Mature Driver Information
The effects of aging are broad and varied among individuals;
however, over time, you can expect sight, hearing, the
ability to judge speed, depth perception, and reflexes to
diminish. These abilities, which are often taken for granted
on a daily basis, change gradually over time. It is
sometimes difficult to notice these gradual changes and how
they affect your ability to drive until you experience a
close call or are involved in an accident.
Fortunately, it is possible to compensate for the effects
of aging on your driving ability. Age is a risk that can be
minimized by a mature driver through awareness of possible
limitations and elimination of more risky driving practices.
Physical conditioning, travel planning, vehicle choice, and
defensive driving can all play an important role in
minimizing risk and assisting the mature driver to feel
safer when getting behind the wheel of an automobile.
While it is necessary to deal with the range of
possible limitations brought on by aging, it is important to
remember that a mature driver has experience in his/her
corner. Years of good driving experience can help you plan
how to compensate for specific problems you may develop as
you grow older. Also, years of good driving experience can
add to your feeling of well-being behind the wheel, which
contributes to your overall driving performance.
Regular doctor visits and preventive screenings for
common illnesses become increasingly important as you start
to age. If you are experiencing impaired vision or hearing,
see your doctor as soon as possible. Special prescription
glasses and hearing aids can often help compensate for
age-related vision and hearing loss. Since good vision is
especially crucial to the act of driving, screenings for
cataracts, glaucoma, night blindness, and other vision
problems should be scheduled regularly. Recognition and/or
treatment of these conditions can be instrumental to safe
driving and to your overall quality of life.
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Be honest with yourself and with your doctor about any
possible health-related limitations, which may interfere
with safe driving. Besides impaired vision, hearing, and
slower reaction times, other health factors such as ankle
rigidity, wrist pain, general weakness, decreased range of
motion, and general depression can hamper your ability to
drive a car safely. Your doctor can suggest treatments for
stiffness, fatigue, and depression. Often, a simple exercise
program consisting of regular walking can help increase
mobility, fight fatigue, and combat depression. A mild
regular exercise program can strengthen your heart, lungs,
and muscles while increasing your flexibility and range of
motion.
If you are taking medication, make a point to ask your
doctor or pharmacist how these drugs can affect your ability
to drive. It is unwise to drive unless you have a clear
understanding of possible drug interactions and their effect
on you. Also, do not ignore any over-the-counter drugs or
supplements you are taking. Even over-the-counter drugs or
supplements can cause drowsiness, blur vision, slow reaction
time, and impair mobility.
Everyone can benefit from travel planning. Whether it
is a short trip to the supermarket, a lunch date across
town, or a weekend trip to visit relatives, planning is key
to safer driving. Travel planning can assist you in
minimizing risk by making simple adjustments to your driving
habits. For the mature driver, a little foresight can add to
your safety and pleasure in driving. The following planning
tips can be used as a starting place to help you stay safer
on the road:
- Avoid rush hour traffic if at all possible. This
includes traveling during peak hours over major holidays.
Why drive in heavy traffic if it is unnecessary?
- Time your driving for daylight hours only. Poor
visibility and fatigue can play a major factor in
accidents during the night and twilight hours, especially
for mature drivers.
- Alter your travel plans during bad weather or when you
experience any adverse driving conditions. It is better to
arrive later than planned, or to reschedule your trip
entirely, than to get into an accident.
- Choose routes that are well-marked and well-lighted.
Make a note of landmarks and exits that can help you
navigate. Also, plan your route to avoid as many left
turns as possible. Going a few blocks out of your way to
make a right turn instead of a left turn is a good safe
driving strategy.
- Turn on your headlights and buckle up your seat belt
every time you drive your car. Using your headlights in
the daytime helps other drivers see you.
- Adjust your seat and mirrors for the best visibility.
Make adjustments before you start driving or pull over to
the side of the road to make needed adjustments when
driving.
- Drive at the posted speed limit, unless weather,
traffic, or other adverse driving conditions indicate
otherwise. If you must drive more slowly, then stay in the
right lane.
- Practice good defensive driving techniques and yield
the right-of-way. Never insist on the right-of-way, even
if you are correct.
- Stay in the appropriate lane. Do not weave back and
forth between lanes, straddle two lanes, or change lanes
near intersections.
- Plan on taking a break after driving every 90 minutes.
Get out of your vehicle and stretch or take a walk. You
can plan driving breaks around meal times as well.
- Don’t take unnecessary trips. Map out your errands
before you leave home. Cluster errands around one area
only, if possible, so you can avoid driving back and forth
across town.
- Park in lots or in spaces that have easy access and
good visibility. It is better to walk a little farther
than to have difficulty parking or backing up when you
leave.
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At this point in your driving history, you probably
know that the sportiest vehicle may not be the most
practical in terms of your driving needs and safety
concerns. Mature drivers need to purchase vehicles that
offer options that can help offset any loss of mobility,
flexibility, strength, or vision. The following options can
help compensate and minimize risk:
- Power steering
- Power anti-lock breaks
- Automatic transmission
- Power adjustable seats
- Power windows, door locks, and adjustable side mirrors
- Tilt steering wheel and adjustable steering column
(telescoping)
- Voice-activated controls
- Daytime running lights
- Untinted windshields
- Adaptive equipment (such as hand controls)
Upon purchasing your vehicle, you can greatly add to your
safety by keeping your car well-maintained. Regular
servicing, as recommended in the driver’s manual, checking
vital engine fluids, and keeping windshield wipers in good
working order can help keep you out of dangerous situations
on the road. Every now and then it is a good idea to check
your headlights, taillights, and turn indicators, as these
lights help you see and be seen by other drivers.
