SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly 83 percent of older drivers report never speaking to a family member or physician about their safe driving ability, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. But if you have concerns about an aging family member, there are ways to bring up the topic without just slamming on the brakes.
In 2016, more than 200,000 drivers over the age of 65 were injured in a traffic crash and more than 3,500 were killed. With seniors outliving their ability to drive safely by an average of seven to 10 years, families should not wait to talk about safety, according to AAA.
AAA urges seniors to begin planning for “driving retirement” at the same time they begin planning for retirement from work.
“The right time to stop driving varies for everyone,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety. “This research shows that older drivers can be hesitant to initiate conversations about their driving capabilities, so it is important that families encourage them to talk early and often about their future behind the wheel. With early discussion and proper planning, elderly drivers may extend their time on the road.”
The report is the latest research released in the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers project.
Researchers found that only 17 percent of older drivers report ever speaking with a family member or physician about driving safety. The most commonly cited reasons for having the discussion include driving safety concerns like falling asleep while driving or having trouble staying in the correct lane, health issues, driving infractions, crashes or planning for the future.
AAA recommends families begin discussions when an older driver starts planning for other life changes, like retirement from work or moving to a new home. When talking to an older driver, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
- Start early and talk often. Be positive, be supportive and focus on ways to help keep them safe when behind the wheel, including other forms of transportation.
- Avoid generalizations. Do not jump to conclusions about an older driver’s skills or abilities.
- Speak one-on-one. Keep the discussion between you and the older driver. Inviting the whole family to the conversation can create feelings of alienation or anger.
- Focus on the facts. Stick to information you know, like a medical condition or medication regimen that might make driving unsafe. Do not accuse an older driver of being unsafe or assume that driving should be stopped altogether.
- Plan together. Allow the older driver to play an active role in developing the plan for their driving retirement.
“The best time to initiate a discussion is before you suspect there is a problem,” AAA Utah spokesman Michael Blasky said. “Planning for personal mobility and independence should be done with the older driver. Talking sooner, rather than later, can help set mutual expectations and reduce safety issues or emotional reactions down the line.”
Past research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that older adults who have stopped driving are almost two times more likely to suffer from depression and nearly five times as likely to enter a long-term care facility as those who remain behind the wheel.
Families can use the AAA Driver Planning Agreement as a guide to starting conversations about safety. The agreement allows families to plan together for future changes in driving abilities before they become a concern.
For more information on AAA resources for older drivers, visit SeniorDriving.AAA.com.
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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.
it is very dangerous
a good web will help u ,www.baidu.com
Of course they’re not. No one wants to admit their hearing, sight and motor functions are declining. People 65 and older should be required to take a vision test every year and a on-the-road test every other year to be able to keep their driver license.
Might as well overstate the obvious! Don’t text and drive either!
AnnieMated. Can’t help but wonder if you still think this way when you’re 65
“Now listen here Sonny. I’ll stop driving when they pry my cold dead hands from the steering wheel!”
Seriously, I had a friend who was run over in a parking lot. Killed him. The driver was an 80 something old …* who had no insurance, and whose driving licence had been taken away from him by California DMV.
* Ed. ellipsis added.
No license, no insurance and he/she was still driving. Happens all the time at ANY age. We’ve all heard of the driver who had his license suspended for MULTABLE DUI’s an still gets behind the wheel drunk and kills someone.
Couldn’t find a better place to study this problem than St George
DWO: Driving While Old
It’s a hugely at-risk demographic, but standards for the elderly getting on our roads and steering a 5 ton missile is lacking to say the least!
When you look at the frankly poor standards of younger drivers in southern Utah, what does anyone really expect from the senescent members of our wonderful community?
They harken back to the days when a driving test was knowing how to crank the handle of family Model T. We’re expecting some form of testing but what testing did they actually do in the first place?
I’m utterly convinced that Utah’s license is nothing more than a state-sanctioned tax for a photo ID. The words ‘Driver’ and ‘License’ are mutually exclusive concepts to the average Utahn…
I’m way more worried about some of the idiotic teenagers out there.
And 95% of Teenage Drivers are not “talking” about Diving Safely either… however they are “Texting” about many other things of (perceived) importance While Driving.