Who makes the decision whether you should drive or not?

If you aren't a safe driver, the state decides whether you continue, mostly based upon reports made by other witnesses of the bad/dangerous driving.

My cousins should have stopped my Uncle from driving. He went through a red light one day and got t-boned which killed his wife and dog. His wife was a 2x ovarian cancer survivor and was also being treated at the Mayo for a heart condition (and beating it).

I worked to get my MIL's license retired because she forgot the brake vs. the gas pedal and nearly ran down children getting off a school bus.

Her husband (my stepFIL) had Parkinsons and kept driving even when his muscle motor skills were so compromised he'd usually fall in the parking lot he just drove to. I had his license retires (with the helpf of a social worker).

My 2 single Aunts in FL drove as a pilot and co-pilot. The driver had triple vision and the other never had a driver's license, so she was her eyes and talked her through what to do (I wish I was making this up). They were in their late 80s. Their car looked like it was in a pinball machine. I reported my Aunt anonymously to the DMV and got her license suspended.

My friend's Mom had a memory blip and got lost driving for 14 hours.

It doesn't even have to be anything that dramatic... maybe just taking out mailboxes or drifting over the white line. Why wait for a tragedy?

If your guardian thinks you are unsafe to drive, please trust them. A car is a weapon if the driver isn't 100% capable.

My father's doctor completed a form and sent it to the DMV based on his physical and mental condition. The DMV reviewed the report and then cancelled my father's license - meaning he does not have a valid drivers license. In Wisconsin there is an appeal process. Some DMV's offer a driving test for seniors. But my father continues to drive in his small town. He thinks because he still physically has his license it means he 'has' his license. I've tried to explain it to him. I've spoken with our local police. They said cannot cite him for driving without a valid license until he commits a violation. My next step is to take the keys away. He was a truck driver all his life. It will be devastating for him. It will mean more work for me to schedule rides for him, especially in his small town. But I cannot take the chance that he could hurt someone while driving.

I was fortunate that my husband with advanced Parkinson Disease was somewhat aware of his limitations. One day while I was at work, he lost his balance and fell in the kitchen and bloodied the right side of his face and shirt. Just a few minutes later he got in his SUV and went thru the drive thru of his favorite fast-food place to pick up lunch. When I got home, I was shocked to find him with blood on his face and shirt. This episode prompted an immediate appointment with his neurologist who told my husband that the actions he took and the actions he failed to take following the fall all demonstrated severe lack of judgment and that driving not only requires brain and muscle coordination, it also requires split second decision-making. Then the DOCTOR told him in my presence that he needed to stop driving as he could pose a risk not only to himself but to others. Without complaint, my husband never drove again. I was grateful that the doctor was unafraid to speak the truth to his patient.

My grandfather had been a commissioned officer in the military. He developed dementia and insisted he could still drive as family members tried to end his driving. My grandparents had only one car so getting rid of the car was not an option. My uncle enlisted a friend who was in the state highway patrol to tell my grandfather he couldn’t drive anymore. It worked. He respected the uniform and never drove again. I think it takes someone outside the family (doctor, friend they respect, etc) to effectively end the LOs driving. Unfortunately not all states require testing of elderly drivers so their licenses get renewed.

For better or worse, if you are under guardianship from the courts, your guardian has the ability to make that decision for you.

Ultimately, though, the resident state grants a drivers license and the resident state can revoke it as well.

These are just two that determine who can and cannot drive.

In our state A doctor can make the recommendation to the state but the state makes the decision.

I’m my humble opinion, if there is even the slightest doubt, then the person should not drive. Dementia works in mysterious and unpredictable ways. Uber is a wonderful service. Get the app and give it a try.

DMV makes the legal decision. Family and health care professionals can AND SHOULD report any unsafe driver. The driver will then have medical records reviewed and be required to take a driving evaluation. If they pass, they can continue to drive but they are now "on the radar" and may be required to take a re-evaluation every year or two. If they do not pass their license is immediately revoked. Family should take the keys and get rid of the car at that point, since many seniors do not understand that knowing how to drive and many years experience is not the same as having the reflexes to drive safely.

Usually the state makes the decision. If you think someone shouldn't be driving, you can report it to the state and ask them to check. An alternative is to ask the doctor to check and report it if appropriate.

Please note that this OP has posted many times lately. Has not responed to our questions in any posted. Just keeps asking questions.