Senior citizens can have their driver’s license revoked due to tickets, accidents or health problems if the police and/or physician notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of an existing problem.

For every mile driven, drivers must make at least seven major decisions requiring immediate action. Although experience and judgment based on maturity are important, older drivers often process information more slowly.

Senior citizens are usually safe and conscientious drivers. For some seniors, however, the physical changes that come with the aging process, interfere with good driving habits.

Tips for Seniors for Safe Driving

• Drive a motor vehicle that has an automatic transmission, power steering and brakes for ease of handling
• Keep your automobile in peak running condition with clean windows and headlights
• Drive during daylight hours
• Stay off highways if the fast pace makes you anxious
• Avoid driving in bad weather
• Do not tailgate
• Be extra careful when making left turns
• Enroll in a safety driving course for drivers over 50
• Maintain good physical and mental health

Everyone ages differently. Some senior citizens are perfectly capable of driving into their eighties and beyond. Some seniors, however, are at a higher risk for automobile accidents

Elderly drivers receive more citations for failure to yield, improper turns and running red lights and stop signs. These behaviors are all indications of decreased driving ability. Someone 65 or older involved in a motor vehicle accident is more likely to be seriously injured and require hospitalization and more likely to die. Fatal crash rates are extremely high for those 70 and over.

Risk Factors that Affect Driving Ability

• Vision decline
• Hearing loss
• Limited mobility
• Medication side effects
• Drowsiness from lack of sleep and medications
• Dementia

If someone near and dear to you is having a difficult time driving, watch for warning signs and decide if it is time to reassess the senior’s ability to drive safely for everyone’s safety.