You have your driver's licence, you've racked up many years worth of mileage, you have loads of invaluable driving experience, you have the maturity to apply that experience to new situations, you proudly sport a clean driving record and you think you're a good driver, and so you may be. Naturally, you assume you will be driving forever. But, driving is not always a lifetime opportunity. It requires interaction between sensory and motor skills. It demands your full attention, good vision and hearing, as well as complete decision-making abilities. And the truth is, despite your good driving records and years of experience, you may encounter medical problems and/or age related problems, which can affect your driving performance and end your plans to drive for life.

Giving up this time honoured symbol of independence can be a heart wrenching experience and have profound effects upon self-esteem, social activities, shopping, entertainment and many other aspects of everyday life. Yet being mobile and the associated independence that comes with it brings responsibility for safety. Canada's population is aging and the number of older drivers is increasing rapidly. Our culture is quickly facing the social and personal challenges of how to accommodate large numbers of older drivers who desire to maintain their independence.

Drivers need to pay attention to several things at once. They need to scan the road, make judgements, and be able to react appropriately to changing conditions. These abilities may be slowed or impaired with the development of impaired brain function whether from the effects of medication, medical disorders, drug/alcohol or dementia. Reduced vision (particularly at night), a decrease in depth perception, and movement limiting disabilities such as arthritis and rheumatism (which slow down response time in dealing with sudden traffic changes), can all affect your ability to drive safely. Age and medical conditions affect driving ability in many ways. You may recognize the changes immediately, slowly over a period of time or sometimes not at all.

Auto collisions have become the most common cause of accidental death among people between the ages of 65 and 74 years. Alarmingly, the highest crash rate per kilometre of any age group, excluding teenagers, is among older drivers. Given all this, how can seniors and their caregivers know when it is time to give up driving? There is no clear-cut answer and simply because someone has a medical condition, it does not mean he/she should stop driving. Each person is different. For instance it may be possible for a person with Alzheimer's Disease to drive safely in the early stages of the illness. Yet, caregivers must carefully evaluate and look for the warning signs of unsafe driving in the patient. There is a growing consensus that elders with a moderate impairment of dementia should not drive.

Older drivers with a visual impairment of 40% or greater are twice as likely to have a collision than those with better vision. Yet these same drivers, when aware of the extent of their visual problems, may be able to self-regulate their driving habits and drive very safely.

Family members should sit down with older drivers and discuss how aging may be affecting their driving. With proper corrective action it may be possible for the freedom and independence that driving brings to continue.

As part of the Alberta government's mandate to ensure public safety on Alberta's roadways, drivers can have their operator's licence suspended or restricted for medical reasons. Once Alberta Transportation has been advised, typically by a family physician, that an individual does or may not meet the medical standards for licensing, the driver may be requested to: 1) provide further medical documentation; 2) surrender their licence; and/or 3) have conditions placed on their licence. Failure to provide requested medical information will result in a licence suspension.

The law requires that you report any medical condition, change in health, or physical disability that may affect your driving. This is your responsibility and legal obligation, not that of your doctor.

Follow this link on tips for senior drivers. It is intended to help drivers continue to drive safely as long as possible and compensate for changes from medical conditions and aging.