Aging and driving: How to have the tough conversation

March 18, 2019

An older woman in the driver's seat of a vehicle


No one wants to think about – let alone talk about – their parents and other loved ones losing their independence as they age. It’s much easier and less painful to imagine them mowing their own lawn at 87, changing the oil on their car at 92, and working in the garden at 95.

But the reality is that age often brings with it a host of health issues – failing eyesight, impaired mobility, even cognitive and memory issues. These can stem from any number of chronic or degenerative conditions: diabetes, multiple sclerosis, dementia, Parkinson’s, cataracts, stroke or epilepsy, to name a few. And those, in turn, can impair your loved one’s ability to drive safely. Don’t wait until 3:00 on a Friday afternoon in December (when, according to 2013-2017 statistics, the most crashes involving a driver 65 or up tend to happen) to get a call from a first responder saying your senior loved one has been in a crash – maybe even injured or killed – to start talking about whether they should continue driving.

Fortunately, Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) realizes this can be a tough conversation. Anyone can fill out a Request for Examination of Driver form and submit it, or simply write a letter to DVS including the same information – and Minnesota data privacy laws mandate that, if you’re a family member, your name won’t be revealed to the person in question. This is the same form that law enforcement officers fill out if they’re concerned about a person’s ability to drive safely in the long term – and family members often send the form to their loved one’s doctor, asking that person to fill it out and send it in to DVS. (Keep in mind that this form can be used for anyone whose driving you’re concerned about – it’s not exclusive to those 65 and older, nor is an exam required just because a driver turns 65.)

Depending on what issues you check on the form, or the information in the letter, DVS will send your loved one a letter requiring them to come to their closest exam station or local courthouse to meet with a driver improvement specialist. They will be asked a series of basic driving knowledge questions. Based on their answers, DVS will determine whether they need a doctor’s statement about their driving ability.

In some situations, DVS may not require an interview and instead give your loved one a few weeks to get a doctor’s statement. That involves them getting examined by a primary care physician and/or eye doctor. Doctors sometimes refer these patients to an occupational therapist or a program like the Regions Hospital Driving Ability Program, which has certified driver rehabilitation specialists (CDRSs). Such a program will screen for the physical, cognitive and visual skills they need for driving.

Depending on the results of the screening, the CDRS may recommend to the doctor that your loved one give up driving entirely (also known as driving retirement), continue to drive with no change or restrictions, or participate in a behind-the-wheel driver evaluation. If the latter is the case, a CDRS will ride along with them while they evaluate such skills as lane tracking, proper speed, understanding of right of way, and navigation.

Based on those results, the program may recommend no change, or they may recommend driving retirement (in which case the CDRS will give them alternative transportation options). The CDRS may also recommend restrictions, such as driving a certain radius from home, in daylight only, or avoiding highways and freeways. If the person’s condition is a progressive disability, such as multiple sclerosis or macular degeneration, they may be required to get periodic rechecks.

If your loved one is not referred to the program, their doctor can request DVS administer a written and/or road test. If that’s the case, DVS will send them a letter asking them to come to their closest exam station, where a driver improvement specialist will administer the test(s) with the potential outcomes being the same as above.

Because these meetings and tests can be upsetting to seniors, DVS suggests you come along with them to put them at ease (you may be driving to the appointment anyway).

Considering that, in 2017, 15.2 percent of all the crashes in Minnesota involved a driver aged 65 or up, it’s clearly important to keep the lines of communication open. Similarly, there were 87 traffic fatalities involving a senior driver. Wouldn’t you rather your loved one spent their final years enjoying their family and friends, rather than miss making those wonderful memories because they shouldn’t have been driving? If so, sit down with them and have that tough conversation. It’ll be worth it.