At what age should you give up driving?

International drivers license

 Editor - Hawaii asks seniors to take a written driver's test and eyetest every two years.  But at what age should they give up driving altogether.

Hawaii is one of those states with a high accident rate, actually among the tops in the United States.  That is one of the reasons Hawaii is asking seniors to take the tests every two years.  But even the old-timers who believe they drive well might well hearken to the advice about why it is better to give up the keys at a certain age.  That's because, even though it is wonderful to be able to drive and have that freedom, it is not a wonderful feelings to be in an accident from which it may take longer to recover, if one recovers as well.

While seniors remember the happy day they were first licensed to drive, the day they surrender those car keys is a day that's also remembered, but seldom as fondly as that day when they learned to drive and the state nodded its approval with the awarding of a license.

It is traumatic for an elderly person to lose a driver's license, to admit their reaction time and their ability to see the road peripherally or some other factor is reduced so they can't drive safely.

Other conditions like residual problems from a stroke, can also impact a person's ability to drive.

Those who care for people who are elderly need to support an individual who has to give up a driver's license because it has implications that affect folks emotionally.  For men it literally tears up the ego.

Being a child or friend of an elderly person may mean it's time to talk about driving.  The simple fact is, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, is that the dangers of driving increases with age.   There was a 19 percent increase in older drivers from 1997 to 2007, which means there are more folks on the road where the risks continue to develop.

 Motor vehicle crash deaths per capita among males and females begin to increase markedly starting at ages 70-74. Fatal crash rates increase starting at age 75 and increase notably after age 80.

Some treatment centers and hospitals such as Sinai Hospital offer a driver evaluation and rehabilitation training program that can help maintain a loved one's independence while at the same time ensuring that same person is a safe driver.

Rehabilitation experts can also support termination of a driver's license.  That's because giving up a driver's license isn't easy and needs intervention and support to ease the feelings that come up when it's lost.