Making Hard Choices About Aging Drivers

Last week Murrieta Patch reported on a car crash involving an elderly driver in the Plaza directly in front of the Sam’s Club gas pumps, “Elderly driver slams into office building…” (Avants, 2012, March 21). There were some comments made, and emotions were high even though luckily no people were injured. What struck me by the comments was that no one touched upon the central issue of the event: Elderly Drivers.

By pure coincidence, I happened upon the incident about ten minutes after the crash but while the driver was still on the scene. According to the witnesses I spoke to, not in any official capacity, the elderly woman did not have relatives who live in the area. This is probably not unusual. However, as our population continues to age at exponential rates, elderly driving is an issue all of us should care about. It is predicted that in less than twenty years, the ratio of elderly (65+) to the rest of the population will be 1:5. This ratio is currently 1:8. The oldest (85+) will also grow more rapidly than the general population. Currently there is estimated to be about 6 million oldest living in America, but by 2030 that number is expected to more than triple to 20 million (The Aging of America, 2012). What this means is that more and more elderly drivers will be on the road and it is up to family members, friends, and even us as we age, to be prepared to make the difficult decision about when to hang up the car keys for good.

The police officer interviewed in the Patch article stated that because the woman could not remember what happened, she was being referred to the DMV for an evaluation, “[Edmisten] said nothing indicated the elderly driver was under the influence of any substances, but based on her telling me that she doesn't remember the incident or whether she pushed the gas or not, we are ordering the DMV evaluation,” (Avants, 2012).  A DMV evaluation can result in the suspension or revocation of someone’s driver’s license.

I do not have any specific suggestions of what each of us can do to ensure our elderly have safe mobility resources available, but we need to be cognizant that this is an issue that will demand our attention. For the time being, if you know of anyone who you believe is a dangerous driver due to their deteriorating physical or mental health, or life-style choices, you can contact the DMV anonymously and they will conduct an evaluation that might include additional testing, medical questioning, or more. I know this is difficult, but we must think of the safety of all residents. If anyone was sitting in one of the cars that this elderly driver crashed into, they could have been seriously injured.

As a society, I hope we will seek better alternatives to independent driving as a primary form of transportation. We have spent decades improving the safety of cars, increasing the penalties for unsafe driving, and raising awareness about driving under the influence. As a result, automobile fatalities have decreased steadily for decades. However, if we do not address the issue of aging car drivers, that trend may reverse itself as more elderly people will be behind the wheel. I hope that when the day comes that I should no longer be driving that I will be able to make the wise choice to surrender my license, but if I am too stubborn, I hope family and/or friends will intervene. I also hope that there will be more and better alternatives to transportation other than automobiles.

References

Avants, M. (2012, March 21). "Elderly driver slams into office building, parked cars." Murrieta Patch. Retrieved from:

"The Aging of America." (2012, March 29). Population Resource Center [website]. Retrieved from:
http://www.prcdc.org/300million/The_Aging_of_America/