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Thank you to everyone for your input. Lots of great advice. I'll tweak a response to suit my dad. He just becomes very angry and difficult to handle when it comes to even discussing losing
his driving privileges. The comment about depth perception totally applies to my dad. He still has a tendency to bump into corners on foot. I haven't been driving with him to assess his ability but from what I been hearing, it's not so great. He also has PMR (autoimmune) that creates all kinds of stiff muscles and pain. Yeah I think I will have him go on for an eye test and discuss the situation with his doctor. Hopefully we can get him to surrender his license before it's up for renewal.
When my husband surrendered his license our car insurance dropped by over $100 a month. YMMV
You could also take your dad to a private facility or driving instructor to test his driving ability.
One thing that I always tell my friends when they are concerned about the safety of their elderly parents or relatives driving is that it may be very sad if they had an accident and kill themselves but it could be much, much worse. They could kill a child riding a bicycle, or a young mother pushing a baby carriage or an entire family in another car. They could end up financially ruined and in prison or any number of things.
Thank you to everyone for your input. Lots of great advice. I'll tweak a response to suit my dad. He just becomes very angry and difficult to handle when it comes to even discussing losing
his driving privileges. The comment about depth perception totally applies to my dad. He still has a tendency to bump into corners on foot. I haven't been driving with him to assess his ability but from what I been hearing, it's not so great. He also has PMR (autoimmune) that creates all kinds of stiff muscles and pain. Yeah I think I will have him go on for an eye test and discuss the situation with his doctor. Hopefully we can get him to surrender his license before it's up for renewal.
Like you I live in CA.
Let me share a story with you, a few months back my cousin's neighbor heard a loud crash. They went outside to see a car sitting on their lawn that had just plowed through their hedge and hit a tree. A 90 year old woman lost control of her.
Her daughter and SIL(who lived close by not with her) showed up and the SIL tried taking the car, the police said no way. It was going to the impound lot, and it did.
Do your parents own their home? Most likely they do. I would get it into your dad's head that if he injures or kills someone there goes everything they have. They're probably living in a house they paid nothing for that is now worth at least 500K or more. Does he want to risk that?
I don't think driving with "mono vision" is safe at all....no depth perception whatsoever!
My ex has been driving that way for over twenty years, after he lost all vision in one eye. It takes a little while and practice helps, but they learn to compensate for it.
I guess that's the core of my question. Is he required by law to do this? Should have he notified the DMV? There is lack of clarity about this.
I don't know about California but in some states it used to be if your doctor diagnoses you with certain illnesses that could cause you to be a danger to others on the road they are required to let the DMV know. If you have narcolepsy or epilepsy for instance. However with all the HIPAA laws, I'm not sure if this is still allowed.
OP if your father navigated his way home from the casino in a bad traffic area and didn't have an accident maybe he is okay to drive?
I think that most doctors are VERY reluctant to "turn in" elderly unsafe drivers. My husband has dementia and a traumatic brain injury. He needs 24/7 supervision. He was told by the neurologist that treated his TBI, his primary care physician, his regular neurologist, his rehabilitation physician and several other doctors that he should not be driving, but not one would report him to the DMV, even at my request. Even when I begged them.
It was up to me, his spouse, to take him to the DMV, and "trick" him into voluntarily surrendering his driver's license for a state ID card. YMMY
I am actually surprised by this. I have reported patients to the DMV because I worry they are going to hurt themselves or someone else. I also know if they harm someone while driving, a sharp lawyer is going to subpoena me and show I never did anything about their inability to drive safely. Then I'm going to be on the hook, lawsuit-wise.
I think that most doctors are VERY reluctant to "turn in" elderly unsafe drivers. My husband has dementia and a traumatic brain injury. He needs 24/7 supervision. He was told by the neurologist that treated his TBI, his primary care physician, his regular neurologist, his rehabilitation physician and several other doctors that he should not be driving, but not one would report him to the DMV, even at my request. Even when I begged them.
It was up to me, his spouse, to take him to the DMV, and "trick" him into voluntarily surrendering his driver's license for a state ID card. YMMY
Quote:
Originally Posted by LoriNJ
I am actually surprised by this. I have reported patients to the DMV because I worry they are going to hurt themselves or someone else. I also know if they harm someone while driving, a sharp lawyer is going to subpoena me and show I never did anything about their inability to drive safely. Then I'm going to be on the hook, lawsuit-wise.
Good for you. Lori.
I was really quite surprised when the doctors said that my husband should not be driving, in front of the two of us, but when I asked them to notify the DMV, both in front of my husband and in private, they refused. In most cases they "passed the buck". His rehab doctor said it was the responsibility of his primary care physician and his primary care physician said that it was the responsibility of his regular neurologist and his neurologist said that it was the responsibility of the neurologist who treated his TBI. ! ? ! ? But., basically, they all said that it was MY responsibility as his spouse to handle it.
Of course, other people may have different experiences.
Interesting side point, my husband used to be a "sharp lawyer" who handled medical malpractice cases. I'm pretty sure that he would have gone after the doctors who felt that someone should not drive and did nothing about it. After all they are the professionals and how can the lay person spouse (or adult child) make an informed decision regarding unsafe driving?
Good reminder for me to not communicate with my children on my health issues when I am over 70
You do have a point. Based on the facts presented, there doesn't appear to be any reason the OPs father should not be allowed to drive.
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