I love to drive. From the time I was a little boy, I was fascinated by maps and looked forward to long family road trips. In fact, by age six I could read maps and had the honor of sitting on my mother’s lap—this was before seat belts and laws about their use—with a paper map in hand, helping to navigate a cross-country trip from New York to California. No interstate highways, no reservation system, no GPS, just the freedom of the open road!

As a teenager, I pored over car ads in Life magazine and went to every General Motors Motorama, dreaming of the day I could have my own car. That wish came true when I bought a blue 1967 Mustang convertible with my first paycheck. As a young adult, having a car meant freedom, the ability to jump into the driver’s seat and temporarily escape the stresses of daily life and the demands of medical training.

Since moving to Falmouth more than 25 years ago, my wife and I have taken eight long road trips lasting more than two weeks. It remains our favorite way to travel. At 85, I still love to drive and have a list of routes I would like to experience, most notably Route 12 through Utah and its Big Five National Parks.

Recently, however, driving has become more than an academic subject for me. I have been dealing with some neuromuscular problems and have not been able to drive. Hopefully, my newly found neurologist will find some answers and I won’t have to hang up my keys just yet.

When Should Older Adults Stop Driving?

There is no set age when someone should stop driving. Some people remain excellent drivers well into their 80s and beyond, while medical problems may make driving unsafe for someone much younger. The question is not how old we are, but whether we still have the physical and mental abilities necessary to drive safely.

According to the National Institute on Aging, a number of common age-related changes and medical conditions can affect those abilities:

Stiff joints and weaker muscles: Driving requires more physical ability than we often realize. We need to be able to turn our heads to check for traffic, move our arms to steer and move our feet rapidly between the accelerator and brake.

Changes in vision: We need to see pedestrians, bicycles and cars approaching from the side, judge distances and speeds, distinguish objects from their backgrounds and quickly read road signs. Aging can also make it harder for our eyes to adjust between light and darkness making nighttime driving difficult because of reduced visibility and glare from headlights.

Changes in hearing: Hearing loss may make it harder to hear horns, emergency-vehicle sirens, railroad warnings or unusual sounds coming from your own car. These sounds warn you when you may need to pull over or get out of the way, or when there is a possible mechanical issue with your vehicle.

Slower reaction time and reflexes: As we age, it may take a little longer to recognize a dangerous situation and respond to it. That extra second can matter when a child runs into the street, a traffic light changes or the car ahead suddenly stops.

Medications: Some prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, confusion or slower reaction times. The effects may be especially important when several medications are being taken together.

Medical conditions: A variety of illnesses can affect our ability to drive. Parkinson’s disease may cause slowed movement, stiffness or coordination problems. A stroke may leave weakness, impaired vision or difficulty processing information. Neuropathy can interfere with knowing exactly where our feet are and how firmly we are pressing the pedals. None of these diagnoses automatically means that you must stop driving. What matters is how much the condition affects your ability to operate a car safely.

Dementia presents a particularly difficult problem. Someone in the early stages of dementia may still be capable of driving. But as the disease progresses, problems with memory, attention, judgment, spatial awareness and decision-making eventually make driving unsafe.

Watch for the Warning Signs

Most of us probably think we are good drivers. However, there are warning signs we should not ignore. Are other drivers frequently honking at you? Have you had several fender benders or near misses? Are there unexplained dents or scrapes on your car? Do you have trouble staying in your lane or reading traffic signs? Have you become confused at complicated intersections? Have you gotten lost on roads you have driven for years? Do you avoid driving at night because you no longer feel comfortable?

And perhaps the most difficult question: Has a friend or family member told you that they are worried about your driving? Giving up driving represents more than losing a way to get from one place to another. A driver’s license represents independence and handing over the keys can feel like surrendering a piece of that independence. If you are uncertain about your driving, talk with your healthcare provider. A review of medications, vision, hearing and medical conditions may identify a problem that can be corrected or improved.

I would still like to take another long road trip with my wife beside me and see some of those places on my list. But I also know that loving to drive doesn’t mean I will always be able to drive safely. Handing over the keys may be one of the hardest decisions I will have to make. But it may also be one of the most important—for myself, my family and everybody who shares the road with me!

Resources

• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: Drivers 65 Plus: Check Your Performance — a self-rating tool for evaluating your driving abilities. https://exchange.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Driver-65-Plus.pdf

• Health in Aging: Driving Safety for Older Adults — information and an interactive driving-safety questionnaire. www.healthinaging.org/driving-safety

• The Hartford/MIT Age Lab: We Need to Talk: Family Conversations with Older Drivers — guidance for families facing the difficult conversation about when it may be time to stop driving. https://assets.thehartford.com/image/upload/we_need_to_talk.pdf