When Should An Elder Stop Driving?

Elder Law 101:  Do you have some concerns about an older family member’s driving safety?  As our older family members continues to age, you probably have a lot of concerns about his or her health and safety.  Are you unsure if he or she should continue to drive?

Take a look at the below guide to learn more about when it is the right time to take away the keys.  With this knowledge, you will be able to keep your loved one and the others around him or her safe.   If you have further questions, consult with an experienced and qualified elder law attorney.

• Does he or she have trouble seeing at night?
• Is he or she hard of hearing?
• Does he or she have serious health conditions that could make driving risky?
• Does he or she take certain medications that give the following side effects: dizziness, drowsiness, confusion?
• Is his or her vision continuing to worsen?
• Has he or she received parking violations or driving tickets lately?
• Does he or she become easily frustrated or nervous when driving?
• Does he or she have slow reflexes that make it harder to react to problems or safety concerns quickly?
• Has he or she almost caused serious car accidents?
• Is it difficult for him or her to steer?
• Does he or she forget certain traffic rules?
• Does he or she have trouble checking blind spots when driving?
• Has he or she been involved in accidents recently?
• Does he or she drive at night even though it is hard for her to see?
• Is he or she continuing to miss certain traffic signs or signals?
• Does he or she always ask for help when you are a passenger in her car?
• Does he or she seem uncomfortable when driving?

Have you answered yes to any of the above questions?  If an older family member shows some of the warning signs above, it may be time to take away his or her keys.  It is important to make sure that you are taking note of possible warning signs so that you can continue to protect your loved one as well as other drivers and pedestrians.

If you have questions or concerns about an elder person’s driving safety, contact the local Driver Safety Office of the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

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Timothy P. Murphy

Timothy P. Murphy is an estate planning and elder law attorney whose practice emphasizes helping people to build, preserve and pass on their wealth. He works with his clients to accomplish their goals while avoiding unnecessary court proceedings and minimizing or eliminating exposure to death taxes.

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