How to Help Aging Parents Drive Longer

Anything your aging parents can do to preserve their vision, hearing, and mobility will help them stay safe on the road. But imperfect health doesn’t have to be a total deal-breaker, thanks to smart technology like blind spot warning systems.

Still, you should plan for your parent’s eventual “driving retirement” when physical and cognitive changes make it too difficult to drive. Learn what to look for and how to navigate this tricky conversation.

Driving equals independence for many people, and the thought of losing that independence can stir up a lot of emotions. Your parent needs time to sort out how they feel about handing over the keys, so don’t wait until the last minute to discuss the when, why, and how of driving retirement.

You’ll need to talk about the possible physical and mental changes that would make driving unsafe so your parent knows where they can draw the line—or where you’ll put your foot down.

To make the transition seem less daunting, develop an action plan to preserve your parent’s mobility as much as possible. That could mean you elicit the help of friends and family to drive them, teach them how to use a rideshare program, or sign them up for a senior transport service.

Telling your parents what to do isn’t easy, so make the process as collaborative as you can. For step-by-step guidance on talking about driving retirement, check out this resource from The Hartford: We Need to Talk: Family Conversations for Older Drivers.

To promote safe aging, older adults should have a yearly physical regardless of their driving habits. But in terms of driving safety, they should get checked for any condition that could result in these symptoms:

• Lapsed consciousness
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Vision loss
• Numbness in the arms and legs.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows drivers over 65 are twice as likely to have a medical problem that makes driving difficult compared to other age groups.¹ It’s critical that your parent is taking their medication and controlling any conditions like diabetes or risk of stroke.

Vision problems affect older adults more than other age groups, and blurry or diminished eyesight can prevent seniors from driving safely. While there aren’t strict age limits for driving, some states require drivers, including those over the age of 65, to pass a vision test to renew their driver’s license.^2,3 

If you have concerns about the vision of an aging parent, encourage them to visit an optometrist to diagnose health conditions that might affect safe driving, like glaucoma or cataracts. It’s better to address the issue now than deal with the nasty surprise of having your parent denied a license.

Studies suggest that older drivers who experience hearing impairments in one or both ears are less likely to drive in rush-hour traffic, on high-speed roads, or at night.⁴ 

Encourage your parent to visit their ENT if they’re struggling to hear and seem to avoid driving in the above circumstances. A hearing aid may be all it takes to restore their confidence behind the wheel.

Approximately 90% of older drivers haven’t modified their vehicle to accommodate changes in comfort and mobility.⁵ Those accommodations affect safety too, since aches and pains can make it hard to push a brake pedal or check a blind spot.

Perhaps older drivers simply don’t know what kind of gadgets to look for to make them safer and more comfortable behind the wheel. As it turns out, quite a few products exist to help drivers as they age—and many of them cost less than $20.

• Pedal extenders allow older adults to drive while sitting a safe distance from the steering wheel when they experience limited mobility or muscle weakness in their legs.
• Seatbelt reacher handles help your loved one buckle up without overextending their shoulders.
• Swivel seats make it easier to get in and out of the car without becoming unbalanced. Sit first, swing the legs second. Use a leg lifter for extra oomph.
• The Stander HandyBar gives drivers something to push on with their left hand as they get in and out of the car. Some people might prefer to pull against the Stander CarCaddie for extra stability.

A car crash can happen to anyone, even if they tick all the boxes for safe driving. But older drivers are at a significant disadvantage—they’re more likely to sustain life-threatening injuries in a car crash simply because they’re more vulnerable to injury in the first place.⁷ While you don’t have full control over a car accident, you can plan ahead to try to improve the outcome if one happens.

Mortality rates increase the longer it takes for emergency medical services to arrive on the scene of a car crash.⁸ And given older adults’ higher probability for injury as it is, you definitely want EMS to get there as soon as possible if your aging parent’s ever in a car crash.

Fortunately, tech can help speed things up so your loved one isn’t waiting for passersby to call for help. A car crash detection device like Hum by Verizon automatically calls 911 and sends GPS data to dispatchers once a crash is detected. The Noonlight app has an affordable car crash detection feature too, and soon all iPhones might have the same functionality free of charge.⁹ 

If your parent drives a vehicle equipped with OnStar, you’ve already got crash-response technology at your fingertips—just make sure you subscribe to a monthly OnStar plan to activate it.

Your loved one might experience bouts of confusion and disorientation as they age. Whether or not it’s severe enough to prevent them from driving is something you’ll want to discuss with their doctor. In the meantime, be prepared for the possibility that your parent could head home from the grocery store and get totally lost—or go to the house they lived in 40 years ago.

If your loved one is confused, they might not be able to explain where they are. That’s where the GPS tracker comes in handy.

You can go the discreet route with a vehicle GPS tracker that plugs into the car’s OBD port. Other GPS trackers—like the AngelSense, Jiobit, or Angel Watch Series R Assist—are meant to be worn. Your parent contacts you by simply pressing a button.

If you’re worried you’ll miss their call, consider a professionally monitored mobile medical alert. We like the Aloe Care Health Mobile Companion because it’s easy to stay in the loop when your loved one contacts the monitoring center. You can even hop on a three-way call with the center and your loved one to plan a course of action.

Taking a driver refresher course is never a bad idea. After all, there’s a reason many states require safe driving classes after a certain number of driving rule violations or speeding tickets.

Mature driver improvement courses like Seniors for Safe Driving or AAA Roadwise do more than teach driving techniques. They also offer older adults an opportunity to regain confidence behind the wheel.

Consider attending an in-person or virtual CarFit event with your parent too. The CarFit program teaches aging drivers how to adjust the position of their steering wheel, seat, mirrors, and more to achieve a safer, more comfortable driving position. These free evaluations take about 20 minutes and are endorsed by AARP, AAA, and AOTA (the American Occupational Therapy Association).

• Best Safety Devices for Seniors
• Pros and Cons of Raising the Driving Age
• The Safest and Most Dangerous States for Drivers

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Older Driver Safety Awareness Week,” November 2017. Accessed April 13, 2022.
2. Paul G. Steinkuller, AMA Journal of Ethics, “Legal Vision Requirements for Drivers in the United States,” November 2010. Accessed April 13, 2022.
3. Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, “License Renewal Procedures by State,” April 2022. Accessed April 13, 2022.
4. L.J. Molnar et al., AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, “Effects of Hearing Impairment on Driving Exposure and Patterns Among a Large Cohort of Older Drivers: AAA LongROAD Study,” December 2020. Accessed April 13, 2022.
5. Andrew Cross, AAA, “90 Percent of Senior Drivers Don’t Make Vehicle Adjustments That Can Improve Safety,” November 2017. Accessed April 13, 2022.
6. Sarah Karush, Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, “Status Report Newsletter, Vol. 53, No. 1,” February 2018. Accessed April 13, 2022.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Older Adult Drivers,” November 2021. Accessed April 13, 2022.
8. James P Byrne et al., JAMA Surgery, “Association between Emergency Medical Service Response Time and Motor Vehicle Crash Mortality in the United States,” April 2019. Accessed April 13, 2022.
9. Rolfe Winkler, The Wall Street Journal, “Apple Wants iPhones to Detect Car Crashes, Auto-Dial 911,” November 2021. Accessed April 13, 2022.