How to Encourage Safe Driving for Seniors

It’s crucial for anyone with an older person in their life to think about elderly driving safety. Statistics support that seniors are at an increased risk when they drive compared to others. Older adults are more likely than middle-aged drivers(Opens in a new window) to be injured or killed in car accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But keeping your loved one safe doesn’t have to mean taking away their car keys. Instead, it’s important to be aware of the dangers of elderly drivers, check on their abilities, review vehicle safety, and help them practice good driving habits.

When you talk about senior driving safety together, you can often find solutions that are agreeable for everyone. Here are some things to consider when starting the conversation.

Monitoring Physical Fitness for Driving

Aging can affect vision, hearing, reaction time, and decision-making, hindering the ability to drive safely. Some changes are too gradual for seniors to notice, but their loved ones do.

Consider these factors when assessing fitness for driving:

• Vision: Drivers need to see cars, traffic signals, street signs, and pedestrians. Older adults should have their eyes checked annually and ask how cataracts or glaucoma can affect their ability to drive.
• Hearing: Age-related hearing loss may make it harder to hear high-pitched police sirens, putting seniors or other drivers at risk. If an older adult has hearing loss, find out if any hearing devices can help them behind the wheel.
• Reaction Time: If their reflexes aren’t as sharp as they once were, an older adult may not respond to dangerous situations quickly enough.
• Chronic Conditions: Diabetes, sleep disorders, seizures, and dementia can jeopardize driving safety in ways that are beyond a person’s control, such as needing more time to process information or becoming disoriented or incapacitated.
• Medications: Certain drugs cause drowsiness or side effects that make driving unsafe. If medication causes drowsiness, people shouldn't drive under its influence.
• Mobility: Regular physical activity may keep seniors healthy enough to drive. Neck rotations and shoulder stretches may encourage flexibility for turning and checking for oncoming traffic.

During conversations about safe driving for older adults, seniors may emphasize that driving helps them maintain their independence, or they might acknowledge they're considering giving it up. It helps to talk through any physical limitations to reach a fair assessment of a senior’s driving ability.

Assessing Vehicle Suitability

A car’s characteristics and features are just as important to senior driving safety as the ability to drive. Here are a couple of key things to consider about vehicles with seniors in mind:

Vehicle Type

Cars come in so many sizes and styles that you can usually find one that fits a senior’s needs.

Think about getting in and out on the driver’s side and where the seat positions the person for sight lines and pedal reach. For some seniors, a sedan may be easier to slide into than an SUV—or vice versa. Try different styles and settings for a good match.

Also, factor in the size of the vehicle and how it handles. Senior drivers should feel like they have control when accelerating, turning, and braking.

Driving Technology

Newer vehicles may promote safe driving practices for older adults with technology. A backup camera can make it easier when reversing, and monitoring alerts can let you know if something is behind or on the side of the car when backing up or changing lanes. Some cars have lane-departure warnings and can automatically slow the car to match the speed of traffic ahead.

Other accessories like easy-to-grip steering-wheel covers and glare-reduction mirrors can improve the driving experience for seniors. If the driver has a disability, you might look into adaptive seating and controls.

It’s important to recognize that no technology or added equipment can guarantee safety while driving. But learning how to use features and other aids may help a senior driver feel more comfortable and confident.

Practicing Safe Driving Habits

If seniors aren’t ready to stop driving, you can still work together on reducing the dangers for elderly drivers by reviewing some best practices:

• Always wear a seatbelt.
• Only drive when well-rested.
• Stay a safe distance from the next car.
• Avoid driving in challenging conditions, like rush-hour traffic or bad weather.
• Only drive during daylight; get home before dark.
• Take a defensive driving course designed for older drivers.
• Don’t eat, tune the radio, or talk on the phone while driving.
• Maintain the vehicle regularly.

Discussing Concerns with Older Drivers

Older adults and their loved ones may have different views about when seniors should stop driving. Family members may worry that seniors have slower reaction times and poor judgment. Seniors may want to drive indefinitely if their car keeps them active and independent.

Driver safety, though, is everyone's top priority. Approach the concerns about elderly driving with thoughtfulness and honesty:

Be Real About Safety

Seniors may have trouble driving at night, when headlight glare seems blinding, and road signs can be harder to read. Busy highways may have too many merges, semi-trucks, and lane-changing drivers for seniors to navigate safely. Sometimes, older adults may recognize their limits and agree to stop certain types of driving.

Stick to the Facts

Everyone makes mistakes, but repeated driving mistakes may suggest that an older adult is losing their ability to safely gauge traffic situations. Family members should tread gently, talking about the facts, rather than getting emotional or pointing fingers.

Come Up with Solutions

If seniors think their car is what prevents them from being lonely and isolated, they may want to keep driving, even if they aren't confident about their abilities. If you’re concerned about driving safety for the senior in your life, here are some solutions you might consider:

• Ride along with them to assess their driving skills. Offer constructive feedback, if they're willing to hear it.
• Offer them refresher driving lessons around the neighborhood, in case they've become lax about certain rules of the road.
• Sign them up for a defensive driving course for older adults, designed to improve driver safety, such as AAA's RoadwiseDriver(Opens in a new window).
• Offer to drive them places so they have the option not to drive.
• Show them how easy it can be to ride the local bus, hire a car service, or use a ride-hailing app. Go along with them a few times until they're comfortable on their own.

Recognizing When It’s Time for Seniors to Stop Driving

Sometimes, it’s obvious when seniors should stop driving. Other times, it’s less clear.

These common warning signs can suggest a decline in driving ability. If these issues keep cropping up, it may be time to ask a senior to stop driving:

• They’ve damaged the car fairly frequently—whether it’s fender-benders, side-swiping parked cars or other objects, striking trees or road barriers, etc.
• They’ve repeatedly broken road rules, such as driving far under or over the speed limit or neglecting traffic signals or right-of-way.
• They've often shown they can't control the car by crossing the center line or driving on the shoulder.
• They've disregarded road signs by going the wrong way down one-way streets or parking in tow-away zones.
• They’ve gotten lost driving in familiar places when they’ve previously had a good sense of direction.

For additional guidance, families and seniors can use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(Opens in a new window) self-assessment tool.

If you do need to ask a senior to stop driving, approach the subject with great care and sensitivity. Taking away someone’s keys can feel like taking away freedom and independence.

Think about other ways older adults can maintain their independence, like ride-sharing apps, community-provided transportation, public transit, or asking friends or family members to take them places and spend some time with them.

Older adults may be upset if their loved ones want them to stop driving, but it's a common reality for people as they age. Family members should be compassionate and honest when they bring up the topic. When families discuss safe driving, they should prioritize senior safety, but also consider the importance of older adults' independence, so everyone has some peace of mind.

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