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Continued driver training is an excellent investment in your
safety. No matter how much experience a mature driver has
behind the wheel, a refresher course can reinforce good
driving skills, teach new skills, and help eliminate bad
habits. Updates on the latest defensive driving techniques
for mature drivers can help you redirect your thinking about
driving and develop strategies for staying safe behind the
wheel as you age.
Investing your time and energy in a mature driver
improvement course also has benefits with your auto
insurance company.
Insurance companies recognize that mature drivers face
unique challenges as they get older and reward those mature
drivers who take the initiative to minimize risk by
enrolling in approved driver training courses. The more you
are aware of and compensate for any driving limitations, the
greater your ability to stay safe, drive longer, and avoid
accidents.
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In order to minimize driving risk, you need to be aware of
the most common factors that cause accidents involving
mature drivers. If you have trouble with any of the
following, you need to reevaluate your driving habits to see
if you can realistically compensate for these potentially
dangerous risk factors:
- Failure to maintain proper speed
- Backing and parking your car
- Improper left turns
- Failure to yield right-of-way
- Confusion in heavy traffic
- Inattention
- Hesitation in responding to new traffic signs,
signals, road markings or different traffic patterns and
roadway designs
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Very few people have the desire to stop driving
voluntarily. Since driving is often viewed as a symbol of
freedom and independence, it is very difficult for some
mature drivers to be objective about their driving skills.
While the convenience of driving is hard to beat, confusing
driving skills with your self-worth or independence is not
realistic. In fact, it can be dangerous to you and to
all the other drivers on the road.
If you are unsure about your driving performance, ask a
trusted friend or family member to monitor your driving. If
you have made adjustments in your driving habits, have
utilized the techniques mentioned throughout this brochure,
and are still having difficulty driving, then you may want
to consider giving up driving altogether. The decision to
stop driving is both personal and difficult, but in the end
you want to make a responsible choice to protect yourself
and others.
If you are struggling with the decision of whether or not
to stop driving, then ask yourself the following questions
that may help you evaluate your current driving situation:
- Have you suffered a stroke, heart attack, or
experienced diminished eyesight in the past few months?
- Have you been cited for traffic violations or been
involved in traffic accidents lately?
- Have you felt nervous or exhausted after routine
driving?
- Have you experienced difficulty in basic driving
skills such as parking, backing up, or signaling?
- Have you felt anxiety or panic in heavy traffic
situations?
- Have you hesitated over right-of-way decisions that
you have always taken for granted?
- Have you received negative feedback from other
drivers?
- Have you been surprised or startled by the sudden
appearance of another vehicle or a pedestrian?
- Have you become lost on familiar routes?
If you answered yes to some of these questions, then it
may be time to stop driving. While driving may be liberating
and fun, it can also be great to experience driving as a
passenger without the worries and cares of driving. The ride
is pretty good from the passenger seat!
Before giving up your license, you may want to consider
contacting the DMV for a voluntary driver reexamination.
The DMV can suggest options on how to keep your license on a
restricted basis depending on your current driving
performance. The proper restriction can help keep you
driving while looking out for your safety and the safety of
other drivers and pedestrians.
The following list contains some of the most common
driving restrictions issued by the DMV:
- No freeway driving
- Driving only from sunrise to sunset (no night driving)
- Driving only in a particular area or by a specific
route
- Driving only a vehicle with a knob attachment on the
steering wheel
- Wearing a leg prosthesis when driving
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Often it is possible for drivers to still drive safely
within a clearly defined, but very restricted area. The DMV
offers an Area Driving Performance Evaluation (ADPE) that is
administered by taking a driving test in the vicinity of the
driver's residence. This test can set restrictions for
drivers to maintain safe driving in well-known places. A
restriction of this nature can allow you to drive to such
places as the grocery store, department store, doctor, bank,
church, golf course, hair stylist or any other place within
the restricted area that can be reached on surface roads
only.
Also, friends, family, and neighbors who are concerned
about unsafe driving practices of any driver can fill out a
DMV Request for Driver Reexamination form. Immediate family
members can make the request on an anonymous basis, and the
DMV tries to honor confidentiality whenever possible.
Remember that after age 70 the DMV will not automatically
renew your license by mail; however, this does not mean that
you will necessarily have to take a written test or driving
test to renew your license. Often you will only have to
pass a standard eye exam. If you have been experiencing
recent problems with driving, it is a good idea to discuss
the issues candidly with the DMV. The DMV is aware of the
issues facing mature drivers, and their goal is to keep all
drivers licensed for as long as it is safe to do so.
Sometimes part of the difficulty in giving up driving is
the notion that you will not be able to get around once you
do. Depending on where you live, there are a variety of
methods to get around when you no longer drive. For
instance, you can catch a bus or other form of public
transportation, take a taxi, ask a friend to drive, keep
your car and pay someone to drive, or call Dial-A-Ride or
other subsidized transportation programs for senior
citizens.
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While safe driving is a challenge for all drivers,
mature drivers need to particularly pay attention to any
driving limitations brought on by aging. Identifying
possible limitations and making adjustments to your driving
habits can significantly minimize the risk of driving for
mature drivers. Practicing good driving strategies combined
with physical conditioning, travel planning, vehicle choice,
and defensive driving can allow you to drive safer and enjoy
driving for a longer period of time.
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