by Amanda Mesones

Next week (Dec. 6-12, 2009) is Older Driver Safety Awareness Week. AAMVA, along with the American Public Transportation Association, Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists, Easter Seals Project ACTION, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, National Center on Senior Transportation, and The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., is endorsing this important event sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

The issue of older driver safety hits a cord with me, because I’ve seen first-hand how the accompaniments of aging can affect one’s ability to drive safely.  

My family moved to Vermont after my father retired from the military so that we could be close to my grandmother (my grandfather had passed away not too much earlier).  As my three brothers and I got older, we’d spend weekends at Grandma’s every now and then to help out with chores around the house.  We would be rewarded with a home-cooked meal, a few dollars in our pockets and a trip to the beach at Lake Champlain for a cool dip after a hard day’s work.

But as we grew older, so did Grandma. It was clear Grandma’s reflexes were not as good as they used to be. She would no longer trek up the steep stairs to our rooms to put fresh linens on our beds, she would drop things in the kitchen and most prominent−the drives to the Lake became frightening.

After hearing the horror stories of riding in the car with Grandma at the wheel, my parents began the difficult task of determining exactly how to keep us kids, grandma and the rest of the driving public safe on the road. It took years of convincing and gentle discussions from my parents to finally get grandma to transition to alternate transportation options. (Read:  Keeping Loved Ones Safe on the Road, by Elinor Ginzler, AARP; Getting Around: Alternatives for Seniors Who No Longer Drive, a report by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety; Family Conversations with Older Drivers, developed by The Hartford.)

This was in the ‘80s when there really weren’t a lot of resources to help my parents approach this very emotional subject. Today education, evaluation, modifications and training are available from many sources, including occupational therapy. And of course education is core because with so few transportation options available today, our best option is to educate folks on how to continue driving for as long as safely possible. (AARP’s CarFit Program is designed to help older drivers find their best fit in their vehicle.)

Older Driver Safety Awareness Week aims to promote understanding of the importance of mobility and transportation to ensuring older adults remain active in the community—shopping, working or volunteering—with the confidence that transportation will not be the barrier to strand them at home.

The day finally came when Grandma got used to “ordering her chariot” when she needed to get to a hair appointment, doctor appointment, grocery store, etc. The depression she experienced when she lost those keys eventually was replaced by a renewed sense of self, though if you knew her as we did, her independence was never fully realized again.

So, if you have a loved one who may be experiencing changes in physical, mental and sensory abilities that can challenge his or her ability to drive safely, know that now there are a variety of options for safe mobility for people of all ages—and it begins with conversation now!

Throughout the week, AOTA will bring attention to different aspects of older driver safety. Learn more about Older Driver Safety Awareness Week and older driver safety issues online at www.aota.org/OlderDriverWeek

AAMVA also provides information and resources that may be helpful in addressing the issue online at www.aamva.org/KnowledgeCenter/Driver/At-Risk/AgingandtheMedicallyAt-RiskDriver.htm

 
Amanda Mesones
Electronic Communications Specialist
AAMVA
amesones@aamva.org