Granny, Get Out My Way!

You may have read about Britain’s 97-year-old Prince Philip’s recent car accident.

The incident got international headlines, rightly so, and once again begged the question: when are you too old to drive?

In 2017, people 65 and older made up 18% of all traffic fatalities. And, some studies claim drivers over the age of 75 are just as dangerous as teenagers on the road.

Now, my folks just celebrated their 55^th wedding anniversary (woot! Go mom and dad!). And, while they are a couple of decades younger than the prince, they would readily admit they are no spring chickens! But they both have a car and drive regularly.

Mom complains that dad doesn’t go the speed limit and is too cautious. Dad complains that mom is always yelling at him and distracting his driving.

I posed two questions to them both:

Would you be in favor of having to take a driving test again?

And, would you be in favor of a law that required you to turn in your keys at a certain age?

Their responses?

Mom: No and no.

Dad: Yes, but only after 85. And, would depend on the age.

Dad goes on to point out that his driving is “superb” and he claims he goes the speed limit “most of the time.” Mom would beg to differ.

Anyhoooooooo….

I bring all this up because I was behind an – ahem – “elderly” couple the other day and was a tad annoyed at how slow they were driving. But then I did what I typically do when I encounter this:

I ask myself, ‘what if it was my mom or dad?’

I can unequivocally say I would be a lot more patient. (I might still roll my eyes though.)

There’s no shortage of articles or research on this subject. There’s a lot to consider, and, in most cases, it probably depends on the individual.

The reality is, I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer to this.

There are lots of factors to consider: a loss of independence and safety concerns just to name two.

Agingcare.com offers up 20 warning signs that an elderly driver is no longer safe behind the wheel and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration provides a list of questions that might be helpful if you think you need to have a conversation with an older driver about their driving.

I’ll also say, in my opinion, Lyft and Uber give older drivers a very solid transportation option. It really changes the game like never before having become so commonplace.

Uber says: