Plan Ahead

Is it time to retire from driving?

Driving is often seen as the key to our independence. However, when safety becomes a concern and refresher courses, adapting our driving habits, planning safe routes and other interventions are no longer enough, it’s time to retire from driving. Giving up the keys can be painful and bring on fears of isolation. But if you plan ahead, it can help to ease the transition.

Download and print our Mature Drivers Planning Ahead fact sheet. [PDF]

What if I'm asked to take a driver’s retest?

Each year around 5000 BC drivers are asked to take a driver’s retest. Learn more about driver’s medical exams and re-testing.

Planning and preparing to retire from driving

There are some things you can think about long in advance of giving up the keys. The most important is the location of your home relative to:

  • shopping
  • friends, family and other social opportunities
  • recreational facilities
  • church or other place of worship

It may be worth giving some thought to relocating so that it’s easier for you to get to where you need to well in advance of retiring from driving.

Alternatives to driving

While it may seem a long way off and may feel like an impossible situation, some of us wind up having to retire from driving. The good news is that the alternatives to driving are likely to be cheaper than driving your own car. The cost of owing a new mid-sized car is estimated to be over $8000 per year (based on driving 12,000km per year). That’s a lot of taxi rides!

A good place to start planning is to determine what the alternatives are:

  • Public transportation — For some, public transportation may be an alternative. In addition, persons with physical or cognitive disabilities who are unable to use public transit without assistance are eligible to use HandyDART.
  • Taxis — convenient.
  • Family and Friends who still drive can help you get from place to place.
  • Walking, for some who live in areas close to amenities, is a great way to keep fit and healthy.
  • Community/Senior Centres — pickup-transport services run by local volunteers. Some have planned outings with transportation included.
  • Your own car — Just because you hang up the keys doesn’t mean you have to sell your car. You might want to keep it so that it’s there for others to drive you wherever you need to get to.
  • Deliveries and catalogue shopping — Many grocery and other kinds of stores will deliver to you free of charge or for a small fee. And, many of us remember the days of catalogue shopping.... Today, catalogue shopping has become even easier with the arrival of internet shopping.
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