Senior Drivers: Time to Take the Keys?

Driving is a privilege that, in the minds of most Americans, has evolved into a right. The facts speak for themselves, however, when age and health concerns inhibit someone's ability to handle a moving vehicle even at slow speeds. Faced with taking this privilege away, this freedom, is cause for concern as families try to balance what's best for everyone while not hurting the elders we so respect.


As a young driver cruising the beach towns of Southern California, my biggest frustration was trailing behind a massive American sedan driven by that "little old lady from Pasadena" whose blue hair barely cleared the headrest. Now that I'm a candidate for AARP, my attitude and snotty verbal references have changed considerably. Some day, all too soon, that blue-haired senior citizen will be me. Even worse is the idea of role reversal faced by adult children of senior drivers—taking the keys away from Mom and Dad.

The Legal Debate
News items over the last few years don't calm that anxiety. The worst to date was the much publicized case of an 86-year old plowing through the Santa Monica farmer's market, and killing 10 pedestrians. The accident sent state legislatures scurrying to solve the problem by enacting age-related restrictions to the drivers licensing process.


More helpful have been programs developed by the American Medical Association, AARP and the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) that provide information and guidance to both seniors and those who worry about them. The medical community argues that age is not necessarily a predictor of bad driving habits; functional ability is.


Some age-related limitations, like vision and hearing, can be corrected. Physical impairments, like arthritis, can be medically improved; and auto manufacturers, realizing that the Boomer Generation is hurdling toward senior citizenship, are adding features that compensate for some human impairment. Often, the difference between safe and unsafe drivers boils down to cognitive ability, ranging from simple confusion to dementia.