Driver License For Seniors
Driver License Requirements for Seniors
Regulations vary from province to province
In many cases, the first time you got behind the wheel of an automobile was in your parents’ car, and chances are your first driving lesson was with Mom or Dad sitting beside you.
But over the years, older drivers experience deterioration of eyesight, hearing, and motor skills, which can present problems when operating a motor vehicle. By a certain age, driving skills have diminished enough to warrant refresher training and retesting.
It is estimated that by 2020, one in four drivers in Canada will be 65 years of age or older.
Several provinces have restrictions placed on senior drivers, ranging from a medical fitness report to actual testing. Here is a breakdown by province:
Alberta – For drivers 75 years old and older, a medical report must be submitted at license renewal time.
www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/drivers_licence
British Columbia – A medical report is necessary for drivers 80 and over, and these reports must be submitted every two years.
Ontario – Ontario has a comprehensive Senior Driver Renewal Program for those 80 and over. This program includes a vision and knowledge test, plus a group education session every two years. In some instances, the province may ask the candidate to take a road test.
www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/drvlicen.shtml
Manitoba – There are no restrictions based on age.
www.mpi.mb.ca/English/dr_licensing/DriverLicensing.html
New Brunswick – There are no restrictions based on age.
www.gnb.ca/0276/vehicle/index-e.asp
Nova Scotia – There are no restrictions based on age.
www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/rmv/licence/
Quebec – A medical and visual evaluation must be submitted at renewal time for drivers 75 years old and older. Depending upon this evaluation, the province may restrict the driver to driving only during daylight hours, using corrective lenses, or not driving on expressways.
www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/driver_licence/index.php
Saskatchewan – There are no restrictions based on age. The province does offer a seniors driving course entitled “55 Alive”.
www.sgi.sk.ca/sgi_pub/drivers_licences/how_to_get_a_licence.htm
A Brain Fitness Program to Determine If Senior Citizens Are Safe Drivers
Are senior citizens safe drivers? A brain fitness program that is being tested may determine just that. A brain exercise program has just been determined to possibly be the next big breakthrough in automotive safety.
Research studies have shown that a brain fitness program may decrease risky driving habits and improves the response time for braking and stopping the vehicle. As the population ages, there will be more and more senior citizens driving than ever before.
It is presently known that as driver's age, especially as they move into their 70s and beyond, a number of problems with response time, planning and concentration can get in the way of safe driving. It is the goal of a brain fitness program to determine, "Are senior citizens safe drivers?"
The goal of the brain exercise program is to see if there is an increase in response time, better planning executed and more concentration by the senior drivers.
More on a brain fitness program that may determine "Are senior citizens safe drivers?"
Medications that aging individuals are prescribed are a major problem that affect their thinking (cognitive) abilities. As we age, we are more likely to take multiple medications. These multiple medications can lead to impaired driving ability in the senior citizen driver.
How does a brain fitness program improve a senior citizen driver to make them safe? Brain fitness exercises can help senior drivers avoid or delay cognitive decline and assist those aging drivers to maintain an independent life style as long as possible.
A brain fitness program that encouraged an increase response time, visual attention, memory, the ability to measure the processing of speed and the ability to react to unexpected situations was studied. Past brain fitness program research shows that not only do brain fitness exercises improve all of the above, but the studies have shown that the brain training has sustained those improved results beyond a 5 year period.
Start a brain exercise program today. There is increasing amounts of evidence that specific thinking skills that are used for driving can be trained. The results are better driving skills. It is never too late to start a brain fitness program. The benefits may have lasting results that will assure a better quality of life.
Are Senior Citizens Driving Safely?
Remember when you couldn't wait until you were old enough to drive. Getting a driver's license gave us an opportunity to experience a new freedom we did not have before. For those of us with two parents working, driving meant taking ourselves and our siblings to after school activities and work. Driving took us to a level of independence that we had not experienced before. In an aging society of drivers, those very same feelings exist in many today. Driving gives us a sense of independence and freedom, the ability to go out and socialize, go to work or to church. Safety issues are a concern as many move into the golden years. The life expectancy of seniors is increasing. There are more active senior citizens out on the road today than ever before. Since we all age differently, many aging adults, can drive into their seventies and eighties. As we age, the risks for having a serious car accident that requires hospitalization rises. Statistics show that fatal car accidents rise after the age of seventy.
If you know an aging adult driver who is experiencing difficulty with driving, it is important to carefully monitor the situation. This article can help you determine whether you should take steps to encourage the senior to stop driving.
