Staying Active

‘Taking Away the Keys’ a Tough Decision for Family

Listen to Dr. Sims' discussion:

Taking away an aging family member's driving privileges is a decision fraught with emotion and misgivings, says Richard Sims, M.D., a researcher with the UAB Center for Aging and VA Medical Center, who studies driver safety among older adults.

"This question comes up frequently, as you can imagine," says Sims. "We're asked, 'Is my father, or uncle, or grandfather, safe to drive or not?' And that's not really something I can answer, off the cuff, unless it's obvious that the patient has a deficit severe enough so that there's no question this person shouldn't be driving.

"For example, a patient with moderately advanced Alzheimer's disease, or even moderate Alzheimer's, probably should not be on the road. Not because driving isn't an over-learned activity, but because when an emergent situation arises, the patients are very unlikely to be able to compensate. Or a person who has legal blindness is an individual who shouldn't be driving."

Most older drivers are safe, according to Sims. But many others fall into an "in-between" category, in which it's not immediately clear if they should be on the road.

"These are the individuals who should be evaluated," says Sims. "It's possible that some reversible deficits, either in vision or in medications or their physical health, can be treated and then these patients become safer drivers.

"The focus of my research at this point is to try to identify what the risk of a motor accident would be for these individuals in the future, and if there's anything that can be done to reduce that risk."

An information clearinghouse known as the Center for Healthy Aging lists these common warning signs that an older driver may be at special risk:

• Abrupt lane changes, braking or acceleration
• Reacts slowly to changes in driving environment
• Has close calls or more fender benders than usual
• Fails to use turn signal, or keeps signal on without changing lanes
• Drifts into other lanes
• Drives on the wrong side of the road or in the shoulder
• Appears fearful or scared of driving, or excessively tired after driving
• Has trouble reading signs or navigating directions; gets lost more than usual
• Notices the irritation and honking of other drivers but doesn't seem to understand, or seems oblivious to the frustration of other drivers
• Fails to pay attention to signs, signals or pedestrians
• Misses exits or backs up after missing exit
• Experiences physical difficulty or range of motion issues (looking over the shoulder, moving hands or feet, etc.)
• Dents, scratches or other evidence of minor car accidents can be signs that driving is getting more challenging for an elderly person

Additionally, if the senior seems much more nervous or tired than usual, they may be struggling to pay attention while driving.

A downloadable audio file of Dr. Sims’ article is also available.