Driving safely as you get older

Changes that come with age, and with health conditions or injuries, can make driving harder over time. It can be hard to recognize, or admit, when driving is no longer safe.

What changes with age

• Joints and muscles. Stiffness, weaker muscles and arthritis can make it harder to turn your head to look back, turn the wheel quickly or brake safely.
• Eyesight. It can get harder to see people and movement off to the side, to read signs and to see clearly at night, and glare from headlights and the low sun gets worse. Glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and some medicines can also affect vision.
• Hearing. Horns, sirens and the noises your own car makes get harder to notice.
• Medicines. Some make you drowsy, lightheaded or less alert, including some that carry no driving warning.
• Reaction time. Reflexes slow, and numbness or tingling in the hands and feet can make steering and the pedals harder to work.

Checkups

• A dilated eye exam every one to two years from age 60
• A current prescription for glasses or contacts you need to see far away
• A hearing check at least every three years from age 50More often after years of exposure to loud noise.
• A question for the doctor or pharmacist about your medicines and health conditions

Habits behind the wheel

• Wear your glasses or contacts and your hearing aids every time you drive
• Cut back on night driving if you have trouble seeing in the dark
• Stay off the road at sunrise and sunset, when the sun is in your eyes
• Skip the drive when you're lightheaded, drowsy, stressed or tired
• Leave plenty of space ahead, and start braking early
• Pick routes you know, with few or no left turnsAvoid highways where you can, and on a fast highway keep to the right-hand lane, where traffic moves more slowly.
• Wait out rain, ice and snow, or take a bus, a taxi or a rideshare
• Keep the phone hands-free, and never type on it while driving

Checking your driving skills

A driving rehabilitation specialist or an occupational therapist can test your driving skills, sometimes for a fee, and your doctor can recommend one. A driver safety course is another option, and some car insurance companies lower the bill when you finish one. Family and friends can tell you what they notice too.

Signs that driving has become harder

• Several crashes or near misses, or new dents and scrapes on the car
• Two or more traffic tickets or warnings in the last two years
• An insurance premium that went up because of driving problems
• Neighbors or friends mentioning erratic or unsafe driving
• Getting lost, even on familiar roads
• Other drivers honking often