A Man Mails a Package With a Human Arm and a Note That Says I Can Never See You Again
Have yous been worried most your driving? Take your family or friends expressed business organisation? Changes in your wellness may affect your driving skills over time. Don't risk hurting yourself or others. Talk with your physician about any concerns you have about your health and driving.
Potent Joints and Muscles
Equally you age, your joints may get stiff, and your muscles may weaken. Arthritis, which is common amongst older adults, might impact your ability to drive. These changes tin make information technology harder to turn your head to look back, turn the steering wheel quickly, or brake safely.
Condom driving tips:
- Come across your medico if pain, stiffness, or arthritis seem to get in the way of your driving.
- If possible, drive a automobile with automatic transmission, power steering, ability brakes, and large mirrors.
- Exist physically active or exercise to keep and even improve your strength and flexibility.
- Think about getting hand controls for both the gas and brake pedals if you accept leg problems.
Problem Seeing
Your eyesight tin modify as you go older. Information technology might be harder to see people, things, and movement outside your direct line of sight. It may accept longer to read street or traffic signs or fifty-fifty recognize familiar places. At nighttime, y'all may have trouble seeing things clearly. Glare from oncoming headlights or street lights can be a problem. Depending on the time of the twenty-four hour period, the lord's day might be blinding.
Middle diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, equally well as some medicines, can also cause vision problems.
Safe driving tips:
- If you are 65 or older, see your centre dr. every year. Ask if in that location are ways to amend your eyesight.
- If y'all need glasses or contact lenses to see far abroad while driving, make certain your prescription is upwards-to-date and right. Always vesture them when you lot are driving.
- Cut back on or finish driving at night if yous accept trouble seeing in the nighttime. Attempt to avoid driving during sunrise and sunset, when the dominicus tin can be straight in your line of vision.
Trouble Hearing
As y'all get older, your hearing can change, making it harder to notice horns, sirens, or even noises coming from your own auto. Hearing loss can be a problem because these sounds warn you when yous may need to pull over or get out of the way.
Safe driving tips:
- Have your hearing checked at least every 3 years later historic period 50.
- Discuss concerns yous take most hearing with your doctor. In that location may be things that tin can help.
- Endeavor to keep the inside of the car every bit quiet as possible while driving.
Slower Reaction Time and Reflexes
As you go older, your reflexes might get slower, and yous might not react as quickly as you lot could in the by. You lot might find that you have a shorter attention bridge, making information technology harder to do two things at once. Stiff joints or weak muscles too can make information technology harder to move rapidly. Loss of feeling or tingling in your fingers and feet can get in hard to steer or use the foot pedals. Parkinson's affliction or limitations following a stroke can make information technology no longer safe to bulldoze.
Safe driving tips:
- Leave more infinite between you and the car in front of you.
- Start braking early on when you demand to terminate.
- Avoid heavy traffic areas or rush-60 minutes driving when yous tin can.
- If yous must drive on a fast-moving highway, bulldoze in the right-hand lane. Traffic moves more slowly there, giving you more time to make safe driving decisions.
Medications Can Affect Driving
Do you take any medicines that make you feel drowsy, empty-headed, or less alarm than usual? Exercise medicines you accept take a warning about driving? Many medications have side effects that can brand driving unsafe. Pay attention to how these drugs may affect your driving.
Safe driving tips:
- Read medicine labels carefully. Look for whatever warnings.
- Make a list of all of your medicines, and talk with your doctor or pharmacist nearly how they can affect your driving.
- Don't bulldoze if you feel empty-headed or drowsy.
Be a Rubber Driver
Maybe you already know that driving at night, on the highway, or in bad weather is a problem for you. Some older drivers too accept problems when yielding the right of way, turning (especially making left turns), changing lanes, passing, and using expressway ramps.
Safe driving tips:
- Take your driving skills checked by a driving rehabilitation specialist, occupational therapist, or other trained professional.
- Accept a defensive driving grade. Some machine insurance companies may lower your beak when you pass this type of class. Organizations similar AARP, American Auto Clan (AAA), or your machine insurance company can help you discover a form most you lot.
- When in dubiety, don't go out. Bad conditions like rain, ice, or snowfall can make it difficult for anyone to drive. Try to await until the weather is better, or apply buses, taxis, or other transportation services.
- Avoid areas where driving can be a problem. For example, choose a route that avoids highways or other high-speed roadways. Or, find a way to go that requires few or no left turns.
- Ask your medico if any of your health problems or medications might make it unsafe for you to drive. Together, yous tin can make a program to aid you proceed driving and determine when information technology is no longer prophylactic to drive.
Do You Have Concerns About an Older Commuter?

Are you worried about an older family unit fellow member or friend driving? Sometimes, information technology tin can be hard for an older person to realize that he or she is no longer a safe commuter. You might desire to observe the person'due south driving skills.
If information technology's non possible to detect the older person driving, look out for these signs:
- Multiple vehicle crashes, "near misses," and/or new dents in the motorcar
- 2 or more traffic tickets or warnings within the last 2 years; increases in car insurance premiums because of driving issues
- Comments from neighbors or friends about driving
- Feet nearly driving at night
- Health issues that might touch on driving ability, including bug with vision, hearing, and/or motility
- Complaints about the speed, sudden lane changes, or actions of other drivers
- Recommendations from a doctor to modify driving habits or quit driving entirely
Is It Time to Surrender Driving?
We all age differently. For this reason, there is no way to set i age when everyone should end driving. Then, how practise you know if y'all should finish? To help decide, ask yourself:
- Exercise other drivers oft honk at me?
- Have I had some accidents, fifty-fifty if they were only "fender benders"?
- Do I get lost, even on roads I know?
- Practise cars or people walking seem to appear out of nowhere?
- Exercise I get distracted while driving?
- Accept family, friends, or my physician said they're worried about my driving?
- Am I driving less these days considering I'm not as sure nearly my driving as I used to be?
- Exercise I have trouble staying in my lane?
- Do I have problem moving my foot between the gas and the brake pedals, or do I sometimes confuse the two?
- Have I been pulled over past a constabulary officer about my driving?
If you answered "aye" to whatever of these questions, it may be time to talk with your physician about driving or have a driving assessment.
How Will You Go Effectually?
Are yous worried you won't be able to do the things you want and need to do if you cease driving? Many people take this concern, merely in that location may exist more ways to get around than yous retrieve. For example, some areas provide free or low-price bus or taxi services for older people. Some communities offering a carpool service or scheduled trips to the grocery store, mall, or doctor's office. Religious and civic groups sometimes have volunteers who will drive you where you want to go.
Your local Expanse Agency on Crumbling can assistance you find services in your area. Call i-800-677-1116, or go to https://eldercare.acl.gov to observe your nearest Surface area Bureau on Crumbling.
You tin likewise think nigh using a auto or ride-sharing service. Sound pricey? Don't forget—it costs a lot to own a car. If y'all don't have to make car payments or pay for insurance, maintenance, gas, oil, or other motorcar expenses, then yous may be able to afford to have taxis or other transportation. You can besides purchase gas for friends or family members who give you rides.
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For More than Information Almost Driving
This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Crumbling (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure information technology is accurate and up to engagement.
Content reviewed: December 12, 2018
Source: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/older-drivers
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