Elderly Drivers - Please Stop Driving

[Anonymous]

I’m 66. Healthy and only need readers. When my doctor advises I quit driving, or my kids notice a decline, I will give them my car. However, as a widow, I don’t feel comfortable with Lyft or Uber, so I’ll stick to more deliveries. I’m not expecting my kids to haul me around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We try, OP. My dad lives in a European capital that has excellent public transportation. He’s 88 and still *needs* his car to play golf.

No he doesn't. You simply take the keys away, or have their doctor send a note to revoke their DL.

So thankful my parents happily gave up their final car by age 82/83.
But I would have taken the keys away if they hadn't within a few years after that

You're either delusional, or intentionally trying to stir things up.

"Simply taking the keys away" from someone is theft. You think there aren't elderly people who will call the police on their own kids?

[Anonymous]

There have been tremendous recent advances in auto safety with features such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. These features can probably delay by a few years the age at which the elderly should stop driving.

Of course, time marches on for all of us, and eventually the elderly should stop driving.

[Anonymous]

Also driving restrictions for the elderly need not necessarily be abrupt. Two useful first steps are to stop driving at night and to stop driving on highways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 66. Healthy and only need readers. When my doctor advises I quit driving, or my kids notice a decline, I will give them my car. However, as a widow, I don’t feel comfortable with Lyft or Uber, so I’ll stick to more deliveries. I’m not expecting my kids to haul me around.

Again…you’re just too old for when Uber and Lyft came about. Plenty of single women take Ubers and Lyfts…when Waymo is in your area then you won’t have to worry about drivers either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But teens have to take a test to get a license - so if you have a teen driver, he or she very recently has proven (as much as is required which granted is not much!) that he or she is a competent driver.

Someone above said her 98 year old grandmother had her license auto renewed - that likely means that person hasn’t had their driving competency checked in 82 years?!

LOL, not in Iowa you don't. You turn 16, show up at the DMV and they give you a DL. Also, at 14.5 you can get a school permit and drive, ALONE, to and from work and school

Well remind me not to drive in Iowa...then again not an issue, haven't been back in over 25 years.

But most states do require a driving test for new drivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We try, OP. My dad lives in a European capital that has excellent public transportation. He’s 88 and still *needs* his car to play golf.

No he doesn't. You simply take the keys away, or have their doctor send a note to revoke their DL.

So thankful my parents happily gave up their final car by age 82/83.
But I would have taken the keys away if they hadn't within a few years after that

You're either delusional, or intentionally trying to stir things up.

"Simply taking the keys away" from someone is theft. You think there aren't elderly people who will call the police on their own kids?

Guess I still have a healthy relationship with my parents. So we'd have a discussion. But if needed I'd have their doctor pull their DL, if they were no longer rational

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We try, OP. My dad lives in a European capital that has excellent public transportation. He’s 88 and still *needs* his car to play golf.

No he doesn't. You simply take the keys away, or have their doctor send a note to revoke their DL.

So thankful my parents happily gave up their final car by age 82/83.
But I would have taken the keys away if they hadn't within a few years after that

You're either delusional, or intentionally trying to stir things up.

"Simply taking the keys away" from someone is theft. You think there aren't elderly people who will call the police on their own kids?

Guess I still have a healthy relationship with my parents. So we'd have a discussion. But if needed I'd have their doctor pull their DL, if they were no longer rational

You can’t just direct your parents’ doctor to do things.

[Anonymous]

The funniest thing about threads like this if DCUM mentality on what elderly is. 66? 83? Looloolllollllll

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have been tremendous recent advances in auto safety with features such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. These features can probably delay by a few years the age at which the elderly should stop driving.

Of course, time marches on for all of us, and eventually the elderly should stop driving.

Yes this stuff is really great. My dad upgraded to one of these cars in his 80s. He also just adjusted to being a more cautious driver — eg instead of pulling out across traffic, he would go to a traffic light to turn. He figured his reaction time was slower so should just be more cautious. I think it’s smart to take these things into consideration as we age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We try, OP. My dad lives in a European capital that has excellent public transportation. He’s 88 and still *needs* his car to play golf.

No he doesn't. You simply take the keys away, or have their doctor send a note to revoke their DL.

So thankful my parents happily gave up their final car by age 82/83.
But I would have taken the keys away if they hadn't within a few years after that

You're either delusional, or intentionally trying to stir things up.

"Simply taking the keys away" from someone is theft. You think there aren't elderly people who will call the police on their own kids?

Guess I still have a healthy relationship with my parents. So we'd have a discussion. But if needed I'd have their doctor pull their DL, if they were no longer rational

You can’t just direct your parents’ doctor to do things.

you can explain your concerns, and have them evaluate your parents for vision and cognitive/reaction times.

But as I stated, my parents gave up their cars on their own by 83 (and they were still okay to be driving at that point). And yes, they don't have family nearby, but live in a facility with good shuttles and where you can book rides to doctors/etc. So it's only "emergencies"/last minute trips that require uber.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 66. Healthy and only need readers. When my doctor advises I quit driving, or my kids notice a decline, I will give them my car. However, as a widow, I don’t feel comfortable with Lyft or Uber, so I’ll stick to more deliveries. I’m not expecting my kids to haul me around.

Again…you’re just too old for when Uber and Lyft came about. Plenty of single women take Ubers and Lyfts…when Waymo is in your area then you won’t have to worry about drivers either.

Seriously? I was actually living when Uber and Lyft started. My husband and I used them all the time. You make zero sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also driving restrictions for the elderly need not necessarily be abrupt. Two useful first steps are to stop driving at night and to stop driving on highways.

This is what my mom did. She drove safely until she died at 86. Very short trips. Zero accidents her entire life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have been tremendous recent advances in auto safety with features such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. These features can probably delay by a few years the age at which the elderly should stop driving.

Of course, time marches on for all of us, and eventually the elderly should stop driving.

I’m the PP whose dad called the cops on her for taking his car. His car had the lane departure warning and he TURNED IT OFF. When he asked him about it, he said “oh that thing was beeping all the gd time, it was driving me nuts”

So. Just fyi.

[Anonymous]

Who knew it was good that my coward-ish (anxious?) dad never learned to drive!