How to Get Involved

A senior driver’s age shouldn’t be cause for concern. Instead, focus on overall health and fitness as it relates to safe driving.

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Know When to be Concerned

Despite a growing number of older drivers on the road, researchers have found that they are crashing less often than just a decade ago. They’re also less likely to be injured or killed in a crash, compared with aging drivers of yesterday. That’s because older adults are living longer, healthier and more active lives than ever before.

Normal aging does affect driving, but there isn’t set age when a person is no longer safe behind the wheel. In fact, most people can safely drive well into old age. When people become unsafe to drive, it’s generally the result of an underlying medical condition or medications, not reaching a certain age.

Get involved by regularly checking the driving of your parent or other senior driver in your life. Here are two common warning signs:

• The driver has been issued two or more traffic tickets or warnings in the past two years. Tickets can predict greatest risk for collision.
• The driver has been involved in two or more collisions or “near-misses” in the past two years. Rear-end crashes, parking lot fender-benders and side collisions while turning across traffic rank as the most common mishaps for drivers with diminishing skills, depth perception or reaction time.

Additional warning signs, as well as information on common medical conditions and driving evaluations, can be accessed below.