As relatives age, watch for deteriorating driving skills
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As an older driver, Marilyn Pelnar has taken the AARP 55 Alive Driver Safety program many times.
JANESVILLE — Elaine Mueske’s family and a physician took away her father’s last bit of independence—the keys to his car.
“It was a professional person, so he wouldn’t blame one of us adult children. Still, he was upset and thought it was mean, but he never got hurt and never killed anyone,’’ she said.
Mueske, 61, and her family grew concerned about her father’s driving after he was driving with her mother and didn’t remember their trip and how they’d gotten where they were. They also learned her father had gone off the road in the winter, Mueske said.
“There were a couple things that made us think, ‘He’s really not safe on the road, anymore,’” Mueske said.
“He had Alzheimer’s before he died. I know he knew he wasn’t capable of driving anymore and we knew he didn’t think we had the authority (to take his driver’s license away), but we knew some professionals, and they were willing to help,’’ the Janesville woman said.
That can make all the difference, said Jennifer Enright-Ford, registered nurse consultant, for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Her work focuses on health-impaired drivers.
“This is so stressful for families. So it helps if the physician will be involved,” Enright-Ford said.
Mueske is among a growing number of adult children dealing with elderly parents who have driving issues.
Drivers 55 and older make up 25 percent of the driving population, according to the American Association of Retired Persons.
Enright-Ford said advanced age does not automatically make a driver unsafe. Health issues, for example, can interfere with drivers of all ages, she said.
But there are signs children can watch for when concerned about a parent’s driving—vehicle damage, inappropriately slow driving, anxiety about driving and other motorists honking horns.
“Adult children should get in the car and drive with their parents to see how that driver is reacting to road conditions,” Enright-Ford said.
She also warned family members of health-impaired drivers to not wait too long in addressing their concerns.
“Families often know their relative is no longer safe to drive long before anyone takes action because drivers are reluctant to give up their independence. But driving problems will not go away. If there has been a health crisis or an onset of a degenerative disease, it is best to start the conversation ahead of the problem,’’ Enright-Ford said.
Transportation options are available for senior citizens who can’t drive, Ford-Enright said.
“Every county in Wisconsin gets funding for senior transit, and each has autonomy in how to set up their programs, she said.
Drivers 55 and older are involved in more accidents per mile driven than drivers 30 to 54.
“The number of accidents per mile rises sharply at about age 75,’’ according to AARP’s Web site.
Younger drivers—16 to 34—and older drivers—55 and older—are at high risk for different reasons, Enright-Ford said.
“The younger driver has an inexperience issue and the older driver health issues,’’ she said.
And “older drivers die more often if they get in an accident,” said Jennifer Baier, program coordinator for Wisconsin AARP.
RESOURCES FOR OLDER DRIVERS
-- The Web site for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, www.seniordrivers.org, is devoted to older drivers and driving safety.
The “Giving up Keys” section is for families and individuals planning for that time when driving is no longer an option for an older relative.
-- The Web site for the Wisconsin Department of Aging, http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/aging/contacts/COAGOF.HTM, lists county transit programs for senior citizens.
-- AARP 55 Alive Driver Safety Program is the country’s biggest classroom driver improvement course for older drivers. It is open to those 50 and older and helps drivers refine their skills and develop defensive driving techniques.
To find a course near you, visit www.aarp.org/families/driver_safety. You also can find a course by calling 1-888-227-7669. Be ready to give your five-digit ZIP code. A local volunteer will call back within five business days to help you locate the course nearest you.
The course also can be taken online at www.aarp.org/families/driver_safety.
-- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit, research and communications organization that provides resources for information on older drivers, such as facts on traffic fatalities and driver’s licensing requirements. You can find the institute’s Web site at www.iihs.org.
-- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration produced a brochure “Driving Safely While Aging Gracefully.”
The NHTSA also has the brochure “Safe Driving for Older Adults’’ to help determine if physical and mental changes have impacted the driving skills of older motorists. The brochure, which provides helpful tips about what seniors can do to remain safe drivers, for as long as possible, is easy to ready because it is printed in a larger type. The NHTSA Web site is www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
Mar 4, 2008 at 10:44 p.m.
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If taking a driving test would make you a better driver, then teens would be the best drivers in the country, as they have all recently taken and passed a driving test. If that is the case, then why are we being gouged by insurance companies with higher rates for our teen drivers?
