean that it is definitely still safe for them to drive.
So how can you tell if your parent is having problems driving? Ask questions. Have they had a recent history of reoccurring accidents? Look over their car to check for new dents or damages. Ask them to give you a ride somewhere. Observe their reflex time and ability to stop, change lanes, avoid things in the roadway or judging distances to traffic ahead of them or in a lane they are trying to advance to. You will be able to observe their skill level first hand. Note whether or not they have difficulty reading the street signs around them. Maybe their vision is okay during the daytime, but they have trouble at dusk or dawn. If so, they may need to limit their driving to daytime driving or have a new eye exam to update corrective lenses. Once you have them to stop and park at a store or mall, are they able to recall the general area they parked in? Please note -if there are problems with their memory in general, it is not safe for them to drive. They may become temporarily confused, lost and not remember where they were in route to or how to return home.
Asking a parent to give up driving is a very difficult thing, but if any of the concerns listed above are seen, it needs to be done. If you know your parent has become an “unsafe driver”, you have to think of the risk involved to them as well as to innocent bystanders.
Jenise Ervin RN, MSN
Director of Public Health, Park Forest Health Department