Senior Citizens - San Diego Personal Injury

Driving allows seniors to feel independent and maintain a flexible schedule. However, some seniors and their loved ones may have concerns about safety. If you or someone you love is a senior driver, there are a number of important precautions you can take to avoid car accidents, including maintaining your health and planning wisely.

Regular Checkups – For Seniors and Their Cars
Good vision and hearing are essential to staying safe on the road. As we age, our vision and hearing may deteriorate, especially if we have certain health conditions, such as glaucoma or tinnitus. Senior drivers should get essential health checks regularly. These include general health checkups, eye tests and hearing tests.

No one enjoys mechanical problems, but car troubles can be especially vexing for seniors. If brakes or power steering fail, we might not be able to react as quickly as we could when you were younger. Regular oil changes and preventive maintenance can help avoid a car accident, roadside breakdown or a sudden mechanical failure.

Inform Others of Plans
Before leaving on an errand, it’s a good idea for seniors to tell someone their plans, including where they plan to go and when they will likely return. Sending a text message is a good way to share plans so that loved ones won’t forget your schedule.

Take Along Important Items
Even on a short trip to the grocery store, seniors should bring along some essential items, including a phone, emergency medications and identifying information. If you need help getting to a destination, a GPS unit mounted on your dashboard can help you get there. This helps you avoid the need to fumble with maps while you’re on the road. The car should also be stocked with emergency tools, including jumper cables.

Travel Wisely
A few simple guidelines can help make a driving trip a smoother experience. Seniors should avoid driving in the dark or during inclement weather. These conditions can significantly impair the driver’s ability to see and may require the driver to make snap decisions to avoid car accidents. Timing during a clear day is important as well; completing errands in the morning allows seniors to avoid heavy crowds on the roads.

Avoid Distractions
Distracted driving is dangerous, especially if you need to put in a little extra effort to focus on the road. Avoid tasks that can hamper your concentration, including talking on the phone, eating, fiddling with the radio and changing the destination on your GPS. All drivers should do these things before taking to the road to avoid car accidents.

A driver’s license represents a sense of personal freedom and independence, and for many young people, it’s a rite of passage. However, older adults often have difficulty knowing when it’s time to voluntarily give up their driving privileges. Losing control of a vehicle due to confusion or panic can result in a catastrophic car accident, so it’s important to address any perceived driving problems quickly. While there are no hard and fast rules relating to seniors and driving, here are some tips to consider when talking to an older adult about driving, safety and possibly giving up the keys.

Plan for the Discussion in Advance

Elderly people are constantly facing challenges that result in the loss of freedom, so they tend to be very inflexible when it comes to driving. Since it’s often taken for granted, people usually fail to recognize just how much of a factor driving plays in someone’s overall quality of life. Any discussion with a senior about driving should be planned well in advance. The process will likely include several discussions, so it’s important to maintain reasonable expectations. Try and arrange to talk during a quiet time of day, and remember that the decision is ultimately up to the person who will be relinquishing the keys.

Developing a Health Assessment

Older drivers are usually very safe, but there can be physical changes that affect driving skills as we age. When muscles weaken and joints stiffen, it can become difficult to back up, check the blind spot or brake properly. Eyesight and hearing may also be affected. Older adults often need better lighting to see at night and are more unsettled by glare. Peripheral vision narrows as we age, and vision problems from eye disease can impact driving skills. Always try and confirm that an older driver is in good health, and check to see if any prescribed medication they are taking will alter their driving skills.

Evaluating Driving Skills

Prior to any driving-related discussions, it’s important to ride with an elderly driver to quietly assess their skill level. Look for the following signs that might indicate there is some sort of impairment:

* Frequently almost having car accidents
* Getting lost on familiar roads
* A growing number of dents and scrapes on the vehicle, tire rims and garage doors
* Responding slowly to rapidly developing situations
* Difficulty seeing traffic signs and pavement markings
* Difficulty turning around when backing up
* An unusual number of tickets or warnings

Finding Other Forms of Transportation

Helping an older person transition from driving to the use of alternate forms of transportation can relieve a lot of the stress and anxiety they may be feeling. Taxi services, carpools, ridesharing services and buses can all offer viable transportation options. Civic groups and religious organizations often have volunteers willing to provide free rides. Once an elderly person realizes that they can continue to live a full life without driving, the transition will be much easier.

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