Keeping the Road in Your View – Driving Tips for Seniors

There’s nothing like a beautiful sunshine day, the wind in your hair and miles of highway ahead. As Willie Nelson sings it, “On the road again…I just can’t wait to get on the road again.” The fun and thrill of driving is something most of us take pleasure in for a large part of our lives. As we age, driving to the grocery store, mall, or a relative’s house continues to give us a sense of independence and mobility. However, our vision, judgment, and mobility needed to drive may diminish over time. While utilizing public transportation and ride services help seniors get around, having the ability to drive alone is something most would like to enjoy for as long as possible. Here is some advice on how to maintain your driver’s license while staying safe on the road:

1) Have your annual eye exam. One of the primary reasons of senior license suspension is the inability to see clearly when driving. Making sure you can pass the DMV driving tests is one of the ways to maintain a license. If your bifocals or contacts are not good enough to read the eye chart clearly, it is important you see your optometrist to find better correction. Memorizing the eye chart is not going to help with maintaining your license. Getting correction for you visual problems will.

2) Take a driving course. Many driving schools offer courses on refresher topics like - how to deal with pedestrian traffic and right-of-way protocol. You shouldn’t be embarrassed to take one of these courses because knowing traffic rules can only work to your advantage. You can also take a few online courses that will help. Because we take a comprehensive driving test only a few times, refreshing our memory helps us to stay cognitive and alert on the road.

3) Drive smart. Being smart about your driving decisions means avoiding accident-prone situations. For example, if you have difficulty focusing at night, try to avoid driving at night. If you have trouble with reading your dashboard, try and adjust your dashboard so that you can see everything clearly. Avoiding crowded highways and parking away from high traffic areas of a parking lot can help avoid accidents.

Making these smart decisions can help you retain your license and keep you driving longer. Keep in mind community shuttle services can take the stress and hassle out of driving. You may want to consider driving yourself on short distance trips and take alternate forms of transportation for longer distances.

In an effort to help keep you on the road, Woodland Terrace will be hosting a “Drive Safe” program starting November. To RSVP, call (919) 465-0356.