How to Care: Things to Look For

Risk factors for impaired driving ability

• illness and medications that cause a decline in perception, mobility and understanding
• poor vision — especially night vision, failing eyesight
• problems with depth perception
• hearing problems
• slow reflexes
• memory problems
• disorientation
• reduced mobility, such as difficulty turning head
• physical weakness and impairments
• drowsiness
• fatigue
• poor concentration
• lack of judgment
• lack of awareness

Signs of impaired driving ability that may be related to ageing and illnesses

• weaving, lane shifting
• unsafe left turns
• ignored signs and signals
• stopping at green lights
• inappropriate turns, including turns that are too wide and too sharp
• unsafe passing
• lane changing without checking
• failure to yield right of way
• difficulty backing up
• improper entrance onto and exit from highways
• confusion at highway entrances and merges
• driving wrong way on highways
• slow driving
• slow response to changes in driving and traffic conditions
• taking too long to reach the destination
• not reaching destination
• getting lost
• unexplained dents in the car
• fender benders/accidents
• traffic tickets