Parking the Car Permanently: Getting An Impaired Driver Off the Road
May 11th, 2010 | 
Author: You think your older loved one shouldn’t be driving, but you really don’t know what to do or how to approach the subject. Rarely does a topic create as much angst in older drivers and their families as this one. The key to the dilemma of what to do about an impaired older adult and driving is a well used mantra: Just Do It! Don’t wait until tomorrow. Don’t be an ostrich. Too much is at risk. In March of 2008 I wrote a four-part series for SCC’s on-line newsletter All Things Senior titled: Getting From Here to There. Two years later, it’s time to revisit the issue.
If a senior adult’s ability to safely operate an automobile seems to be in question, the first place to start is to have a serious but sensitive discussion with the older adult. If the older adult is resistant to reason, take the initiative to contact their physician to share your concerns. The American Medical Association promotes physician involvement in assessing older adult driving skills and publishes The Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers. Familiarize yourself with it and provide a copy to your loved one’s doctor.
Sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren are the ones who are tasked with confiscating the keys, disabling the vehicle, or reporting the unsafe driver to the proper authorities. Not a fun task by any means. Ignoring the issue only increases the chances that the older adult will harm others as well as themselves. If involved in an accident, the elder driver may be at risk for legal reprisals for driving against the advice of their doctor or when medications or their medical diagnosis might impair safe driving. Continuing to operate a car under such circumstances could jeopardize their long term financial security as well as their physical well-being.
If you really want more information or tools to help address the driving dilemma, follow this link to the All Things Senior articles. And remember—Just Do It!
Wishing safe travels to all,
Connie
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Connie’s post highlights the challenge of finding a good solution to a senior driver’s need for transportation. Why? Because the implications of taking away transportation – and limiting access to jobs, family and friends, volunteer activities, or basic necessities like the grocery store or the doctor’s office – are profound. At the same, there are severe consequences of accidents caused by unsafe drivers of any age. As a society we need to pursue a dual goal of keeping older drivers on the road while reducing the number of accidents.
I am CEO of Posit Science and we know that brain performance – the ability to react quickly to what we see – is a great predictor of crash risk. For example, a recent NHTSA study of older driver screening programs concluded that testing brain performance was the most predictive in understanding crash risk. The AMA publication also talks about cognitive performance as one of the key components of the driving skills assessment. We also know through recent studies that brain performance can be improved through specifically designed computer-based exercises, resulting in significantly safer driving.
As part of the solution, Posit Science partnered with AAA to launch both a free on-line risk assessment at http://www.drivesharpnow.com and DriveSharp, a software program that contains proven technology to help people be safer behind the wheel by training the brain to think quicker and react faster.