Senior Drivers Safety Tips

Safety Tips for Aging Drivers

While it's true that young, new drivers are the demographic with the highest risk rate due to their lack of experience, they aren't the only motorists with an increased rate of collision. Older drivers can develop conditions that make driving more difficult, too. Hearing, vision, reflexes, and general physical conditions are all elements that deteriorate over time.

In fact, by the year 2026, more than 20% of all drivers in Canada will be of retirement age, making it more important than ever to ensure that older drivers are just as safe as everyone else on the road.

Although our bodies will inevitably deteriorate, there are ways to compensate and still be safe drivers. One of the first things a person can do is learn how to properly assess their ability to drive. There are a few things to consider:

• Vision : Does it take longer for your eyes to recover from glares when you're driving at night?
• Up-to-Date : Are you constantly informing yourself about any highway driving regulation changes?
• Timing : Do you have trouble gauging when to merge on a busy highway?
• Range of Motion : Do you look over your shoulder to check for cars before you change lanes?

How to Assess Your Driving

There are also supplemental materials a person can use in order to accurately assess their driving ability. The AMA Centre offers a free booklet titled "Driver 65 Plus: Check Your Own Performance." This booklet provides detailed information on how your body may be changing without you even noticing.

It begins with a self-assessment test. The answers the test reveals could help you pinpoint your trouble areas. There are also some suggestions for improvement, and helpful reminders for everyday things many drivers tend to forget. Some of the topics covered in the booklet are:

• Distracted Driving : Do your thoughts tend to wander while you're behind the wheel? If you treat driving as a complicated task that requires your full attention, you will prevent distraction.
• Road Rage : Do you find yourself getting angry in a car? Traffic and other driving situations can turn an otherwise calm person into a raving lunatic, but if you can keep your emotions in check, you'll have a relaxed, pleasant trip.
• Medications : Are you regularly taking prescription drugs? Your doctor can tell you how certain pills can alter your vision, concentration, and even mood. Understand the side effects of any medicine you take, and how they could affect your driving.

There are also online "Roadside Reviews," which are computer simulations of driving scenarios. You can use these to check your reflexes and reaction times.

Next Steps

If you feel your driving skills have waned throughout the years, there's still a lot you can do. Keep a copy of the Alberta's Driver Handbook close by, and review it from time to time. You could also take an online driver refresher class that's specifically designed for older drivers. These classes can help you heighten your awareness on the road, and keep your skills sharpened. There are also one-on-one coaching sessions available, where you can pair up with an experienced driving instructor. They can observe and evaluate your driving skills, and help you correct bad behaviors and improve your overall presence on the road.

Oftentimes, the changes our bodies go through are so gradual that they can be nearly imperceptible, if you don't know what to look for. So if your skills are starting to slip, or you'd like to keep them from slipping, follow the guidelines above, and you will remain a safe driver. And anything that makes you a safer driver is a good thing.