For most Americans, aged 65 and above, the ability to drive is a sign of independence, control and mobility. I hear people say more and more, that “she or he should not be driving.” When is the right time to take away the keys and license and who should do it?

Remember when you couldn’t wait to get a driver’s license and handed the keys to your first car when you were a teenager? Well, some of the normal changes of aging can make driving more challenging and difficult, to say the least, down right dangerous for some.

Impediments such as hearing loss, sight changes, decreased reaction time due to stroke or coronary infarcts or other age-related physical problems, memory loss and lessened manual dexterity can mean danger on the road.

Older adults should periodically assess their own driving ability, both to increase safety and to honestly judge whether they should continue driving safely behind the wheel.

Can you be honest with yourself? How do we continue to drive safely when aging sets in?

1. Take a refresher driving course.
2. When filling medications ask the pharmacist if the medicine you take will impede your ability to drive or impair your judgment.
3. Have regular eye examinations and keep your eyeglass prescriptions current.
4. Make sure the car is in good working order.
5. Keep windows and mirrors, windshields and wiper blades clean. Make sure headlights, taillights and turn signals function.
6. Have your tires regularly checked for low air pressure and excessive wear.
7. Make adaptive changes to the car to ensure safe driving, like extended mirrors or a back-up warning buzzer, wheel grips or pedal adjustments.
8. If the car is large and difficult to drive then consider trading it for a smaller one.
9. Investigate routes and take less congested roads.
10. Make sure that insurance is adequate and kept current.

OK, what if mom or dad is driving erratically and need the car banished from sight…who does it? Have the medical doctor certify that they can not drive anymore unless things improve. That way you are not the “bad guy” in the equation. The last thing anyone needs is resentment towards you by a parent who thinks you are robbing them of their independence.

Remind your parents or loved ones who are risking their lives due to their inability to drive properly that driving is a right and not a privilege. It has to be earned and if one is in poor health, it is not in their best interest to drive at the risk of harming themselves and other’s.

I just returned from the National convention of AARP, American Association of Retired People.

With over 60,000 people in attendance, I was able to personally autograph books and hear many people’s experience with growing older.

Healthy aging is an important tool that everyone needs to use in their daily lives.

Everything you wanted to know about aging, but were afraid to ask is in my newly released book “A New Wrinkle: What I Learned from Older People Who Never Acted Their Age”. You can get your personally autographed  copy on www.newwrinklebook.com. Unsigned copies are available  from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

“A New Wrinkle” makes a perfect holiday gift and is germane to everyone who is aging…and that is all of us. The book has valuable information that will help you understand aging and how not feel “old”.

Get your copy soon…Don’t forget to tell all your friends…