In June, The Denver Post ran an editorial headlined, “Should grandma keep her license?” It sparked in me an image of fearsome females terrorizing Colorado’s steets and highways. But it also revealed the depth of society’s concern about the aging driver. Here’s the viewpoint of a 95-year-old:
Statistics show older drivers have a lower accident rate than many younger ones. A recent study showed that children are less frequently injured in a car driven by a grandparent than in one driven by a father or mother. How dangerous is that?
I’ll agree that no one who is a hazard should be on the road. Driving is a privilege, not a right, as we’re frequently reminded. But we usually treat it as a right, and are incensed if our competence is questioned. Look at how often a person who has had too much to drink becomes outraged if anyone tries to take away the car keys.
Older people may show a similar response, becoming argumentative and defensive if it’s suggested they give up their car. Still, I don’t think they should be pressured, since the decision is so vital to them. Only a qualified professional or the driver himself has the right to decide he is not fit to get behind the steering wheel.
Many people have a tendency to urge older drivers to quit — often strenuously and prematurely. They fear for their safety, or that of others. Concern and anxiety lead them to urge a stoppage. But I think the most they should do is suggest a road test. Even a doctor should do little more than this, since physicians are not driving professionals. If the test is refused or actively resisted, any concerned person can inform the motor vehicle authorities, and leave it up to them.
There’s no doubt that after a certain age, reflexes are slower, and debilities in vision, hearing and mental acuity can impair a driver. Perhaps a road test should be mandatory for everyone over the age of 70, at the time of license renewal (or sooner, if a responsible party reports a problem).
Surrendering the right to drive is traumatic for an old person — even more than for someone younger, who has more options. For the aged, it’s truly a major life change.
It’s like this: You plan endlessly, trying to anticipate all your needs, to ensure you don’t run out of anything when you can’t go get it. You don’t invite people for an activity outside your home without reminding them they’ll have to drive. You turn down invitations because getting there is a problem. You plan around an offer from a friend or family member to take you out at an agreed time, only to get a last-minute call, “Something came up.”
You feel trapped and isolated.
I’m not complaining, or feeling sorry for myself. I’ve made my adjustments, and worked out ways to get things done. But it wasn’t easy, and it changed my life. One thing I did was keep my car after I stopped driving, and hired a young man to take me where I needed to go. Many have told me this was a smart thing to do, and they regretted selling or giving away their own cars.
Surrendering the right to drive often feels akin to dying a little. My mother gave up her license at 86, and immediately began a decline which ended in her death within three years. She no longer felt like the same person. She’d received so much satisfaction from her independence that its loss was unbearable. Surely, you dont want this to happen to anyone you care for — not before it absolutely must.
Surrendering your car keys should not be taken lightly. Don’t hasten a loved one into a final decline.
Clifford Bebell (clifford.bebell@gmail.com) of Arvada is a retired professor of education and author of a book on living to be 100.
