Safe Driving Tips

Where do you stand?

These safe driving tips are based on the Mature Driver's Safe Driving Review This questionnaire only looks at a few important areas; it is not an assessment of your driving skills or abilities. For a complete evaluation of your driving ability, many more questions would be required, along with medical, physical, and an on-road assessment. See the Driver's Performance Assessment.[PDF] to help you evaluate your driving skills and abilities. Nevertheless, your answers and score can indicate if you know what it takes for you to be a safe driver. It can also help you learn how you can become a safer driver.

Likely you already know where the problem areas are. Click on the questions or statements below, particularly those where you are experiencing difficulty and learn some important safe driving tips.

Other people are impatient with me when I make left turns.
Cyclists, pedestrians or other vehicles suddenly seem to appear out of nowhere.
I get easily frustrated when I drive.
I need the help of a passenger to make sure I'm aware of traffic signs, signals and others on the road.
My children, other family members or friends say they are concerned about my driving.
At night, it takes longer than it used to for my eyes to recover from glare so I am able to see properly again.
I get my eyes checked and buy new glasses (or lenses) when they are prescribed by the eye doctor.

I can easily move my foot from the gas to the brake and easily press the pedals.
I can easily operate all of the driving controls in my car.
I signal AND look over my shoulder to the rear when I change lanes.
I get opportunities to drive.
I check with my doctor or pharmacist about the effects of my medication(s) on my driving ability (includes prescription, non-prescription and herbal medications).
I ask my doctor if any medical condition I have could affect my ability to drive.
How many traffic tickets, warnings or discussions with police officers (about your driving) have you had in the past two years?
How many crashes have you had during the past two years? (Don't forget to include “fender-benders” and small scrapes.)

Safe Driving Tips

1. Other people are impatient with me when I make left turns.

“Rarely” is the best response to this statement.

Left turns at busy intersections can be difficult, particularly when traffic is heavy. And, intersections are one of the more common locations for collisions involving older drivers. There are often many traffic signs and signals at intersections. Also, you must interact with other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists whose movements and decisions are not always predictable. You may find that sometimes others are impatient with you.

Give some thought as to why people may be impatient with you. Are you hesitant? Is there just too much information for you to handle all at once? Are you having difficulty reading the signs and signals? By asking yourself some questions, like these, you might find a solution.

Avoid driving in fast-moving, busy traffic.
Go to a problem intersection on foot and study it carefully. If an intersection on your regular route is a particular problem, watch what sort of problems other drivers have to handle.
Plan your routes to avoid busy intersections or drive at times that are not as busy.
Plan routes that do not require you to make a left turn at busy intersections. For example, you could make three right turns instead of a left turn.
Use intersections with left turn signals and/or left turn lanes.

2. Cyclists, pedestrians or other vehicles suddenly seem to appear out of nowhere.

“Rarely” is the best response to this statement.

Being startled by others who suddenly seem to appear out of nowhere can lead to dangerous situations requiring fast and safe reactions. But some older drivers may have difficulty integrating information from several sources at once and may respond more slowly to dangerous situations. They only see the problem at the last minute and have to brake suddenly to avoid a crash. And sudden stops can cause your car to skid out of control or into another vehicle.

It's important to be aware of what's in front, behind and beside your car at all times. Scanning ahead for situations that may arise is a key aspect of driving. To respond safely requires that you see the problem, think through the complicated information quickly and then take the appropriate action. See Effects of Aging On Older Drivers for more information.

Avoid driving in fast-moving, busy traffic.
Give driving the full attention it deserves — remember that drivers have to make up to 15 major decisions every kilometre they drive.
Remove or reduce any distractions so that you can focus on your driving (e.g., consider turning the radio off and keeping your participation in conversations to a minimum).
Scan ahead and to the sides and check your mirrors frequently when you drive.
Make sure you stay far enough behind the car in front. You need to stay at least two seconds behind when you are “city driving” in good conditions. Increase your following distance to three seconds on higher speed roads and to at least four seconds when conditions are poor.
Challenge yourself as you drive by asking yourself “What if?” to help you mentally prepare for any emergencies (e.g., “What if that little child ahead runs out into the street?”).
Take a refresher course that helps older drivers adjust to the changes that occur as you age.
Keep yourself physically and mentally fit. Don't drive if you have been drinking, are tired or ill or have taken any medications that slow your mental or physical response rate.

