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Alzheimer's: When to stop driving
When it's time to stop driving, your loved one with Alzheimer's may resist. Instead of arguing, provide other ways of getting around and maintaining routines.
By Mayo Clinic staffDriving is a powerful symbol of competence and independence — besides being a routine part of adult life. But the focused concentration and quick reaction time needed for safe driving tend to decline as you get older. Alzheimer's disease accelerates this process dramatically.
More than memory problems
Alzheimer's robs people of their short-term memory, so they get lost easily, sometimes even in familiar territory. Losing your way, however, doesn't necessarily make you a hazard on the road. A decline in visuospatial skills, which help drivers judge distances and predict upcoming traffic problems, plays a large role in making people with Alzheimer's unsafe drivers.
Drivers with Alzheimer's may also have trouble prioritizing visual cues. An irrelevant sight, such as a dog jumping behind a fence, may distract them, so they fail to notice important cues, such as brake lights or traffic signs.
When to stop driving
Because Alzheimer's diminishes reasoning skills, it often is up to caregivers to determine when their loved ones become unsafe behind the wheel. Warning signs of unsafe driving include:
- Forgetting how to locate familiar places
- Failing to observe traffic signals
- Making slow or poor decisions
- Problems with changing lanes or making turns
- Hitting the curb while driving
- Driving at an inappropriate speed
- Becoming angry and confused while driving
- Confusing the brake and gas pedal
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