Even the DMV won’t tell this older driver to hand over car
QMy husband’s family has been concerned that their dad has some sort of cognitive impairment or dementia. As he refuses to go to the doctor and denies anything is wrong, one of the siblings reported him anonymously to the DMV. He went in for the written exam, and despite not knowing the year, date, day of the week, or any job that he had prior to retiring, and missing one more question than allowed, the examiner passed him.
She said that he needs to see a neurologist and she’s surprised his family hasn’t taken him. My husband told her, “He won’t go!”
What is up with these examiners? They are not doing the rest of the driving population any favors by going so easy on someone who is clearly having memory problems. — Anonymous
AThese are such difficult issues. Others have hidden car keys of elderly loved ones when they are worried about their driving abilities. Keep trying to calmly discuss your concerns with him and explain how a visit to another doctor may give peace of mind to him as well as to his family.
Then there’s the California state senior ombudsman program, which can assist as a go-between in individual cases. Here’s how to reach their offices:
QCan you list tips that show an older driver should stop driving? My mom may need to read them. — F.W.
A1. Frequent close calls or near-accidents.
2. Dents or scrapes on the car or on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, curbs, etc.
3. Trouble judging gaps in traffic at intersections and on highway ramps. 4. Drivers honking at you.
5. Getting lost.
6. Difficulty seeing the sides of the road when looking straight ahead.
7. Slower response time; trouble moving foot from gas to brake pedal or confusing the two pedals.
8. Getting distracted easily or having trouble concentrating.
9. Difficulty turning your head to check over shoulder while backing up or changing lanes.
10. Traffic tickets or warnings in the last year or two.
QI saw a flashing yellow left-turn signal for the first time in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The message it sent me was: “You really shouldn’t turn right now but you can, so good luck, buddy.” Scary! — Joe Cosentino