Some key risk factors that affect our aging society are:
Vision declines affecting depth perception and ability to judge speed of oncoming traffic. Night vision becomes a problem as our eyes loose the ability to process light. By age 60, you need three times the amount of light that you did at age 20 in order to drive safely after nightfall. We also become more sensitive to bright light and glare. Signs and road markings can be difficult to see.
With age, flexibility may decrease as response time increases. A full range of motion is crucial on the road. Turning your head both ways to see oncoming traffic, moving both hands and feet can be difficult for those with chronic conditions such a rheumatoid arthritis, or Parkinson's disease, heart disease and diabetes.
Older adults in an aging society will often need to begin to take medications. Certain medications, as well as a combination of medications and alcohol, can increase driving risk. Be aware and careful about medication side-effects and interactions between medications. It is important to talk to your pharmacist to be aware of interactions that could affect your driving safely. Some edications cause drowsiness.
Aging affects our quality of sleep, resulting in daytime sleepiness. Falling asleep at the wheel is a major concern for those that dose off during the day.
The beginning of dementia or mental impairment can make driving more dangerous. A decreased mental capacity or decrease tolerance to stressful driving situations such as complex and confusing intersections may cause delayed reactions to sudden or confusing situations on the road. An aging brain and body does not have the same response time as we did when we were younger.
Look for warning signs
There are multiple warning signs that an aging adult is becoming or is an unsafe driver. Some of them are small, but if there are multiple concerns it may be time to talk about your concerns with the aging driver. Warning signs of an unsafe driver include
- Abrupt lane changes, braking, or acceleration.
- Increase in the dents and scrapes on the car or on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, curbs, etc
- Trouble reading signs or navigating directions to get somewhere
- Range-of-motion issues (looking over the shoulder, moving the hands or feet, etc.)
- Becoming anxious or fearful while driving or feeling exhausted after driving
- Experiencing more conflict on the road: other drivers honking; frustration or anger at other drivers. Oblivious to the frustration of other drivers towards them
- Getting lost more often
- Trouble paying attention to signals, road signs, pavement markings, or pedestrians
- Slow reaction to changes in the driving environment
- Increased traffic tickets or "warnings" by traffic or law enforcement officers
- Forgetting to put on a safety belt
If you are concerned about an aging adult driver, closely monitor their driving before deciding whether they need a refresher coarse on their driving skills or approaching them to give up their driver's license altogether. Ongoing and open communication is important to addressing the issue of driving. Studies conducted by Harvard and MIT show that while most drivers preferred to discuss the issue with their spouse, doctor or adult children (in that order), this is not the case for everyone. The right person may not necessarily be the most forceful or outspoken one, but rather someone whose judgment and empathy are especially trusted by the driver.
Talk with other family members, your doctor, and close friends to determine the best person for "the conversation." Remember driving signifies independence, freedom and being self sufficient to active senior citizens. Realize you may meet with resistance and the aging driver may become defensive. Emotion may get in the way of a rational conversation. Express your concerns and give specific reasons for those concerns.
The goal is to get the aging driver be part of the decision making process
You may begin by asking your loved one to make some concessions because of your concerns.
- Taking a driver refresher course
- Not driving at night
- Suggest they not drive on busy thoroughfares or during rush hour
- Taking shorter trips
- Not driving under adverse weather conditions
- Encourage a visit to their primary care physician or pharmacist to go over medications that may affect driving skills. Your physician may be able to recommend a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist. This individual can assess driving safety by an office exam and driving test and make recommendations regarding special equipment or techniques that can improve the driver's safety. Consider ways to decrease the need to drive. Check out alternatives to shopping by car, including: Arrange for home deliveries of groceries and other goods, and try to arrange for home visits by clergy, medical and personal care providers, and government service providers.
- Use financial services that don't require bank visits, like automatic bill paying, direct deposit, and bank-by-phone or on-line banking services.
Fears of those living in an aging society
Fear of isolation and decrease in socializing is a real concern for the aging driver. It is important to keep spirits high as the aging driver makes the adjustments to becoming a non driver. Be in tune to their need for fun, volunteering, work and religious activities. Create a transportation plan that can make it easier for the aging driver to give up driving. You can create a list of friends and family that are willing to drive, contact the church and the local Area Agency on Aging in regards to transportation programs in the area.
Some seniors may adjust better if they can keep their own car, but have others drive them. Their own car may feel more comfortable and familiar, and the sense of loss from not driving may be lessened. Remember, baby boomers have grown up walking out the door and being able to go where they want to go. We need to keep the aging adult driver and those on the road with them safe.