Mar 4, 2008 at 12:16 a.m.
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Haeight, I agreed with your well thought out post on the subject-all done with humor, logic, and no demeaning language or blanket statements about the elderly and their driving capabilities...until "Allowing them to reapply for their license for an increasing fee after x times, not to gouge them but to show there will be little tolerance for wasting time." Where did that come from-was your keyboard comandeered by someone else at that point?
Mar 3, 2008 at 11:38 p.m.
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The only problem with this is that if you keep looking for something wrong pretty soon everything they do is wrong and then you'll end up taking away their freedom over nothing. My dad is 64 years old and I trust his driving better then mine and I'm 30. As for the road rage, everybody gets angry at somebody all the time whether they did something wrong or not.
I'm not saying that there isn't a problem with older drivers. But there are problems with drivers of all ages.
Mar 3, 2008 at 10:27 p.m.
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Hmm. I daresay I been involved in an accident with a senior citizen 75. Quite entertaining neither of us were hurt. Entertaining in the fact I was 17 at the time drving my dads 1 ton blaze orange truck. She back up into me trashing her back end and demolishing only a $40 hub cap on the truck.
My grandfather when I was a child was in so many accidents simply because he stopped caring about looking either way.
Active people tend to have better reflexes in all age groups. 55-60 is the onset in my experience of age related reflexes degrading in the less active people. I have seen very animated and strong 70-80 year olds I have no doubt of their abilty to drive.
It simply needs to be regulated between doctors and the DMV as to who is fit to drive and who needs yearly skill tests. Asking for a physical on a yearly basis isn't too much to ask for. Results such as cataracts or decreased range of motion or a whole slew of things would be cause for a driving test review. Allowing them to reapply for their license for an increasing fee after x times, not to gouge them but to show there will be little tolerance for wasting time.
Mar 3, 2008 at 5:31 p.m.
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There should be a drivers test every year up to age 21 and after age 70. It is crazy to know that someone can get a drivers license at age 75 and can go 11 years before being rechecked. This is one case where I think there should be more government regulation since most older parents don't like to hear the truth from their kids.
Mar 3, 2008 at 4:13 p.m.
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The only two accidents I have been in have been with men over 70. The second one even thought he never got into an accident even though there were two big dents in our cars-one on mine and one on his. Then he tried to leave saying that he had a doctors appt. at 4:30 pm on a Sat. I should also add the cops felt bad cause the man was so old and confused he didn't even get a ticket so I had to fight his insurance company because he denied to them he had gotten in an accident as well. What a headache...Please if the government can't control your parents; you do it. Lets not let them kill/injure themselves and our families.
Mar 3, 2008 at 3:53 p.m.
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my Grandma was killed by a "too old driver" at the moose almost 10 yrs ago,because he accidentally mistook the brake for the gas....5 times.My children were robbed of knowing her,all beacuse he shouldn't have been driving.he got confused and admitted also the truck was too big for him,swore he'd never drive again,and within a month we saw him on the road again.Say what you want about teen drivers,but you also haven't read on much up on statistics as older drivers nationwide DO cause more accidents.I wish the law would change to demand a driving road test every 5 years to all drivers 60+ for our own safety,but as most the lawmakers are around this age,fat chance of that happening.I also realize I won't want someone testing me every few years either,but I would never want to steal a family member away from a family like was done to mine.Wasn't it the older people that always told us "better safe then sorry"
Mar 3, 2008 at 2:54 p.m.
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I think that every body should have to take their driver's test every 5 years. My personal opinion.
Also, the only time I really get angry when driving is when I'm stuck behind someone going under the speed limit in normal conditions.
Mar 3, 2008 at 10:03 a.m.
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Oh yah, and the only people "causing" road rage are the people behind the wheel getting ticked at others. You CHOOSE to get angry, nobody MAKES you angry!
Mar 3, 2008 at 10:02 a.m.
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Retaking driving tests is a good idea. However, 50 years old is awfully young. Perhaps 65-70 as a starting point. I agree though that teens are far more of a problem on the road. So many of them think they are indistructable and that "it could never happen to them."
Mar 3, 2008 at 9:54 a.m.
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If you check out CDC statistics you will find that teen drivers are much more of a threat to others than older drivers. Too bad there isn't a AAYP to closely monitor that age group.
Mar 3, 2008 at 9:46 a.m.
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anyone over 50 should have to retake their drivers test they cause alot of the road rage out there
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