Q: Please suggest what one should do when they know someone should no longer be driving, due to age or health complications.
During conversations in the last few years with someone, I kindly encouraged her to stop driving after she shared many stories about “near misses” and damage or totaling her car(s) due to poor eyesight.
Family members continued to let her drive. The inevitable happened. She hit a bicyclist and injured them! This, of course, “shook her” and now she said she will no longer drive.
But I wonder? I regret not having this direct conversation with one of her adult children (they also knew her history) or contacting the DMV.
Anonymous
A: Losing one’s ability to drive is never easy, nor is addressing the issue with loved ones when it is dangerous for them to continue to drive, whatever the reason.
AARP advises talking with them about it, and making a plan. And observe as a passenger when the driver in question is driving.
As for reporting an unsafe driver to the DMV, you can do that in two ways. You can submit a Request for Driver Reexamination (DS 699) to the DMV. Or you can write a letter to the local DMV Driver Safety office, identifying the driver and providing your reasons for making the report. You must sign your request in either case, but can ask that your name be kept confidential.
There are different possible outcomes from driver reexamination, including the driver being restricted to daytime driving, or driving within a few miles of their home. Other possible outcomes include the loss of their license.
Long before a driver reaches the unsafe point, however, there are things they can do to improve driving safety.
Older drivers are encouraged to take driver training, and may receive an insurance rate reduction for doing so. Research shows, for example, that older drivers are particularly at risk at intersections, and making left turns. And bad driving habits can creep in over the years.
Having discussions about the need to stop driving, making decisions and a plan can be difficult, but are vital for keeping people safe.
“The deciding factor is whether grandchildren are allowed in the car when the older adult is driving,” said Gary J. Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
If grandchildren are not allowed to ride when their grandparent is driving, “this is a clear indicator of peril,” Kennedy explained.
What experiences have you had with getting a loved one to stop driving when they were no longer driving safely?
Mr. Roadshow will be on vacation the next two weeks, returning after Christmas. Continue to send your questions and comments to mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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