Helping Your Parents Stay Mobile

By: AARP Driver Safety Program | September 2009

You can help your parents and loved ones continue to drive safely, assess their own driving abilities, and find other means of transportation if driving is no longer an option.

Here are some steps to take to ensure a loved one stays safe on the road:

1. Assess the person's driving abilities. Recent accidents or traffic tickets could signal a problem. Try to drive with your loved one, or ask someone else to observe. This will give you information so that you can be specific when you discuss driving with your loved one. Some community groups offer to assess older people's driving abilities by having a volunteer ride along. 
2. Watch for warning signs. Are you observing these behaviors? 
   a. Changing lanes without signaling
   b. Going through stop signs or red lights
   c. Reacting slowly
   d. Problems seeing road signs or traffic signals
   e. Straying into other lanes
   f. Going too fast or too slow for safety
   g. Exhibiting problems making turns at intersections, especially left turns
   h. Performing jerky stops or starts
3. Discuss driver safety with your loved ones. Ask your parent or loved one to consider personal abilities (vision, hearing, reaction time, and flexibility) before driving. Ask your loved one what he or she needs to feel comfortable behind the wheel. 
4. Recommend a driving "tune-up." AARP offers its Driver Safety Program to all drivers nationwide. The course is available in classroom or online settings, and there are no tests. To learn more, or to register for the AARP Driver Safety Program, please call toll-free, 1-888-227-7669, or visit www.aarp.org/drive.
5. Check your loved one's car. Does his or her vehicle have the recommended safety features? Can your father still see over the dashboard easily? Do your mother's feet reach the pedals? Are the steering wheel, mirrors, and seats properly adjusted? Are windows and mirrors free of clutter? Is the car in safe operating condition?
6. Help your loved one find other means of transportation. You can help him or her learn how to get around without a car. Work with your loved one to identify the public, private, and community transportation services in your area. These may include public buses, subways, taxis, private drivers for hire, senior transportation services, and voluntary driving services.