SENIOR CORNER Senior Driving: Safety Tips by MARTHA OWEN and SUSAN GUY
As seniors age, driving often becomes a point of contention or a “sore subject.” Losing the ability to drive can be a heartbreaking loss of indepen- dence. It is difficult to decipher the appropriate time to give up those keys — and often, it is the result of an eye-opening event or dangerous acci- dent. Before getting to this point, it is important to be proactive and come up with a safe driving plan. As a matter of fact, AAA has launched a new senior safety and mobility Web site, www. AAASeniors.com. It includes content and resources based on extensive research, and provides families of older drivers with valuable information related to senior mobility challenges and tools to help extend safe driving. The Web site provides information for senior drivers and those who care about them in three areas:
• SENSING: One of the most noticeable effects of aging is diminishing
eyesight. We receive 85 to 90 percent of the information necessary to drive through our eyes, so good vision is essential for safe driving. In addition to deteriorating eyesight, most senior drivers must also cope with decreased hearing ability. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Roughly one-third of Americans 65 to 74 years of age and nearly half of those 75 and older have hearing loss. • DECIDING: Once your eyes and ears take in information, it’s up to the mind to process it and decide on the best course of action. Age length- ens the time it takes the brain to process information and also makes it
Deciding when a loved one is no loger equipped to drive can be a tough decision.
harder to ignore distractions. The good news is that experience, mature judgment, and good driv- ing habits can many times compensate for those diminished skills. • ACTING: Finally, once a senior driver has decided on the best response to the situation, it’s time to act. Older drivers can reduce their speed, maintain an escape path and cover the brake (lift the right foot from the accelerator and position it above the brake if a risky situation is imminent). A recent report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety revealed that auto crash deaths among drivers 70 and older has fallen, reversing an upward trend, even as the population of people 70 and older rose 10 percent.
Visit the AAA site for more important tips. Also, Home Instead Senior
Care has a program called The 40-70 Rule that can help begin conversations with seniors about sensitive subjects such as driving. Visit www.4070talk. com for more information. If the senior in your life does decide he should no longer drive, consider another option such as Home Instead Senior Care. The company’s CAREGivers serve as companions to seniors, assisting them with shopping and errands, as well as transportation. CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded, and insured.
MARTHA OWEN & SUSAN GUY Contributing Writers
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