Knowing When to Take Grandma’s Car Keys Away

In 2013, 75 percent of traffic fatalities involved older drivers. The elderly population continues to make up a large percentage of cars on the road in place like St. George, Utah and elsewhere, but with age comes driving impairments that can cause serious accidents. You may not want to wait for a call from an auto accident lawyer to take away grandmas car keys. 

While every individual is different when it comes to driving abilities, crash rates increase significantly after a driver has reached the age of 70. Whether grandma is younger or older than 70, there are signs you can look for when evaluating her safety and judgment behind the wheel. 

Whether you live in the deserts of St. George or in a big city, grandma’s driving abilities could create hazards to her and other drivers on the road. Taking a ride with her could be the first step to evaluating her driving. However, this is a sensitive subject with some elderly folks. After all, driving is a part of their independence, so be sure to approach the situation respectfully. 

When going on a drive with grandma, take notice of unusual actions such as drifting into other lanes and or having a difficult time making turns. Issues with simple driving maneuvers such as these could be the first sign that your grandma is at risk of a car accident and the need for an auto accident lawyer. 

It’s also important to pay attention to your grandma’s ability to find familiar places and her concentration level. If she is getting lost in her hometown of St. George or not being able to concentrate for very long, this could also mean it’s time to suggest giving up driving.  

Again, it’s sometimes difficult to approach an elderly person about this topic, so instead of immediately taking grandma’s keys away, maybe set up some driving limitations first. For example, limit her night driving, tell her to avoid roads during rush hour and suggest taking only familiar routes. 

If grandma is confusing the brakes with the gas, running red lights or just flat out can’t see the road, this is an appropriate time to take her keys away for good and skip the limitations. In a case like this she is at great risk for injuring herself and others and having to call an auto accident lawyer.

If grandma is involved in a car accident, this is also a determining factor that she should no longer drive. In this case, you will want to call an auto accident lawyer in St. George or elsewhere, and then respectfully take her keys away for her own safety. 

Alyssa Koenig is a legal writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry. Follow on Twitter.