You may be an aging driver wondering if you are still safe on the road after a few close calls. You may have an older adult in your life that you're concerned about and cannot continue fighting with over the topic of driving. Families often struggle with this phase of life and can be divided over the issue of mom or dad's ability to drive. Here's the solution, bring in a third party, with no emotional connection to your family's history, to help ease the stress. Better yet, a person that is trained and certified by a state highway patrolman. We make this as easy as possible by coming to you. A test is administered to determine reaction times, driver safety knowledge, memory, and general cognitive skills. As long as there is a passing grade, your loved one gets to prove their skills on the road with our professional. No simulations and no assumptions. If you drive and you are aging, have an aging member of your household who drives or know someone whose family is in need of this resource, please feel free to contact us any time. We're here to steer you in the right direction!
Aging Driver You or your loved one may need a driver safety review if there have been more dings and scratches on the car recently. Normal aging may effect vision and hearing, making it harder to notice new traffic patterns or pedestrians. Decreased mobility due to arthritis or generalized weakness can make it difficult to hit the brakes, turning your head to merge or turning the wheel. Medication side effects can cause drowsiness or make you less alert. Many times, modifications will be suggested regarding avoiding high traffic times and certain weather conditions.
Changes In Health A great time for a driver safety review is after a car accident or getting lost in a familiar setting. After a dementia diagnosis, post stroke or injury rehabilitation or following a Parkinson's diagnosis. Cognitive impairments may effect spatial awareness, making it difficult to gauge a safe distance when braking, turning or parking. These check ups should be every 6 months to monitor progression, as you may not need to stop driving right away.
What to Expect We will start your review with casual conversation and getting to know you a bit. We want you to be relaxed and not feel like we're the enemy, even though you may be a little frustrated. First, we will assess cognitive abilities through a serious of tests and through conversation. If we feel you are cognitively capable of driving safely, we will get into your car and drive around your neighborhood. If we feel you can continue to drive safely, we may schedule a follow up in 6 months to a year. If we feel it is no longer safe for you to be on the road, we will discuss this result with you and your family and make a plan for the future. While we cannot legally take your keys away, our unbiased opinion is one you can discuss with your doctor.