4 Signs You May Be Too Old to Drive
Grey hair and feeling stiff are perhaps the most obvious indicators you’re getting old, but just because you have grey hair doesn’t mean you can’t do certain things. You might be old, but you can still run a marathon or see things a mile away. However, if you’ve reached a point where you’re frequently getting lost and running stop signs, it may be time to consider giving up driving.
Menendez Law Firm estimates that one in five residents of Florida are over 65 years old, and the number may continue to increase as the years go by. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the number of fatal crashes per mile of travel starts to rise around the age of 70, peaking around the age of 85. Many older people can drive safely into their 80s and 90s. Here are four indicators that you may be too old to drive.
1. You’re Experiencing Seemingly Reckless Driving
The clearest indication you should surrender your keys is when you start driving badly. Driving patterns that abruptly and significantly change are a sign your driving is becoming erratic. If you find yourself rolling through stop signs, something you never used to do, it’s to consider surrendering your car keys.
Another telltale sign is if you’re now switching lanes without glancing at your blind zone or you’ve stopped observing safety protocols such as wearing a seatbelt. Do you feel scared? Would you allow a kid to ride along with you? Everyone makes mistakes behind the wheel, but if you’re a senior person and are having trouble navigating the streets, it may be time to let others drive you.
2. Your Vehicle is Banged Up
If your car has recent dents and scratches you are sure weren’t there before, or your garage door, mailbox, driveway, or fence is damaged, it’s time to admit you’re past the safe driving age. Another sign you’re becoming a risky driver due to age is if you keep receiving traffic violation tickets or warnings. Of course, the more risky a driver is, the higher the auto insurance premiums. CarsDirect lists faulty couplers, bearings, and U-joints (universal joints) as three of the most common causes of car vibrations. Serial damages not only mount up and reduce your vehicle’s value but can also unfairly burden other vehicle owners and properties with unrecovered costs and damages.
3. You’re Having a Hard Time Seeing
Driving safely depends on your ability to see and hear. If you need glasses or hearing aids to see or hear, only drive when wearing them. Otherwise, you should stop driving. Further, if these devices are no longer effective in correcting your impairments, it’s time to hang up the car keys. Additionally, you shouldn’t be behind the wheel if you have a vision issue like cataracts, macular degeneration, or glaucoma. Can you see through the wheel? This may be difficult if you’ve lost height due to osteoporosis or a bent spine.
4. You Have Delayed Response or Reaction Time
If your reaction time is sluggish, the chances of causing a major accident are high. How do you react to loud, sudden noises? Can you change your focus and react swiftly in an emergency? If not, giving up driving is the safest option.
More than 50% of accidents that result in injuries or fatalities, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, happen at intersections in metropolitan areas, and 30% happen in the countryside. Although it can be difficult to acknowledge a person’s decline, it would be a horrible tragedy if you were to have an accident and suffer life-threatening injuries.
Relationships are everything; keeping your age-driven driving challenges from your family and close friends might seem the best thing to do. Well, it’s not; don’t ignore the problem. If you start experiencing these warning signs, take a bold step and own up. It’s time to stop driving yourself.
