Taking the Car Keys Away from Mom and Dad
When most people think about restricting a person from driving, they think of parents who monitor when their kids should be allowed to drive. After all, teenagers pose many risks to other drivers, passengers, and the public. They are easily distracted by cell phones, playing with the radio, and talking with their friends. They often take chances that adult drivers avoid. Far too many teens fail to appreciate the dangers of driving while intoxicated
A recent article in the online publication Slate revealed that children have worries about their parents, too. Making the decision to take the keys away from an older parent can be a difficult one.
Why children should be concerned about older drivers
Sometimes the decision is easy, like when a parent becomes intoxicated. Drunk drivers are dangerous drivers. They can’t respond to traffic conditions or to emergencies. Worse, other drivers don’t know how to respond to drunk drivers because there’s no way to know which way a drunk driver is going to steer or turn. And no adults should drive if they haven’t gotten enough sleep. Drowsy drivers are dangerous drivers.
It’s an even harder decision to make when Mom or Dad is simply getting older. You want to respect your parents’ autonomy, and let’s be honest: no one likes being told they can no longer do something that they’re used to doing. But senior drivers can pose a risk to the driving public for many reasons (though not every senior driver will fit the bill for all of them):
- They can’t always see well, especially at night
- They can’t always determine if there is an emergency on the road
- Their reaction times are slowing down
- They may have difficulty hearing
- They may be suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
- Their medications may interact with their reflexes
Talking to senior drivers about your concerns
There are some practical ways to protect parents who shouldn’t be driving (because of a high risk of car accidents) from getting the keys to drive:
- Talk to your parents. Let them know why you’re concerned. Inform them that you won’t get into a car with them until they address your concerns.
- Speak with another adult and ask them to intervene. The other adult can be a family doctor, another relative, a neighbor, or a friend.
- Ask them to work with a program such as Keeping Us Safe which helps address senior issues.
- Discuss alternate options, such as a schedule for when the children can drive senior parents or adults who have risky driving habits.
Taking the keys away from an older parent can be tough, but we know you’re doing it out of love and concern for their safety, and the safety of others. If you were injured in a car accident with an older driver, let our Rocky McElhaney Law Firm fight to obtain payment for all your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and disfigurement. Please call 615-425-2500 or complete our contact form to make an appointment at our Nashville, Hendersonville or Knoxville office.
Related: