When to stop driving autos

[chopped]

Not sure if this is the best spot to post and ask. but Id like some opinions.
When do you decide that you need to hang up the keys?What amount of ''small'' accidents do you need to indicate for you to stop driving?
And more important, what if the 'driver' is to stubborn , when do the family etc step in?
Sorry this is so vague. but its hard to explain..Even with over 70 driving tests it sems to happen.which I was alwasy against till now.
Oh this isnt about myself..
And oh yea iwas behind a person i though was drunk they were drifting ina nd out of lanes
when they stopped at the store I found they were young and using the phone texting. So its not all about age..
Thanks...

 

[Pipestone Kid]

I think it is an individual thing. I have a brother who is 88 and sharper than a tack. I would rather ride with him than most 40 year old drivers.

 

[TripleR]

I am in my 60's and watched my parents and in laws go through this with their parents and in laws and then go through it with them. It is really hard. I know I am no longer as good of driver as I once was, but I am still competent as is my wife. I have made a commitment to my family that I will hand over my keys if they see I am no longer safe to drive.

As mentioned, age is certainly not the only factor.

As to stepping in, good luck with that; been there and it ain't pretty. Check with your state DMV.

 

[20 20]

I don't care for the age discrimination thing, some folks say people over ____ should either have to take a test, or just not be allowed to drive. Of course these same folks can be seen texting putting makeup on playing with a radio..........My father quit driving when he had issues with his eyes because of cancer, he new when it was time. I have way more respect for someone who knows when their time is up then those that let their foolish pride possibly cause an accident.

Also should a __# of accidents dictate when one stops driving? I believe they should stop driving before they cause any accident{once their driving ability is impaired}. This is more of a personal question that may effect pride or responsibility.

 

[niemeyjt]

Over here, manual transmissions are more common that autos.

There have been a spate of accidents where older drivers have switched from manuals to autos thinking they will be easier to drive and then driven them like a manual - doing things like touching accelerator before selecting drive - with the car shooting forward out of control.

So much so, that some motoring experts now advocate driving autos with both feet - one on brake and one on accelertor - somewhat negating the benefits.

J

 

[Denwa]

I don't care for the age discrimination thing, some folks say people over ____ should either have to take a test, or just not be allowed to drive. ..........My father quit driving when he had issues with his eyes ........, he new when it was time. I have way more respect for someone who knows when their time is up then those that let their foolish pride possibly cause an accident.

Also should a __# of accidents dictate when one stops driving? I believe they should stop driving before they cause any accident{once their driving ability is impaired}. This is more of a personal question that may effect pride or responsibility.

Well folks, lots of thorny issues here. One of my two jobs is as a driving instructor for a commercial driving school. The other is as a school bus driver. Ideally there would be some sort of sensor in a vehicle that determines when it's driver is not driving well and would power down the vehicle. Hah!

Failing this option it is up to PEOPLE to determine when they/someone else should stop driving. There are generally two options: The driver, as stated above has the wherewithal to call it quits voluntarily. In the big picture, I fear this is a fairly rare situation. The other option is that these folks who should hang up their keys have to be removed from the road by the authorities.

Loss off driving privileges is a major mobility and personal issue for people.
Just imagine having to turn in your license! Most old folks, in my experience will think they are still OK, especially if they only drive familiar routes, they only drive during the day, etc. These behaviors are good indicators that a driver knows they are loosing it, and are self regulating to a point. But at some point, one should just plain quit. Butttttt..... where zactly is that point?

Got to go drive da bus. Will come back to this.

Dennis

 

[rd_macgregor]

My wife heard a story about a fellow who developed a serious medical condition (epilepsy, I think) and his doctor forced him to give up his driver's license. At a later appointment, the doctor asked the patient (who was from out of town) if somebody was giving him a ride home. He said it wasn't a problem, since he was a private pilot and had flown his own plane in for his appointment. Guess what the doctor did then!

My grandmother voluntarily stopped driving when she was around 90, but long before that she compensated for diminished reaction time by driving very slowly. It was terrifying to ride with her, since everybody was in a big rush to get past regardless of solid lines in the road.

BOB

 

[JESSE1]

Many seniors drive out of necessitiy. There's no other way to get groceries, medicine or whatever. Very little mass transit available so they have to drive themselves. I'm sure a lot of them would rather not have to drive but there's no alternative.

