3 Ways to Check on Mom's Driving Abilities this July 4th Weekend

PAINESVILLE, Ohio - July 1, 2016 - PRLog -- Independence Day serves as a great opportunity for millions of Americans to travel back home to reconnect with old friends and neighbors and to visit with family and loved ones.  As we celebrate country and family, the weekend is sure to be filled with picnics, barbeques, parades, and of course…fireworks.

While visiting with loved-ones this weekend, ask yourself the following questions about an aging parent's safe driving abilities:

Has your parent fallen in the past year?

Recent research has established a definite correlation between falls and older driver crash involvement.  According to an article published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, older adults that have fallen two or more times in the previous year may be at a higher risk of being involved in an at-fault car crash.

The study, conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, and the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, also reported that older drivers who fell two or more times in the prior year were 1.5 times as likely to be involved in an accident and two times as likely to be involved in an at-fault accident.

The study's bottom line; a history of frequent falling can serve as a valid indicator in identifying older drivers that are at a higher risk for future traffic accidents.  That's pretty significant!

Are your parents physically active?

Exercise can help improve an older driver's flexibility, coordination, strength, balance and range of motion.  Simple stretching exercises can help an older driver look left or right more easily to check their blind spots, or to help ensure a safe lane change.  Exercise can also help an older driver turn their neck and body to look behind them before backing.  How many tragedies have we read about where an older driver backed over a pedestrian in a parking lot or in some cases, a family member in their own driveway?

A 2014 study by The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence and the M.I.T. Age Lab looked at the drivers who exercised for 15-20 minutes daily.  The study participants reported greater ease in turning their heads to look in blind spots when changing lanes or backing up, compared with a similar group that did not exercise.  The exercise group could also rotate their bodies easily to scan the road when making right hand turns compared with non-exercisers.

How is your loved-one's memory holding up?

In the family setting, the issue surrounding the important role memory plays in older driver safety is often understated or even overlooked all together.  For obvious reasons, when we discuss age related diminished driving skills in older adults, we tend to focus on the physical attributes of safe driving (vision, reflexes, strength, flexibility, hearing, etc.), and may overlook the crucial role memory plays in keeping older drivers safe.

For any one of us, a significant decline in our memory can lead to disaster if we continue to drive without first making appropriate adjustments in out driving behavior and habits.  Continuing to drive while ignoring noticeable memory decline can lead to tragedy, either through a car accident, or by unknowing becoming an excellent candidate for a victim of crime.

Older drivers that get lost may become confused and distracted by their unnerving circumstances.  As they find themselves unaware of their surroundings, they are likely to develop a strong case of tunnel vision.  The older driver may morph into a state of confusion, frustration and fear.  They lose their ability to focus on the task at hand (the physical act of driving) and instead, concentrate on getting themselves back to familiar surroundings.

The older driver's ability to focus on driving has been overwhelmed by their desire to re-orient themselves.  In many cases, the individual may become scared and often times, tragedy becomes imminent.

A quick reminder for all of us

The stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the 100 deadliest days of the year on the nation's roads.  Independence Day finds itself right in the middle and even at the pinnacle of this deadly stretch.  The IIHS reports that July 4^th is consistently the deadliest day of the year on America's roadways.  Adrian Lund, president, IIHS. "If everyone buckles up, avoids distractions, obeys the speed limit and doesn't drink and drive, we can make July Fourth and every day on the road a lot safer."  That's excellent advice for all of us!

Summary

Use your trip home for the holiday weekend as a time to humbly thank the individuals that gave us our Declaration of Independence, which will remain for future generations of Americans the beacon of liberty, the upholder of our divine unalienable rights, and the guardian of our independence.  Use it to re-unite with family and friends but also, use this time to take just a few minutes to make sure your parents' physical and cognitive skills are still conducive to safe driving.

Conclusion

If you believe there are concerns with a loved-one's driving skills, consider "Beyond Driving with Dignity; The workbook for the families of older drivers (http://keepingussafe.org/beyonddrivingwithdignityworkbook...)", or Keeping Us Safe's Enhanced Self-Assessment Program (http://keepingussafe.org/selfassessmentprogramforolderdri...) for older drivers.

To learn more about Keeping Us Safe's programs, please visit our website at www.keepingussafe.org.  Specific inquiries made be made by email at info@keepingussafe.org or by telephone at 877-907-8841.

About the author:  Matt Gurwell (http://keepingussafe.org/mattgurwellfounderofkeepingussafe.htm) is founder of Keeping Us Safe, LLC (http://www.keepingussafe.org/),  a national organization that provides practical, real-life solutions to older drivers and their families.