How old is too old to drive? More older adults are staying on the road than ever before, but they also also at greater risk for accidents.
Driving fitness is a continual concern among senior living residents who still use cars, as many senior living communities accommodate those who wish to retain vehicle access. Within senior living, however, both family members and professional caregivers need to monitor and discuss residents’ ability to drive.
The lack of updated criteria for elder driving is the subject of several new research studies and analysis.
One possible fitness-to-drive assessment is being developed in the University of Queensland in Australia. The online driver safety test, aimed at people living with dementia, would provide a clearer picture of who can and should drive, and in doing so could lower crashes, as well as driving-related healthcare costs, the researchers suggested.
“Despite broad acknowledgement that those experiencing the cognitive impairment that can come with conditions like dementia often aren’t safe to drive, there is currently no industry-standard diagnostic tool for identifying when an individual should no longer be behind the wheel,” the Queensland study authors stated. They added that many are allowed to drive when they shouldn’t, or are told not to drive even when they still can.
In the United States, some solutions to help older drivers include informal family consultations, reduction of sedatives for those who still want to drive, or the use of virtual simulators for both assessment and rehab purposes, researchers stated in a study published earlier this month in JAMA.
As of 2020, there were almost 50 million drivers in the United States aged more than 65 years, a 68% increase from 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some of the issues that make driving more dangerous for older adults include cognitive decline, loss of vision and loss of motor functions, all of which can be exacerbated by chronic conditions such as dementia.
Those aged 75 to 79 are 2.5 times more likely than members of the general population to die in a car accident, whereas those aged 80 or more years are five times more likely, the JAMA researchers reported.