3. I get easily frustrated when I drive.

“"Rarely” is the best response to this statement.

If you answered “Always” or “Sometimes,” perhaps you should try to discover why you get frustrated when you drive. Ask yourself a few questions. Are you finding that there are too many cars on the road and they all seem to be going too fast? Are other drivers honking at you? Are you driving well below the speed limit? Is your knowledge of the traffic signs and rules of the road up-to-date?

Remember, it only takes a second of distraction caused by frustration, anger (or other strong emotions) to cause a crash.

Take a few deep breaths if you are driving and find that traffic situations are making you frustrated.
Try to avoid the kind of traffic situations that make you frustrated (e.g., avoid driving at times or in locations when traffic is busy).
Make sure you leave enough time to get where you are going without feeling rushed.
Consider taking a refresher course if you think that fear of traffic or responses from other drivers may be underlying causes for your frustration, or if you find you are driving considerably more slowly than the surrounding traffic.
Make sure you are up-to-date with the rules of the road and the traffic signs and signals.

4. I need the help of a passenger to make sure I'm aware of traffic signs, signals and others on the road.

“Rarely” is the best response to this statement.

Driving is a complicated task and driving safely requires that drivers are able to scan ahead for traffic signs, signals, others on the road and changing road conditions. It requires the ability to take in all of that information, make many decisions and then take the appropriate and safest action many times for each kilometre driven. Safe drivers are able to handle the task of driving without relying on the help of a passenger.

Give driving the full attention it deserves — remember that drivers have to make up to 15 major decisions every kilometre they drive.
Remove or reduce any distractions so that you can focus on your driving (e.g., consider turning the radio off and keeping your participation in conversations to a minimum).
Talk to your doctor if you are finding that you need to rely on a passenger for help. He or she will give you a medical check-up to determine why you are having difficulty. Perhaps your vision has deteriorated, your medications need to be changed or adjusted or there is another problem that needs to be addressed.

5. My children, other family members or friends say they are concerned about my driving.

“Rarely” is the best response to this statement.

It's hard to hear things you may consider as criticism — particularly from your children, spouse or other family members. Older drivers often underestimate how much their own actions or problems can contribute to the risk of a crash. As hard as it is, it's important to listen to those criticisms so that you can take steps to improve your driving skills and abilities, avoid crashes and keep driving safely for as long as possible. Once you start having collisions, you may find that the authorities can take your licence away.

Listen to the criticisms. Most likely any criticisms come from a genuine concern for your safety, your passenger's safety and the safety of others on the road. Make sure you don't just dismiss their concerns.
Look at your responses to other statements in this questionnaire. They might show you whether there are some steps you can and should take to improve your driving habits and abilities.
Look for clues as to how you can overcome the concerns. Perhaps a refresher driving course is in order or an eye exam by your eye doctor.
Begin to plan now for a day when driving may no longer be possible for you even if you decide you still have more years of driving ahead of you. Planning now will help to ensure that you can still remain mobile even after you stop driving.

6. At night, it takes longer than it used to for my eyes to recover from glare so I am able to see properly again.

“Rarely” is the best response to this statement.

It only takes a split second for a dangerous situation to occur. As we age, we become more sensitive to glare because the lenses of our eyes thicken and the pupils become smaller. A 55 year old takes eight times longer to recover from glare than a 16 year old. While you can't control the effects of glare on your eyes, you can decide to drive at times when glare is not a problem. It will help ensure your safety and the safety of other road users on your route.

Good vision is essential to safe driving. Sensitivity to glare is not the only problem older drivers can face:

The retina becomes less sensitive to light.

Our ability to change our focus starts to slow down around age 40.

Peripheral vision narrows and depth perception declines as we age.

Colours become more difficult to see.

For more information, go to Effects of Aging On Older Drivers.

Choose to drive at times when glare is not as likely to be a problem and when light and driving conditions are favourable. That means avoiding driving at night, at twilight and when it's raining.
Ensure that you have regular examinations by an eye doctor. Tell the doctor that you want to ensure that you remain a safe driver.
Make sure your wipers clean the windshield effectively and that you have plenty of windshield washer fluid.
Make sure your windshield is clean and that there are no chips, cracks or scratches that reduce your visibility.

7. I get my eyes checked and buy new glasses (or lenses) when they are prescribed by the eye doctor.