How old is TOO old to drive?

This is a highly debatable and touchy topic. How old is too old to drive? I’ve heard people say things like, “My Grandmother is 92 and she’s never had an accident.” I can assure you that your grandmother is the exception, and not the rule. However, for many of our seniors, driving very well could seem to them as being their last bit of autonomy left. It’s not easy to give up freedoms and driving is certainly a freedom.

What are some of the signs that it might be time to hang up the keys? AOL auto had a list of some things to look for:

Warning Signs: 20 Things To Look For In Elderly Drivers

• Decrease in confidence while driving
• Difficulty turning to see when backing up
• Easily distracted while driving
• Other drivers often honk horns
• Hitting curbs
• Scrapes or dents on the car, mailbox or garage
• Increased agitation or irritation when driving
• Failure to notice traffic signs or important activity on the side of the road
• Trouble navigating turns
• Driving at inappropriate speeds
• Uses a “copilot”
• Bad judgment making left turns
• Delayed response to unexpected situations
• Moving into wrong lane or difficulty maintaining lane position
• Confusion at exits
• Ticketed moving violations or warnings
• Getting lost in familiar places
• Car accident
• Failure to stop at stop sign or red light
• Stopping in traffic for no apparent reason

Again, this isn’t an easy subject to bring up with Mom, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa, but coming to terms with the degeneration of driving ability will have to be addressed at some point in time.

If you’ve had experience with this let us know how you approached it and what the outcome was.