Advice for family and friends
Older drivers can continue driving safely well into their senior years if they are fit to do so –encouraging regular self-regulation can help you achieve this.
However, where safety is an immediate concern due to ageing problems or increasing medical impairment, family and friends can help senior drivers think about what they would do if they must reduce or stop their driving entirely.
You can also contact Dementia Australia to discuss any specific concerns or situations that you are facing for any older driver in the early stages of dementia.
Changes in driving
A senior driver may not realise their driving skills are deteriorating. Look out for signs and changes in driving such as:
Damaging the vehicle more often (from colliding with posts, walls, etc., often without the driver’s knowledge)
Friends and family members preferring not to travel with the driver (including restricting children from travelling with their grandparents)
The driver refusing to let others travel with them.
Discuss your concerns early
Discussing someone’s fitness to drive is a sensitive topic, which is why it’s important family or friends go into the conversation prepared. Conversations can be about the following:
How driving conditions have changed, with faster and heavier traffic that makes driving more stressful.
How changes in health can affect safe driving.
Any near misses or minor collisions, or incidents of getting lost while driving.
How self-regulating driving and opting for alternatives can be more enjoyable.
Getting familiar with public transport while the senior driver can still drive.
Driving expenses (e.g. registration, insurance, fuel, maintenance) and whether these are worth it if the senior driver is driving infrequently; the savings can be put towards expenses for taxi trips or spent on the things they love.
Attending an older driving program or road safety education session.
Having a professional assessment by a reputable driving school or an occupational therapist specialising in driver assessment.
Ideally, you should start these discussions well before there is a significant problem and the older person needs to stop driving.
Family and friends can also help older drivers to try alternative ways of getting around while they are still driving, such as using their car to drive to familiar places or to public transport, where parking is often free. This reduces car expenses, and they will not have to drive on busy, unfamiliar roads.
If the older person is not confident about using public transport or a taxi, family and friends can help by taking the trip with them to help them gain confidence.
Starting the conversation
Start conversations early and encourage the older driver to continue monitoring their driving for signs they may need to regulate when and where they drive. Where possible, have discussions when there have been changes in medications or health status, rather than during or after a driving incident.
Carry out the conversation in a calm, respectful, and supportive way. Acknowledge the sensitivity of the topic and explain why you’re concerned for their safety, and the safety of others on the road. You might even find they already had the same concerns, and you were able to help them recognise what was going on.
In advising an older person about continuing to drive, take care not to fall into a coercive approach. For example, putting unreasonable conditions on continued driving or offering inappropriate incentives to stop driving. This may be counterproductive in its impact on the individual and may constitute elder abuse.
Be respectful and try to understand how the person will be feeling.
Consider what driving means to the person. Owning a car and driving can mean more than just mobility to a driver. It can be a sign of status, a hobby and even a job. Think about ways that this relationship to the car and driving might be addressed in other ways.
During the conversation
Conversations involve more than one person, so if the conversation does not go exactly as you’ve planned, it’s important to keep the following things in mind:
It may take several conversations to reach agreement that there are issues with their driving. Remember to always remain calm and avoid pushing too hard. It’s essential they understand you’re concerned for their safety, and that you want to provide support and help.
They may be in denial about their ability to drive safely. If that’s the case, using specific examples will help. Draw on observations of their driving and safety issues. Remind them of any recent incidents or near misses they may have experienced.
Emphasise they’re at risk of serious injury or death if they’re involved in a crash and ask how they would feel if they were responsible for a crash where someone else was injured. Suggest that you both speak to their doctor about their driving ability.
The conversation may be about continuing driving, rather than giving up driving. You might talk them through safe driving strategies such as:
Seeking medical advice on ways to make driving safer
Making sure their vehicle is set up to suit them, which may involve support from an occupational therapist
Driving a newer vehicle equipped with the latest safety features
Limiting where and when they drive
Becoming familiar with using alternative forms of transport
Do some homework. There could be significant savings that come with not driving. Present the costs of running their car compared with the financial benefits of using alternative forms of transport and come prepared with solutions for alternative transport options.
Reporting unsafe drivers
If the senior driver insists on continuing to drive when it does not appear safe to do so, you can make an anonymous report to Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) for a Medical Review.
DTP will not refuse to issue a driver licence and will not withdraw a driver licence unless there is good cause to believe that there is a real and significant danger to the public safety of other road users.
This means even if a driver has a pre-existing medical or health condition, this is not a sound reason for withdrawing their licence if the condition is under control.
A condition of having a driver licence is that all motorists are required to advise DTP of any permanent or long-term injury or illness that may impair their ability to drive safely.
Failure to self-report a condition may also nullify insurance cover.
When a driver who is no longer able to drive safely continues driving, reporting them to DTP becomes an important option.
If reported, that person may be asked to undergo a licence test if medical opinion suggests a test is appropriate.
Providing ongoing support
Even after the conversation comes to an end, you’ll still have an active and important role in helping the older person you’re concerned about retire from driving. Some ways you might like to support them include:
Let them know that you and other friends and family members are there to provide help.
Involve others in planning how practical support can be given. This could be providing them with a lift or helping them access alternative forms of transport.
Practise using different forms of public transport together. The more familiar they become with using a bus, train, tram, taxi or rideshare service, the more likely they are to continue using them.
Explore what community transport options are available in their local area.
It is important that they remain as socially active as possible for their wellbeing, giving up driving is not about giving up on getting out and about.
With help, an ageing driver will often be able to modify their behaviour and gradually transition from driving to getting around without a car, rather than having to suddenly stop driving altogether.
