Colorado has nearly 1 million drivers over the age of 65. And while there is no age that makes someone unfit to drive, the American Automobile Association says people are outliving their ability to drive safely by an average of 7 to 10 years.
So most older drivers should think about a day when they will retire from driving. But knowing when is tricky.
Colorado doesn’t have many requirements that change with age.
“The only thing that really changes is that drivers aged 80 or older have an additional requirement for an eye examination. It has to be by an optometrist or ophthalmologist for any kind of online renewal,” said Crystal Soderman of the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles.
She added that drivers who apply for a license renewal in person get an eye exam at the counter – but that’s true for all ages.
Instead, the onus is on older drivers to be realistic about how their abilities may have evolved over time, said Terri Cassidy, founder of Fitness to Drive, a Colorado Springs company that provides driver safety evaluations.
“We really want to make sure vision is intact and working as intended. Physical skills, being able to turn and look over your shoulder, being able to feel whether your foot's on the gas or the brake pedal. And then the big one that can be harder for people to notice themselves is their cognition,” Cassidy said.
Medications can impact all of those functions, she added.
Many older people do start to make adjustments before giving up the keys entirely. They stop driving at night, for example, and stay off the highways.
Drivers looking for an objective assessment can reach out to organizations like Fitness to Drive. Most people pay the $540 fee out-of-pocket, but there are subsidies from some counties and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Cassidy said that many times, older people are referred for an evaluation by their doctors or law enforcement. Cassidy emphasized that she understands how important driving can be to a person’s sense of independence.
“I’m always rooting for them,” she said.
How family members can bring up the sensitive topic of ‘driving retirement’
Bringing up safe driving with an older family member can be touchy. Cassidy, of Fitness to Drive, recommends starting the conversation long before it becomes urgent. But she offered clues that it may be time to talk seriously.
“When you're starting to notice other things happening, maybe not even in the car. Maybe cooking isn't going the same as it used to. Often finances, someone's needing some help with paying their bills,” she said. “Some things that are changing in life are bound to also affect things in the car.”
Here are some of Cassidy’s recommendations for starting the conversation:
- Start with compassion, come from a place of love, and don’t start as if the decision is made. Instead, “(Say) there are some things that are concerning me and I really think we should get some more information,” she said.
- Get backup from a doctor or from a professional driving evaluator. It takes the blame off the family member and puts it on a neutral third party.
- Have a plan for alternate transportation. “This is a way for you to get to church. This is a way for you to get your groceries,” she said.
- Bring up that the consequences can be grave - hurting yourself, someone else, or losing everything in a liability lawsuit.
- When all else fails, you may have no choice but to hide the keys or take the battery out of the car.
Reporting to the state: who can do it, and how does it work?
If you have concerns that someone’s driving is unsafe, the state DMV does have a reporting process. It applies to drivers of any age.
Immediate family members can email the state DMV to ask that a driver be re-evaluated for their license. Medical professionals and law enforcement can also request that the DMV retest a driver.
“The driver has 20 days from the date of the notice to complete the medical examination, the eye examination, written road tests, whatever is required,” said Soderman of the DMV. “And if they're unable to do so within those 20 days, there is a cancellation of the driving privilege.”
If you are not an immediate family member, you should report your concerns to law enforcement, not the DMV.
People reporting an unsafe driver need to know that their report is not confidential.
“It's not something that goes out in the notification to the driver, but if the driver asks for the information, we are required to disclose who made the report,” Soderman said.
