Is my Mum still safe to drive?

Another dent in the car!
Many of our clients comment that they feel their parents are no longer safe to drive and ponder on what they need to do to keep their parents safe and others on the road.
As we age our health status can also change which can impact our ability to drive.
Some common conditions that can affect your driving are:

• • Macular Degeneration affects your eyesight and is often a progressive disease that sees eye health deteriorating over time which can lead to blindness.
  • Arthritis can result in stiffness and pain which can slow your reflexes to respond in certain situations.
  • Short term memory loss can impact on your decision making when driving.

It is a hard decision to give up our driving license as with this goes our independence.
Family members often have trouble convincing parents to hand over their car keys but realise action needs to be taken. Anyone can contact Vic Roads to request a driving assessment for their parents so if not a family member, it is often the GP or other allied health staff.
The assessment may lead to a limit on how far one can drive, it may result in no restrictions to driving or it may result in the loss of a driving license.
A great start is to click on this link for Vic Roads which answers the questions and the process to determine – Am I fit to drive?

Age Well
Sara Cook