Resources for Senior Drivers
Seniors are staying on the road longer than ever nowadays, but many may not be aware of eroding skills that could make them a danger behind the wheel. Nearly 20% of fatal crashes involve someone age 65 or older. In encouraging news, however, the death rate of those 65 and older from vehicle crashes has gone down between 3 and 15%.
Educational programs can be partially responsible for this drop.
What is a Professional Driving Assessment?
There are generally two types of professional driving assessments: driving skills evaluations and clinical driving assessments.
A driving skills evaluation will strictly focus on your performance in the car and then offer recommendations on any further training.
When Should I get a Driving Skills Evaluation?
- You think that your driving skills are diminishing.
- You’ve experienced an increase in near-misses or minor \"fender-bender\" type accidents.
- People close to you have suggested that you should cut back on driving or stop entirely.
- You have a medical condition like poor vision, dementia, seizures, or a sleep disorder that could cause a problem behind the wheel.
The driving skills evaluation will show if you are still fit to remain behind the wheel, if you should receive specialized driver’s training, or get a recommendation for a clinical driving assessment by a specialist.
What is a Clinical Driving Assessment?
This person will use a clinical driving assessment to pinpoint the exact causes of a decline in driving ability. It could reveal that you can continue to drive without restrictions, recommend extra training or vehicle modifications, or if you should stop driving entirely.
Driving skills evaluations typically cost between $100 and $200, and you can find a driving school in your area via the AAA or a simple internet search.
