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I was talking this morning with someone about the great health that some seniors we know seem to be in. They are active, do their daily exercise and get around very well. The question then came up about driving. Do you think there should be a mandatory age at which seniors are not allowed to drive or should driving be dependent on their health and ability to function behind the wheel regardless of age? Do you think a 90 year old in good health should be allowed to drive? What is the age of some older seniors that you know are still driving?
If we have a mandatory cut off then it should apply to paying all taxes so we can hire taxis.
The ability to drive should be based on the individuals ability to drive and not on age. I can see, do to costs, not rechecking citizens under x age. Doctors should also be involved when they have a client of any age that may not be able to drive. The person should be referred for testing.
AARP has an excellent class on this very subject. And this is a touchy issue.
Think to yourself...when will I know it is time for me to stop driving? What situations will happen, that could indicate it is time to stop? I suggest looking into alternatives to driving in your area. Our town has quite a system set up, the hospital will provide transportation, many doctors provide transportation. There are stores that do delivery.
Really...a car is not a needed item. It is an expense..gas, insurance...
Think to yourself...when will I know it is time for me to stop driving? What situations will happen, that could indicate it is time to stop? I suggest looking into alternatives to driving in your area. Our town has quite a system set up, the hospital will provide transportation, many doctors provide transportation. There are stores that do delivery.
Really...a car is not a needed item. It is an expense..gas, insurance...
Good points.... and yet I can see the other side, too, for those who live in isolated areas. My friend in Hot Springs Village, AR thought he wouldn't need a car because the HOA has vans that take people to all sorts of things. For 20 or so years that was a good plan but as the recession drags on, HSV is starting to cut back on services like that. HSV is a huge campus in the middle of nowhere--the closest stores are mostly 8-10 miles away, and taxi service is not really available. Without a car he can't even go to the HOA gym.
This past year he's spent far too many days stuck at home, unless e can find a friend willing to give him a ride. He has gone from being a person who loved loved loved HSV to being a person who now is regretting his situation. He still likes HSV, but regrets giving up the car (even though he doesn't want to drive anymore, either).
Which is why...over age 60...plan on buying any property....do a "walkability" grid on the address. Make sure public transportation is nearby. And over age 60...start thinking about your current home and if it is user friendly for a person who may have to stop driving. Macular degeneration is the number one cause of blindness among seniors. Transportation barriers are huge in this population, leading to depression and isolation. So....live in an pedestrian friendly area.
You can pretty much look at the senior's general "vivaciousness" behind the wheel when you're next to them, or pass them. If they're looking around, adjusting the radio, and holding the wheel in a relaxed manner, then they're usually ok. It's when they look straight forward, are tiny/frail and struggling to look over the steering wheel, and grab the steering wheel like it's going to fall off, then I'd be worried.
My Mom has this elderly friend who kept on driving for as long as she could. She bought me lunch at an Italian grocery store with a deli, and I was then supposed to follow her home in my rental car. She was on an LA street that was 2 lanes in each direction, with NO turning lane. She had chosen to use the inside lane and I was watching her wheels get close to the double-yellow line on numerous occasions. Her son finally forced her to give up this ridiculously low mileage car, and she went downhill quickly after that.
No offense to the previous poster, but most people 60 to 80 or 85ish can drive just fine. But I get your point--you just never know what is going to happen.
Ha. I talked to someone awhile back...she had neck and back problems, extreme limited range of movement...could barely move her head. And....she was still driving! She had a problem with seizures, poor control of her blood sugar...on more meds than normal....and she would not give it up.
In many states doctors do not have to report patients who should not drive. It is up to the person to give it up.
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