Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

Chuck Weaver, an instructor for the 55 Alive Mature Driving course, demonstrates the importance of a driver checking the flow of traffic by turning and looking rather than just relying on rearview mirrors.

Losing the ability to drive can take an emotional toll

By Rita Baum

The 1990 Oscar-winning movie, Driving Miss Daisy, gave viewers a glimpse into the trauma that can occur in the life of an older person who is forced to stop driving.

Miss Daisy, played by the then-80-year-old Jessica Tandy, is a proud, stubborn, self-reliant lady, who is forced by her son to give up driving after a couple of near hits. He insists, she firmly refuses, but he, nevertheless, takes her car keys from her and hires a driver.

At first, Miss Daisy resolutely walks to the grocery store rather than admit defeat. Eventually she gives in to Hoke, the driver, played by Morgan Freeman. He persuades her that it is a shame to let a fine new 1948 Packard sit unused, and helps her through the indignity of the circumstances.

The conversations that occur between front seat and back seat over the next two decades help Miss Daisy through the stages of old age. And aging along with her, Hoke patiently and wisely helps her over the bumps.

As the population ages, a majority of older Americans maintain their driving skills, while some are faced with the dilemma of what to do about declining ability. In some states they are forced at a certain age to prove their ability by retaking the driving test.

A couple of years ago SB 335, which would require an age-based driver testing, was proposed in California. The bill did not have the Department of Motor Vehicles' support and did not pass as written. There is no upper age limit for obtaining or renewing a driver license in California.

Renewal by mail is offered twice in succession, but at age 70 the license can no longer be renewed by mail. Everyone who renews in person must take the written and vision test.

Most older Californians want to maintain the current law. It allows them to renew their licenses according to the same requirements as the general public. Others say that some of their contemporaries are unsafe drivers and should undergo a retest. If a law enforcement officer, a doctor, or a member of the public or family, contacts DMV with concerns about any licensee's ability to continue to drive safely, DMV will review the driving record and a behind-the-wheel test may be scheduled.

The California DMV helps older drivers meet their mobility needs by creating tailored licenses to cover the driving an older person can still safely perform. For example, a driver may be restricted to certain areas that include the grocery store, doctor's office or church, but not be allowed on freeways or to do night driving.

The American Association of Retired Persons, with the help of DMV, the Office of Highway Safety and the National Institute on Aging is doing research and developing pilot programs to help keep drivers confidently and competently behind the wheel into late life. These organizations and others have contributed to the curriculum of the AARP 55 Alive Mature Driving Class, a driver refresher course for people over age 50. Thirteen hundred prevention-minded people signed up last year for one of the classes offered in the area from Cupertino to Gilroy.

The eight-hour, two-session course covers basic rules and practices of safe driving, even putting participants "behind the wheel" in video simulations of actual problem traffic situations. Chuck Weaver, who ordinarily spends his classroom time teaching the teachers, sometimes fills in for a regular 55 Alive teacher.

"When changing lanes, don't depend on mirrors--they have blind spots," says Weaver, and "when backing up, turn your head and trunk to look out the rear window."

He asks students if they check their brake lights and wash their headlights each time they fill up for gas, and if they have the head light alignment checked twice a year by a mechanic. Students get an earful of good information they might have forgotten over a few decades of driving, but they can review the lecture material in the work-text book that comes with the $10 enrollment fee.

Vision research, supported by the National Institute on Aging, may furnish a tool to keep older people driving longer and safer. The "useful-field-of-view"-computer vision test, which measures how drivers process rapidly displayed figures of cars, trucks and other visual distractions on the screen, may provide the method to identify persons who should stop driving, as well as those who could stay behind the wheel with some extra training.

Pilot programs under way in California and Florida, two states with high percentages of people over 65, are on the side of older drivers. Florida offers computer vision exercise programs that are believed to improve peripheral vision and depth perception for some older people. And "Getting in Gear" is one of several pilot programs being developed to help drivers in the future. It uses driver training, counseling and useful-field-of-view computer software.

But there is already a great deal that a driver can do to boost safety and competence now. In addition to the 55 Alive Mature Driver course, the telephone book lists over a dozen driving schools. Sample driving tests are available at the California Automobile Association. The California Driver Handbook, which reviews the laws and covers every aspect of driver safety in a clear, easy-to-read style, is available at the DMV.

Most older people are not in the enviable position of Miss Daisy, who had a chauffeur at her beck and call. They must depend on the availability and willingness of family, friends or public transportation. If mobility is not easily available and accessible, there is the danger that the nondriver will simply "drop out," and become isolated. Keeping older people mobile means helping them stay mentally and physically healthy.

It has been well established that age, itself, is not a determining factor in evaluating driver competency. Some mature drivers fail to prove the ability to be in charge of the vehicle or to maneuver safely in all traffic situations. When there is a lack of competence behind the wheel of a 1-ton moving vehicle, driving privileges must be withdrawn for the protection of the driver and others on the road.

It is never an easy decision to refer an unsafe driver to the DMV, but if there is concern for the safety of a family member or friend, the DMV's Driver Safety Office can be contacted. Persons who no longer qualify for a driver's license can get a free photo identification card from the DMV.

Eighty-six-year-old Los Gatan Emily McAdams needed no prompting by family members to give up her license. At 78 she had a near accident with a truck, and although it was clear she was not at fault, she made the decision to call it quits and asked her husband to do the driving. When he died two years ago, she made the decision to move to a retirement apartment where transportation is readily available.

A humiliating experience? A show of weakness? No, says McAdams. "I made the decision out of strength and on my own conviction. I acted decisively in giving up the license and I don't regret the decision."

Resources for senior drivers who need help or assessment

For a copy of Safe Mobility for Senior Citizens contact:

John Eberhard, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 7th St. SW
Washington, D.C. 20590
email: jeberhard@nhtsa.dot.gov

For a self-assessment form that helps evaluate driving performance write the California State Automobile Association and send a check or money order for $2 to:

CSAA
Traffic Safety Dept.
150 Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94101

Copies of sample DMV written tests are available at the local California Automobile Association.

To report an unsafe driver, pick up a form at the DMV or write:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Driver Safety Actions Unit M/S J234
PO Box 942890
Sacramento, CA 94290-0001

The letter should explain why the writer believes the driver is unsafe. Include name, birth date, license number (if known) and current address. The letter should be signed, but confidentiality can be requested. The DMV will contact the driver and request an interview, and, if necessary, give a driving test.

For informaton see the California DMV website: www.DMV.ca.gov

For information, and dates and locations of classes for the 55 Alive Mature Driving Course, call 800.277.7669, or visit on the web at www.aarp.org/55alive

Local 55 Alive Mature Driver Courses offered in May. Call for information.

May 9 and 11: Willows Senior Center 2175 Lincoln Ave., SJ 408.448.6400

May 15 and 16: AARP Information Center 840 Willow St., SJ 408.278.1855

May 22 and 24: Cypress Senior Center 403 Cypress Ave., SJ 408.244.1353

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