Driving Tips for Older Drivers

Driving Tips For Older

 

DriversYou may have driven your entire lifetime and take great pride in your safety record, but as you get older, it is critical that you realize your driving skill can alter.  You may feel shocked or overwhelmed at the prospect of losing some of your liberty, but by keeping your mind open to new possibilities, you can still maintain an energetic, vibrant, and rewarding lifestyle with no car.  You will have the ability to prolong facets of your independence just by using driving services like Uber and Lyft or the local dial-a-Ride program which can actually reduce your expenses as the cost of rides may be less the maintenance and insurance.  There are also new vehicles that have driver assistance safety features like accident avoidance features such as lane drifting features, auto stopping and eventually self-driving vehicles.

 

If you plan on keeping your car then make sure to maintain your car in great working condition with frequently scheduled maintenance.  Make sure that your windows and headlights are always clean.  

If needed, an occupational therapist or a certified driving rehabilitation specialist can prescribe equipment to ensure it is easier to steer your vehicle or to operate the foot pedals.  

 

Staying on top of your well being is important no matter the situation, getting regular check-ups are crucial to keep you in the health.  Discuss all your medications with your doctor or pharmacist who can advise you of potential side affects like dizziness, blurred vision and other side effects.

 

Get lots of sleep, getting enough sleep is essential to driving well.   Ensure that you're sleeping well and talk with your physician about the effect sleep medicines may have in your driving.

 

Safety tips for drivers

Have your hearing checked yearly.   If you need hearing aids, be sure to use them while driving.  Be cautious when opening auto windows as the effectiveness of a hearing aid can be occasionally impaired by drafts.

 

Make sure to get your eyes checked every year.   Be sure corrective lenses are current, consider anti reflective coatings on your lenses to reduce glare.  Keep the windshield, mirrors, and headlights clean, and then turn the brightness up on the tool panel onto your dashboard.

 

Find the Ideal car and any aids you want for safe driving. Aging does not automatically equal total reduction of driving capability.  There are many things you can do in order to keep on driving, including modifying your car, the way you drive, and fixing any physical issues that could hinder driving.

 

Many  assisted living facilities in Surprise and retirement communities in Sun City as well as Retirement communities throughout the Phoenix area and state allow personal vehicles as long as you are safe to continue to drive.  The nice part about these communities and facilities is they have vehicles to take you to the local stores and doctors offices so you won't really need your car very much if at all.  There have been new assisted living facilities in Glendale and assisted Living facilities in Peoria that have been built in the last few years as well as through out they state that are beautiful and affordable.  Using a senior placement service like A Caring Hand For Mom which is staffed by licensed professionals can help you find the various options and they usually can help save you money in the process.