Is Driving Still Safe for Seniors? 

If someone you love is getting older, then you might worry about their safety, particularly when they get behind the wheel. Age can become a problem when the side effects begin to affect someone’s ability to drive safely. At the same time, it can make senior drivers much harder to adequately insure. As a result, as you begin to see the effects of age on your loved one, it might be time to have some difficult conversations.

When the time comes to consider the feasibility of a senior’s continuing to drive, keep a few helpful tips in mind. At the same time, talk to your auto insurer to learn more about their recommendations. 

As Age Advances, Keep an Eye on Your Senior Driver

You do not want to act hastily when taking away a senior’s driving privileges. After all, just because someone might be slower, this does not mean they cannot manage perfectly well behind the wheel.

However, there always comes a time when you need to pay closer attention to this person’s habit. This is when it is a good idea to take a ride with the senior. Ask them if they are having a hard time seeing or take note if they seem to have a hard time using the steering wheel or pedals. While it is only natural for reaction times to drop as someone ages, there does come a point where their faculties will become liabilities behind the wheel.

Additionally, one surefire way to know if your senior is no longer able to manage a vehicle is to check their driving history. If they have received more tickets in recent years, or if they have been involved in accidents, then this might be a sign that they no longer have the same capabilities they once did. 

Furthermore, if your loved one begins to make mistakes that get them in trouble, then they are likely to see an increase in their auto insurance premiums. Since age usually leads to more mistakes, then mistakes will possibly lead to more auto insurance claims, or at least an increased risk of a problem occurring. 

As a result, their auto insurer will likely start increasing their premiums to address the additional cost risk. Therefore, there might come a point where the senior driver in question simply becomes too expensive to continue to insure. This is a time where they might have to give up driving altogether, simply because an insurer cannot take the risk of insuring them.

When this time comes, talk to your loved one’s driver, the local DMV and their auto insurance provider to determine the best way to phase out this person’s driving privileges and cancel their auto coverage. They will guide you through the process so that it is convenient and empathetic to the senior’s needs.