Quizzes and questionnaires can provide insights into your driving future. But once you’ve completed those, it’s time to consult the experts.
Your primary care physician
Your regular doctor knows your medical history, the medications you’re taking (and possible side effects) and any recent symptoms you’ve brought to his/her office. If you haven’t had a physical recently, this is an important first step in evaluating and maintaining your fitness to drive.
Vision and hearing specialists
Get a vision exam with your optometrist or ophthalmologist. If your driving difficulties stem from an eyeglass prescription that’s too weak, that’s an easy fix—but you won’t know if you don’t get the exam. Some conditions, like glaucoma, are “invisible” until they progress too far. In contrast, cataracts significantly affect vision, but can easily be identified by a vision specialist and surgery for cataracts is now a relatively routine and easy procedure that can improve vision almost immediately.
Get a hearing test with an audiologist. It is very common to lose some hearing as we age. While you might not need a hearing aid for every day activities in your home, advances in hearing aids technology allows programming to screen out background noise, so you have improved ability to hear conversation in a noisy room or restaurant. And it is clearly important to be tested so that you are able to hear sirens or emergency vehicles on the road.
A professional driving instructor
A professional driving instructor knows how to teach the skills of driving and is up-to-date on the legal rules of the road. Driving instructors are teachers who are experts in teaching novice drivers at the operational and tactical levels by practice. Contacting a driving instructor can be helpful if you want to: 1) brush up on the rules of the road, 2) get feedback on your driving habits or 3) learn the best routes if you moved to a new area.
It is critical to understand that if you have a medical condition, memory problem or notice your reaction time is significantly slower, the driving instructor does not have the background, understanding or skill set to evaluate you properly.
An Occupational Therapist Driving Rehabilitation Specialist (OT-DRS)
An OT-DRS (Occupational Therapist–Driver Rehabilitation Specialist) is a medically trained professional who understands how physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments can impact your ability to drive safely. If you have a medical condition such as dementia, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, or diabetes that could affect your driving, an OT-DRS can conduct a comprehensive driving evaluation to more accurately assess your fitness to drive.
More importantly, if you’re recovering from a medical event—like a stroke or a head injury from a fall—or simply noticing that you’re slowing down, an OT-DRS is the ideal person to help you determine when it’s safe to return to driving. They can also offer practical strategies and solutions to help you continue driving with confidence, even if you’re experiencing impairments. For example, a steering adaptation could assist if your hand function has not returned fully after a stroke. Or, if you are short in stature, there are easy solutions to adjust your vehicle perfectly for you. Or, if you have mild cognitive impairment, they can discuss potential technology options available with some vehicles.
