Adjustments You Can Make to Stay Safe
The loss of the driving privilege is a very significant concern for any driver. The driver license is often both a symbol of independence and seen as a requirement for a normal life.
Rather than stop driving completely and lose independence, older drivers can restrict driving to adjust to changes in their driving skills.
Older drivers can
- drive in daylight hours and not at dawn, dusk, or at night when it is more difficult for a driver to see at these hours
- avoid "rush hours" and other peak traffic hours
- use roads that you know well and avoid roads you do not know well
- take shorter trips
- use highways that have lower speed limits
- do not try to eat or drink while you drive (eating while driving is the fourth leading cause of crashes and near-crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- do not use a cell phone or any other hand-held device while driving