Is it Time for Your Elderly Parent to Give Up Driving?

Getting lost was the key for me to encourage my Dad to get my Mom tested for Alzheimer's. She went in to ask for directions at the medical plaza and then couldn't find her car. Needless to say she tested positive for Alzheimer's...

Thankfully she became fearful and stopped driving before it got into the hassle of taking the keys away from her. I'm just so thankful that nobody ever got hurt while she was behind the wheel!

Adult children need to be respectful, but persistant if there is an obvious safety issue involved.

I think this was great advice even for those of us who are young eldery and I plan to take the defensive driving class soon- I also think all states should require at a certain age to require drivers to take a driving test every year I would be in favor even though where I live there is no bus service but our senior center does transport people to the center and takes them to food stores and malls on a regular basis and am very keep aware the wheather also the night vision glasses are so great when I had to drive when my husband was with us and they are not expensive and I do even now go the easist route for me and my Mom who is 90 does not go out durning rush hour or when it is raining and at 70 when she moved to the state she now lives in she had to take a road test.

YOU KNOW I HAD AN EXPERIENCE WITH MY FATHER WHEN I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO QUIT DRIVING .AFTER THE WRECK HIM AND MOM WAS IN AND IT KILLED HER,HE WAS DRIVING, BUT HE CONTINUE TO DRIVE AFTER THAT. BUT ONE DAY MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP AND I CALLED MY DAD TO TAKE ME TO THE STORE, WELL HE CAME AND PICK ME UP, BUT AS WE WERE LEAVING HE BACK OUT AND ALMOST HIT THE NIEGHBORS CAR IT WAS A CLOSE CALL .. AS WE HEADED DOWN THE STREET THE MAILMAN HAD PARK HIS TRUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET AND DAD ALMOST GOT THE SIDE OF IT .I WAS SO NERVOUS I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. SO I TRY NOT TO TALK TO DAD THE WHOLE TIME HE WAS DRIVNG I WAS FIGURING OUT HOW TO TELL HIM THAT I DON'T THINK IS WISE FOR HIM TO DRIVE..WELL TIME WENT ON AND ONE DAY HE SUPPOSELY HAD GOTTEN IN HIS TRUCK TO COME OVER MY HOUSE ONE DAY AND IT WOULDN'T START.. MY SISTER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME DAD WAS TRYING TO WORK ON HIS TRUCK BUT WASN'T SUCEEDING..I WAS HAPPY BUT DIDN'T COUNT ON HIM ASKING MY BOYFRIEND TO FIX IT AND HE DID, I GOT MAD AT HIM BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I TOLD HIM.. SO HE FELT KINDA BAD BUT IT WAS OK CAUSE IT STILL DIDN'T RUN RIGHT SO DAD HAD A BODY SHOP TO FIX IT I GOT AHOLD OF THE BODY SHOP MANAGER AND EXPLAIN TO HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON HE UNDERSTOOD SO HE HELP ME OUT AND TOLD A LITTLE WHITE LIE AND TOLD DAD HIS TRUCK WAS GONNA COST HIM 900 DOLLARS TO FIX..WELL HE DECIDED TO JUNK IT THEN. IT WAS A 84 CHEVY AND IT WAS ON HIS LAST LEG AND SO WAS DAD SO I WAS KINDA LUCKY THAT HIS TRUCK AND GOD HELP ME OUT

I advice adult children to go driving with their family members.

Also, in Ontario, seniors have to have a driving test. But, ultimately, physicians can take away a driving licence.

Warning signs of unsafe driving include:

* Forgetting how to locate familiar places
* Failing to observe traffic signals
* Making slow or poor decisions
* Problems with changing lanes or making turns
* Hitting the curb while driving
* Driving at an inappropriate speed (esp. under the speed limit)
* Becoming angry and confused while driving
* Confusing the brake and gas pedal
* Lane crossing
* Failing to check blind spots
* Failing to look both ways before entering traffic

Again, in Ontario, you can phone the OPP and tell them. They, too, can take action to have a licence taken away.

Good posts!

I believe that as long as the senior is in good shape mentally and physically, I don't see why they shouldn't be able to drive until they are 100 years old!

However, there are times when it's time to call it quits.
I don't know how it is in other states, but in California if you are worried about whether your parent is a safe driver, you can speak to their doctor to have their license evaluated by having them send a letter to the DMV. An administrative hearing would be scheduled with the DMV Driver Safety Department to have your parent re-tested.

They may not be happy, but it's better for them to be angry at you for keeping them safe and others safe than for some tragedy to occur.

~Rose

Unfortunately, my dad has Parkinsons, and doesn't want to relinquish his ability (or lack of) to drive. I think he thinks it's the last thing he has control over. But he has no feeling in his hands or feet, and shouldn't be driving. He won't give us the keys. What do we do?

and Florida, the land of elderly drivers?!?!?!?!?

My mother didn't see a van stopped in front of her so she swerved to the right and instead of stepping on the brake, she stepped on the gas and ended up hitting another car making a right turn ahead of her. She is lucky that no one was hurt. I used the event to tell her that I was now her designated driver! It's been hard to do that but we have all adapted.

it is a difficult situation for a person to give up that freedom. a couple years ago driving with my mother was darn right scary. she even wacked off some ones side mirror with the one on her vehicle. i couldn't say much for fear of upsetting her and for her driving to get worse. i did talk to after politely about it. now she tries not to drive at night. the day she has to give up driving completely will be a great loss for her.