How do you know when you are too old to drive? Does something big and obvious like a car accident have to be your signal to stop getting behind the wheel or should you look for subtler changes? How do you decide when to stop driving based on subtler changes in your abilities so that you give up driving before an accident takes place?
Eyesight
Your eyesight is a major component of your ability to drive. If you cannot read street signs then you should get a new prescription or just give up driving. If you cannot see any other necessary markers like lines on the road then that’s a good indication too but street signs are often the first to go fuzzy if your eyesight isn’t so good.
Reflexes
When your reflexes start to slow down then you want to think about if you should still be driving. Reflexes may be harder to measure but if you have trouble stopping your car in time then you should take that as a serious sign. You don’t want to risk driving a car with slow reflexes in a situation that requires fast ones.
Memory
Your memory is another factor in deciding if you are too old to drive. If you forget where you are or if you get lost then you probably shouldn’t be driving. You never know where you might end up. You also want to keep an eye on your ability to focus. Driving requires focus.
Nervousness
If you are nervous on the road and uncomfortable with driving then that may be your cue to stop driving altogether. If you find driving to be stressful then there are probably good reasons for that. Also, nervousness can lead to mistakes.
Fatigue
If you become fatigued easily then this is yet another factor to consider. Tiredness can slow reflexes, affect your memory, and even affect your eyes. You want to consider how severe your fatigue is and how much activity you can take before you get fatigued. You may just be too tired to drive.
Mistakes
When you make mistakes while you are driving then take the hint. Don’t shrug off the minor mistakes that you make like hitting curbs or stopping a car much later than you meant to. These small mistakes are there to let you know that you need to do something different to avoid bigger, costly mistakes later on.
What’s Causing All This?
If any of your problems have irreversible causes then you will have to stop driving. If, however, your problems were caused by a new medication’s side effects or some factor that can be changed or improved then you may be able to drive again once you’ve rectified the situation. Sometimes you aren’t too old and it’s something else.
Are you too old to drive? Go down this list and honestly evaluate your abilities. If for any reason you doubt your ability to drive safely then stop driving until you are once again sure that you can drive without incident.
T R Heinecker blogs on many topics, including how to determine where to get a masters degree in gerontology.
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