AAA expert offers seniors tips on safer driving
Age-related changes can affect driving ability. Until self-driving cars change the world for all of us, AAA traffic safety expert Nick Jarmusz offered approximately 40 seniors attending a seminar at Covenant Village of Northbrook tips on continuing a safe driving career.
“Driving helps us be mobile and independent,” says Darlene Murphy, sales director at Covenant Village. “But federal highway safety research shows that the risk of having an accident increases as we age. As a community committed to living a rewarding life at any age, we asked AAA to share tips for staying safe and confident on the road with local seniors.”
The keys to driver safety, says Jarmusz, are ongoing assessment and adjustment. Driving requires both physical and cognitive abilities. Both of those change as we age, so it’s important to take stock of our abilities and adjust driving habits accordingly.
The most common age-related changes in driving ability come from physical conditions such as vision and hearing changes, medical conditions and the side effects of medication, and cognitive function changes that impact reaction time.
Your health care provider is your primary resource to identify potential physical and cognitive changes that might affect driving.
Plus, AAA offers a series of free, confidential self-assessment tools that can help you detect changes that may have occurred so gradually you don’t even notice.
Start by visiting www.SeniorDriving.AAA.com. The site’s Roadwise Rx tool can help you identify potential side effects from medications. The Smart Features section will help you select a vehicle with features that can help with age-related challenges.
When you know your abilities, you can make adjustments to your driving habits. The most common safe-driving adjustments are:
타 Plan your trips. Plan your trips when traffic is light. Find the safest routes with intersections with left turn arrows and easy parking.
타 Adjust driving position and visibility. Make sure to maintain at least 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel. Adjust your seat belt to fit snugly. Position interior and exterior mirrors for maximum visibility.
타 Drive during optimum conditions. Drive during the daylight and in good weather.
타 Increase crash-avoidance techniques. Reduce your speed. Increase your following distance. Avoid distractions in the car such as talking on the phone or reading your GPS.
Concluding the presentation, Jarmusz noted that it’s important to plan for life after driving. Before it’s no longer safe to drive, have a plan in place so you can maintain your mobility. The more alternatives you have available, the easier the adjustment will be.
Covenant Village of Northbrook is a nationally accredited, nonprofit, continuing care retirement community. It is one of 14 communities nationwide and is administered by Skokie- based Covenant Retirement Communities Inc. as a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
For information on Covenant Village, visit www.CovenantNorthbrook.org.