Author: ARA Content

Without so much as a tap on the brakes, my aunt whizzed through another stop sign. “What are you doing?” I shrieked. “That was a stop sign.” “Oh,” she replied rather offhandedly, “they just put those there so you’ll look before you go into an intersection.” That was the day I stopped riding with my aunt but not the day she stopped driving. From then on, I had visions of an enormous pink Chevy leading a parade of cascading accidents. And I wasn’t far from wrong. She drove with what she knew to be the utmost caution. . . .never exceeding 30 miles per hour, even on I35! She expected, even demanded that traffic would give way to her like the seas parted for Moses. Sometimes, it did. But mostly, driving with her was a harrowing experience with no end in sight. So, when do the elderly become a menace on the roads? And, what can you do when they refuse to give up the keys? Here are a few suggestions I’ve found. Causes for Concern Poor Vision – Cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration can reduce visual acuity and limit visual fields, so a yearly eye exam is imperative for the elderly driver. Ask the doctor about driving, and don’t take the word of the elderly driver on the results of her exam. Poor Hearing – Something as simple...