On a recent episode of ABC’s “What Would You Do”, the TV show setup a scenario to determine how bystanders would react to an elderly driver exhibiting signs that he shouldn’t get behind the wheel of a car. The aging driver, an actor, aged 92, approaches people on the street asking for help getting out of his parking spot (his car is parallel parked on the street) since his son who was supposed to meet him has failed to appear. Three of the four people featured in this first segment of the episode, which tests what people would do when faced with an elderly driver with impaired abilities, help the senior into his car. The bystanders help the senior driver with starting his ignition and putting his car in reverse; only to direct him from the spot to have him run down the motorcycle parked in the spot behind.

Watch “Driving While Disoriented”

What would you do when faced with the same situation? While statistics show, that apart from drivers under 25, drivers over 70 are involved in the most driving related accidents; family members in particular are very reluctant to take away a senior’s main source of independence. And while some states do mandate stricter licensing standards for drivers who have reached old age, very little mandatory testing is in place to ensure that older adults can drive without impairment so the decision of when to take away the keys is often left up to the family to determine.

If you’re starting to wonder whether it might be time to take away a senior’s right to drive, look at the following factors to determine if they might be a hazard behind the wheel:

• Does a loss of hearing acuity affect their ability to respond to sirens or honking horns?
• Has the old driver’s sight been tested? Do they have trouble seeing lines on the road, especially during night driving?
• Is the senior driver physically able to control the vehicle safely? Do they have any conditions, like arthritis, which might affect their reflexes?
• Do they take any medications that could affect their driving abilities? Do any medicines interact to make driving unsafe?

Sources: http://www.abcnews.go.com/whatwouldyoudo – February 17 (Driving While Disoriented) Episode
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