Nearly Half of Canadians Worry About an Aging Loved One on the Road

By Bill McLauchlan

How do you know when it’s time to give up the car keys? This is sometimes a painful decision, not only for a “later in life” driver but also for concerned family members.

So the question becomes how bad is bad enough that it’s time to think about retiring as a driver? And how do we determine that?

Well, new research conducted by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and released today shows that nearly half (47 percent) of the population is concerned about the safety of an aging family member while behind the wheel. That’s why the CAA is launching a multimedia web tool designed to help seniors stay safe while in the driver’s seat.
Its new online portal helps seniors and their loved ones assess driving skills, learn about changing abilities and, if needed, modify driving habits.

Honda Canada photo

According to the CAA study, two-thirds of senior drivers see the need for online devices to help them stay safe on the road. The new web tool contains assessment instruments to pinpoint areas of improvement, interactive graphics that show common physical changes that affect driving, as well as videos with tips for managing challenging driving conditions. The site, located at www.seniorsdriving.caa.ca, incorporates information from the Canadian Medical Association’s Driver’s Guide and advice from the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

The good news is that half of seniors have already taken at least one step to adjust their driving habits, such as reducing or eliminating driving at night. Meanwhile CAA research shows there is a need for more public information about age-related changes that affect driving. For instance, only three percent of seniors know that by age 60, the average person needs three times as much light to see as they did at age 20.

In the U.S. the figures are just as troubling. A survey conducted in 2013 by Liberty Mutual Insurance reports a significant gap between the number of Baby Boomer children of senior drivers concerned about their parents’ driving abilities (55 percent) and the number who are actually having conversations with their parents about the issue (23 percent). Further, 29 percent of Boomer children say they are likely to avoid the conversation entirely.

“Nine in 10 Boomer children of senior drivers think it is important to have driving conversations with their aging parents, but few are taking action – thus, not addressing potential safety risks on the roads,” said David Melton, driving safety expert with Liberty Mutual and managing director of global safety. “Earlier and more frequent chats about senior driving are essential. If people take away one lesson from this study, it is to have this conversation with your loved ones – and have it soon.”

Among the concerns associated with their parents’ driving, Boomer kids cited: Poor eyesight (47 percent), drives too slow (38 percent), poor hearing (30 percent) and drives distracted (25 percent). Most of them fear bringing up the subject will be negative, predicting the following reactions: Parents will be angry or hurt (46 percent), say it’s too hard to find other means of transport (31 percent) and they will only become more determined to keep driving (22 percent).

If you have any concerns at all about an older family member’s driving, logging onto www.seniorsdriving.caa.ca with them could be a good way to start them thinking about their obligations to you and their fellow road users.