Several free tools are available for older adults, their family members, and caregivers to identify at-risk older drivers. The scores often correlate positively with on-road driving scores and clinical assessments. While a self-assessment cannot solely determine if the person is a safe driver, it may prompt the person to be more open to a conversation with healthcare providers and others.
A short self-assessment that you can complete with an older driver may be useful to determine if a change in driving habits or a deeper assessment is needed. Any one of the following short assessments may indicate that additional assessment and planning may be necessary.
- NHTSA’s Driving Safely while Aging Gracefully includes a self-assessment.
- Are You a Smart, Defensive Driver? asks drivers to answer 10 questions about today’s driving environment and how they react to driving on today’s roads.
- The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Quiz asks a person to respond to 15 statements about driving situations and gives suggestions based on answers.
- Plan For the Road's Assess Your Driving Skills And Fitness offers an older driver safety questionnaire, a safer driving workbook, and fitness-to-drive screening.
The following self-assessments are comprehensive and can help confirm whether an individual can benefit from consulting a medical professional or driving rehabilitation specialist to help ensure their safety on the road.
- The Driving Decisions Workbook is an assessment tool that correlates with on-road driving scores and includes tests of functional ability.
- Roadside Review takes users through a series of brief tasks that examine a person’s vision, reaction time, and other measures related to driving safety.
While a self-assessment can get things started, you should also consider professional assessments and evaluations. Sometimes an external assessment will be more effective if your loved one doesn’t want to hear this from you. Driving rehabilitation specialists are specifically trained to identify steps to take now to improve safety on the road, how drivers might modify their vehicles for increased safety, and advise when an older driver might want to stop driving.
Additional Resources:
- What to Expect When You Are Referred to a Driving Rehabilitation Specialist?
- To find a driving rehabilitation specialist near you, refer to the My State Info page
- Guide to Comprehensive Driving Evaluations