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Tools For Family Members
Resources For Family Members Concerned About an Elder Driver
 How to Help an Older Driver
(32 pages), American Automobile Association
http://www.aaafoundation.org/products/index.cfm?button=free
Bringing in a neutral professional
to evaluate an elder’s driving ability can help families
difuse this volatile issue. Get a physician’s referral for a
comprehensive evaluation of the elder driver by an Occupational
Therapist or a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS).
Search the CDRS
Directory by state.
http://www.driver-ed.org/custom/directory-cdrs/?pageid=320
Search American Ocupational Therapist Association’s Driver Program Database.
http://www.aota.org/memservices/drive_search/index.aspx
Help your family member take the
“Roadwise Review”
evaluation, available on CD-ROM to measure, in the privacy
of their own home, the eight functional abilities shown to be the
strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers. Developed by
AAA and noted transportation safety researchers, this tool allows
seniors to test their Leg Strength, General Mobility Head/Neck
Flexibility, High- and Low-Contrast Visual Acuity, Working Memory,
Visualization of Missing Information, Visual Search and Useful Field
of View. http://www.aaapublicaffairs.com/Main.asp?SectionID=&SubCategoryID=38&CategoryID=3&ContentID=315&
Enlist the aid of your family physician in
counseling the family member you are concerned about. Read up on
what physcians can do, and what they are legally required to do when
treating a patient who may be unsafe to drive.AMA Physician Guidelines on Counseling Older
Patients about Driving Developed by the American Medical
Association in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Read chapters online click here: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/10791.html
The Hartford Insurance
Company
has prepared excellent materials to support family members dealing with an elder relative whose fitness to drive may be in question.
Having “The Conversation” with a Driver You
are Concerned About Conversation starters and guidance on
anticipating reactions, persuading the driver, and discussing
transportation alternatives. http://www.thehartford.com/talkwitholderdrivers/having/main.htm
A Transportation Cost Worksheet to help an
older driver compare the annual expense of owning and maintaining a
car with the cost of alternative transportation. http://www.thehartford.com/talkwitholderdrivers/worksheets/main.htm
Possible actions you can take if the at-risk
driver won’t stop driving: http://www.thehartford.com/talkwitholderdrivers/helpbeyond/refusetostop.htm
Refresher courses to driver rehabilitation specialists and more. http://www.granddriver.info/
Reporting A Potentially Unsafe
Driver
Reporting a relative or close friend is a
sensitive issue and you may be anxious that doing so would harm your
relationship with that person. However, it’s vital that potentially
unsafe drivers be evaluated. Weigh the fact that elder drivers are
more likely to be severely injured or killed when involved in auto
accidents, and consider how your inaction could impact the safety of
other drivers. If you know someone who may no longer be able to
drive safely, you may want to request that your state’s Department
of Motor Vehicles (DMV) review his or her driving qualifications.
Consider writing a letter to your local Driver Safety office of the
DMV to identify the driver you are concerned about, giving your
reason(s) for making the report. You may ask that your name be kept
confidential. See Chapter 8 of the AMA Physician Guidelines on
Counseling Older Patients about Driving to learn about your state
DMV’s testing and reporting procedures, and if state statutes
provide confidentiality for the reporter. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/10791.html
The Institute for Highway Safety chart
indicating licenses renewal periods
and other provisions applicable
for older drivers in the 50 U.S. states and the District of
Columbia. http://www.hwysafety.org/safety_facts/state_laws/older_drivers.htm
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