 

[Denwa]

Not sure if this is the best spot to post and ask. but Id like some opinions.
When do you decide that you need to hang up the keys?What amount of ''small'' accidents do you need to indicate for you to stop driving?
And more important, what if the 'driver' is to stubborn , when do the family etc step in?
Sorry this is so vague. but its hard to explain..Even with over 70 driving tests it sems to happen.which I was alwasy against till now......
Thanks...

Hey, this is as good a place an any to chew on this topic, and being as this list is populated by inquiring vehicle related minds, better than many other forums.

As I was relating previously, for a person to decide they should not be driving and actually hang up the keys is almost never going to happen on it's own. It's usually going to require either family or legal intervention. Family or friends intervention can be gentler. Legal usually comes after the overripe driver gets into trouble on the road. Sometimes with tragic consequences.

Brings to mind the old drivers ed joke: One older person conversing with another says "I hope I die peacefully in my sleep, as my Uncle Jed did.
Not screaming in terror as passengers in his car did." Oy! Funny unless it's you.

So, generally, family and friends of a failing driver are going to be the first to become cognizant of the issue. When this occurs, it almost as hard for loved ones to admit to themselves that Uncle Jed ought to be off the road.
With that admission come their responsibility to general population and particularly other drivers, to try to make that happen.

How this can work depends on many circumstance, and the state in which the driver resides. To actively work at getting someone's license pulled has many pitfalls. I can guarantee doing so will not put you at the top of that person favorite people. In the state of WA you can contact the DOL and tell them that you think Uncle Jed is no longer competent to drive. If they get such a report they will likely investigate and may require the Jed retake the drivers test, both written and behind the wheel. The "problem" with the situation here, and I can see the reason for it, the DOL is legally obligated to inform Jed who turned him in. So, to turn in a relative in this way takes some courage in that it will likely put the whistle blower on Jed's and perhaps other peoples ka-ka list. Responsibility can be a heavy burden.

A kinder way is to just work at convincing Jed to quit while he's ahead.
I pulled my fathers keys when he was 87. He was not happy, complained about it to anyone who would listen for a couple of years. But basically went with the program. However, at that point I became his chauffeur as needed.
AARP has a very good publication on ways to approach to this issue, available in print or as a PDF file on their website.

An easier out is the have the family doctor make the call to the DOL, as doctors are obligated by law to do so if they find a patient unfit to drive.
Some doctors are also reluctant to make this call for the same reasons family members are, plus business reasons. However, iff pressed by family members, they will likely comply and make the call.

Another route, particularly if you know a LEO is to have them follow Jed and they make the call based on what they observe of his driving. Many times
a failing driver will get stopped for a traffic infraction, or will have a fender bender and come to the attention of the police who should then send Jed's name to the DOL for a license review. Hopefully the situation that brings Jed to the attention of the police does not involve injury or death to others.

In my work as a driving instructor I get calls from older folks who have come up against the system for whatever reason, and have had to retake the drive test. In WA they get three tries at it. If they don't pass in three tries their license is permanently revoked. I don't usually get called until they have already flunked the test a time or two. It is more usual for them to continue to fail the test than to pass, despite several hours of behind the wheel work addressing the specific problem that caused them to fail the test in the first place. It seems to generally boil down to mental impairment as the main issue.

Not pretty, but we all have an expiration date. Getting oneself or others off the road before they cause others to expire is the nut of the issue. If your old and really have your wits about you, self regulate before it's too late.
If you KNOW someone else should be off the road, you've go an obligation and a nasty job ahead.

Now, when should one give up driving a tractor?

Regards,
Dennis

 

[dmccarty]

As others have said it is a huge issue to take away an older person's ability to driver. Once this is done they are totally dependent on others for getting food, hair appointments, doctor visits, church events, visiting friends, etc.

But at some point it sometimes has to be done.

My grandmother gave up driving on her own. I am guessing she had some close calls and decided enough was enough.

My wife's grandmother had at least 2-3 accidents and still refused to stop driving. She totaled her car and other people's cars. She was very lucky someone was not killed or seriously injured. There were some very "strenuous" conversations with her but she did not care. Mentally she was not there anymore and did not care. The family took and hid the keys to the car.

Then she found the keys.

I think they eventually took out the car battery. :thumbsup:

The statistics show the drivers with the most accidents are young drivers and very old drivers. We have laws, at least in NC, that try to improve the young drivers experience level and remove distractions from the car. But for older people not so much.

It certainly is a balancing act.

Later,
Dan