| Elderly Driver Injures 6; 90 Year-Old Crashes Into | | | | times of the day you will have a pretty good idea of |
| Day Care; Cheerleader Killed By Senior. | | | | how the driving is doing. |
| Seen any headlines like these lately? Of course, it's | | | | Combine your observations and make a list of |
| not true that all drivers over the age of 65, or even | | | | specific things you observed. |
| 85, are dangerous drivers. It's no more true than | | | | If your driver's physician has made the |
| thinking that all drivers under the age of 21, or all | | | | recommendation that driving be curtailed or stopped, |
| drivers from New Jersey are accidents waiting to | | | | do your best to get a copy of this recommendation |
| happen. | | | | in writing. |
| But it usually comes to pass that aging drivers do | | | | Work out alternate transportation arrangements |
| lose physical and or mental agility, and we need to be | | | | before you approach your driver. You will want to be |
| keeping an eye on our aging loved ones to be sure | | | | able to offer practical alternatives to taking the car if |
| that they're still safe and confident behind the wheel. | | | | you will be asking or demanding that he or she stop |
| Some elderly drivers will begin cutting back on their | | | | driving. Finding convenient alternatives may be a |
| driving on their own. Others may not recognize that | | | | challenge, but this should never be an excuse for |
| their skills are deteriorating. These are the drivers | | | | procrastinating about getting a dangerous driver off |
| who regularly overestimate their abilities, blaming | | | | the road. |
| poorly designed roads, hard-to-see traffic signs, or | | | | Most experts recommend that you talk with your |
| other drivers for their near misses and | | | | elderly driver as a concerned and loving group. Often |
| fender-benders. | | | | one member of the family group will be the most |
| Family members are naturally reluctant to step into | | | | obvious spokesperson. Sometimes it is the person |
| such an emotionally loaded subject. But when it | | | | with whom the driver has the best relationship. |
| becomes obvious that an older driver is having a hard | | | | Sometimes, though, if the conversation is guaranteed |
| time on the road, whether admitted or not, | | | | to end poorly, a better spokesperson is the family |
| something must be done to protect the lives of both | | | | member who lives the most distant and who is least |
| the senior driver and other people. | | | | likely to have to "hear about it" daily. |
| Many family members may have concerns about a | | | | Your elderly driver's response will depend on many |
| senior's driving abilities, but they have no hard | | | | things, including whether this issue has been discussed |
| evidence one way or the other. If your older driver | | | | before and his or her physical and emotional health. |
| has had a serious traffic accident or has received a | | | | Don't allow yourselves to be drawn into an argument, |
| ticket for a moving violation, then of course driving | | | | and don't be surprised if your driver's reaction is |
| has to stop immediately. If you don't have this kind | | | | extremely negative or even abusive. Retreating from |
| of evidence, taking several rides with your senior | | | | what you know needs to be done to protect both |
| driver the logical first step. After your rides make | | | | your elderly driver and the others on the road will |
| notes of what you observed. If you can get more | | | | only make the discussion even more difficult the next |
| than one family member to take a ride at different | | | | time. |