WHEN TO HANG UP THE KEYS
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 -- 11:45 AM
With families getting together for the holidays, it might be a good time to consider your loved-ones' driving abilities.Many times, elderly drivers don't realize their driving ability is slipping. Nancy Thompson with AARP says it's important for family members to watch for signs?
"Does the family member have dents or scrapes on the car or on the garage door or fences?" Thompson says you may even want to take a drive with them. "Does it look like they are not judging the traffic or intersections properly? Older drivers have accidents more often at intersections and involving left turns."
There are other signs, such as getting lost easily, trouble reading signs or lacking the flexibility to check their blind spot.
It may be awkward, but a little intervention at the first sign of a problem can prevent a tragic accident.
But don't stop there, help loved ones find alternatives.
"If you can seek other ways for them to travel?that helps someone hang up the keys when they need to," Thompson says.
While older drivers may be more susceptible to impairments that can affect their ability to drive, Thompson notes many elderly drivers remain capable, safe drivers. In fact, they have a saying, "birthdays don't cause accidents, drivers do."
On The Web:
[url=http://www.aarp.org/families/driver_safety/driver_safetyissues/a2004-06-21-whentostop.html]AARP: Warnings Signs[/url]
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.