The Truth About Older Drivers: Myths versus Facts

In this 3-part series, we tackle the often sensitive issue of older drivers. In Part 1, we explore common myths and facts about older drivers. Part 2 considers the warning signs that it may be time to stop driving. Part 3 focuses on things you can do and ways for caregivers to talk to their older loved ones about such a sensitive topic.

Are you concerned about your older parent’s safety behind the wheel? Witnessing a parent having close calls on the road or learning that they were in a car accident can give us pause.

We start to wonder if it is ok for Mom or Dad to keep driving. But, don’t we all have close calls, regardless of our age? Can age alone tell us whether someone is a good or bad driver?

When we get to a certain age, should we just quit driving?

To address these questions, we consider some common myths and facts about older drivers.

Myth: Older adults are bad drivers.

Fact: Being a good or bad driver is not determined by a person’s age. Many older adults remain safe and skilled drivers well into older age. In fact, older adults tend to be experienced drivers and they make adaptations that increase safety.

Myth: All older adults lose the ability to drive due to physical declines.

Fact: We all have physical changes as we get older, which can make driving more difficult for some. We are more likely to experience the changes listed below as we get older, but people experience these changes at different rates, and not all of us will have changes so severe as to interfere with our ability to drive.

• Our vision changes with age, which can make it more difficult to read traffic signs, to see at night, and to recover from the glare of headlights from oncoming traffic.
• Hearing loss may mean that we do not hear horns warning of an impending accident or sirens alerting us to make way for emergency vehicles.
• Driving is a complex activity that requires quick decisions, weeding out distracting information, and focusing on multiple tasks at once. Changes in attention and psychomotor speed make it harder to ignore distractions and it may take longer to react to avoid an accident. Driving in unfamiliar places may be harder because it is more taxing on attention abilities, whereas driving in familiar places becomes more automatic.
• Medications may lead to dizziness, drowsiness, and slower reaction times.
• Chronic illness can affect driving. For example, arthritis may lead to shoulder stiffness making it hard to turns our heads to see behind us or to grip the steering wheel to avoid an accident.
• Declines in physical health can affect driving. Having a history of falls was recently linked to an increased risk of car accidents for older drivers.
• Cognitive impairment can lead to confusion and getting lost even in familiar places.

Myth: Older drivers are more likely to get in an accident compared to younger drivers.

Fact:  It depends. Generally speaking, the number of accidents decreases with age. This is mainly because older adults drive less and make adaptations. However, accidents are more likely to lead to serious injury or fatality for older drivers. Older adults have a higher risk of being in a fatal crash for every mile driven, particularly starting around age 70-74. Both older and younger drivers have more fatal accidents per mile driven than middle-aged drivers.

Older drivers often make adaptations that contribute to fewer accidents. These include tending to avoid driving in bad weather, during rush hour, in unfamiliar places, or at night. Older drivers also often avoid complex driving situations, such as making left-hand turns at busy intersections, or they stick to local roads rather than highways.

Myth: Older drivers should just get off the road.

Fact:  Losing the ability to drive is no small matter. When older adults stop driving, it can be bad for their health. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society revealed that older adults who stopped driving were more likely to be depressed and to develop health problems compared to those who continued to drive.

Why is it bad for your health to stop driving? In many ways, driving equals freedom, independence, and the ability to do cherished activities. Without a car, it becomes harder to stay involved in social activities, get to medical appointments, and go grocery shopping. Not being able to drive can lead to social isolation and feelings of despair, anger, and depression.

Myth: There are plenty of other transportation options for older adults.

Fact: This is partly true (See our posts on transportation). Some options include public transportation with reduced fares, medical transport services, taxicab or Uber, and rides from family and friends. In many cases, these options offer a practical alternative to driving.

On the other hand, the availability, quality, and reliability of these services varies depending on where you live. In suburban or rural areas, public transportation can become burdensome or inaccessible.

Not everyone can afford the cost of these services. But, consider that the money saved from not having to pay for car fuel, maintenance, and insurance can be used for transportation services.

Family and friends may be happy to provide rides, but they might not have the time or be available when a ride is needed.

Alternative transportation options do exist. With research and planning, you may find an option that works. Don’t be surprised if you encounter bumps along the way.

Myth: There is nothing older drivers can do to increase safety.

Fact: There are strategies older drivers can use to increase their safety on the road.

Older drivers can:

• Make behavioral adaptations, such as not driving at night.
• Take advantage of new technologies. Many new cars are equipped with blind spot indicators which can alert us to wait before switching lanes. New sensors can tell us if we are about to hit another car or object. Other sensors can alert us if a car is coming when we are backing out of a parking space.
• Take a refresher course on driving. Your local DMV may offer a course. AARP and AAA offer driver safety classes, in class or on-line. As a bonus, car insurance discounts are available in some states for completing one of these courses.

Now that we’ve covered the facts, we know that age alone does not tell us whether someone is a good or bad driver. However, there may come a time when we need to consider “retiring’” from driving for safety reasons. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series about the warning signs that it may be time to stop driving.