Being elderly is not synonymous with giving up driving. The decision must be based on an examination and an overall assessment of the individual. Whether or not to keep a driver’s license has a major impact on quality of life, and elderly’s driving abilities must be assessed by the medical commissions set up for this purpose.
Testing the elderly’s driving abilities
Driving ability assessment exams evaluate physical and mental abilities deemed “sufficient” to authorize driving, including tests to assess :
- perception of the environment
- auditory and visual acuity
- cognitive functions (orientation, memory, attention span, etc.)
- movement coordination
- cardiovascular and neurological functions (epilepsy, etc.)
- a look at prescriptions and polymedication
These various examinations are accompanied by information for the patient and his family on risk situations.
Numerous initiatives have been put in place over the last few years to keep seniors on the road. From revising the driving code to taking the driving test, sometimes 50 years on, there’s every reason to make seniors more aware of driving and the impact that poor reflexes can have on other road users.
The COSERA study “Senior citizens’ driving: responsibility and adaptation”
The french COSERA project, carried out over three years by IFSTTAR, focused on the driving challenges faced by the elderly. In collaboration with UMRESTTE and LESCOT, and with financial support from the Délégation à la sécurité routière, this study aimed to gain a better understanding of the situations in which senior drivers are particularly exposed, as well as the impacts of aging on their driving abilities, whether conscious or not.
The aim was to propose preventive solutions and adapted re-training programs, enabling older drivers to assess their skills and develop safer driving strategies. In a context marked by a significant increase in the number of elderly people and their mobility, the results of the COSERA project offer valuable avenues for enhancing road safety, reducing risks and supporting senior drivers in their mobility in an adapted and safe manner.
Taking their driving test again 50 years later
Organized by the Eugénie Seniors seniors’ residence in Chambray-lès-Tours, the driving courses aim to raise awareness among older people of their own driving habits and the fact that driving today is not the same as it was in the past.
The course lasts around twenty minutes, with a driving instructor on hand to assess the elderly person’s driving situation. Practice continues with a braking test to calculate the reaction time of elderly drivers.
Enabling seniors to continue driving safely is a key objective, stresses one driving course organizer: “The aim is to keep seniors driving as long as possible.” However, with age comes challenges, such as diminished reflexes and vision, or changes in the highway code. For Fernand, 84, these changes are striking: “Today, the highway code has nothing to do with what we learned forty years ago.” Michel, another participant, highlights a striking example: “What’s changed the most since I got my license? Traffic circles! They didn’t exist in the 60s or 70s. We never learned how to handle them properly.”
These testimonials show the importance of initiatives such as driving courses in helping seniors adapt to a constantly changing road environment.
Published by the Editorial Staff on