I Am Worried About My Dad's Driving,What Can I Do?

Q. I followed my dad, 78, enroute to a family party, and was quite concerned by his driving – erratic speed, unsafe lane changes and dangerous hesitation at on-ramps. He’d be devastated to give up his license – what can I do?

A. Research confirms that older drivers are involved in more accidents – per kilometer driven – than their middle-aged counterparts. Of course you want your dad to be independent as long as possible – and drive safely and confidently.

• Identify dad’s driving challenges – vision, reaction time, physical limitations
• Schedule a family doctor visit - to check vision, hearing, cognition, medication dosages and /or combinations.
• Get an evaluation - by a driver rehabilitation specialist who can make specific recommendations for improvement.
• The doctor - may write to the provincial Ministry of Transport recommending that the licence be revoked. With luck, this step may convince your dad to surrender his licence and keys voluntarily.
• Send a copy of the doctor’s letter to the Ministry and also to his auto insurer, who will cancel his policy. No one wants to treat a family member in this way, but you must keep in mind the liability and potential for harm to your parent and to others. It’s an unhappy role-reversal for you to do this to your father, so make sure you have the understanding and support of all family members, and give yourself credit for having the courage to love your dad so much.
  
  This information was provided by Pat M. Irwin, BA, AICB, CPCA