Watch for changes

Changes in your vision, hearing, mind, physical fitness, and health conditions like arthritis, diabetes, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke can all affect your driving. Learn more about how these changes can affect you and get tips to stay safe on the road.

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Medicines

Many medicines can affect your ability to stay safe on the road. This includes prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements. Taking medicines with alcohol or marijuana, or taking multiple medicines together, can also lead to side effects.

Have you noticed that your medicines or medicine combinations make you:

• Shaky
• Dizzy
• Physically or mentally tired
• Confused
• Less alert than usual
• Feel off balance

If you have noticed any of these side effects, your medicines may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. But you can take action to keep driving safely.

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Vision

Your vision helps you stay safe on the road. As you age, changes in your vision can affect your driving. Some of these changes come naturally as you age, while others can be caused by eye disease.

Have you noticed changes with how easily you can:

• Read the instrument panel on your car
• Drive at night
• Adjust to bright sunlight or glare from headlights
• Change your speed to merge into traffic
• Stay in your lane while driving
• See signs and others on the road (cars, bikes, walkers, motorcycles)

If you have noticed any of these changes, your vision may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. But you can take action to keep driving safely.

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Hearing

As you age, you may notice changes in your hearing. These changes make your brain work harder, which can affect how quickly you react when driving. Many people with hearing loss or impairment can drive safely. It is important to watch for changes in your hearing so you can stay safe on the road.

Have you noticed changes with how easily you can:

• Hear sirens and horns
• Notice alerts in your car (seat belt warning, turn signals)
• Stay aware of others on the road (cars, bikes, walkers, motorcycles)
• Listen to directions from your GPS or a passenger
• Focus on driving

If you have noticed any of these changes, your hearing may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. But you can take action to keep driving safely.

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Your Mind

To stay safe on the road, you must focus on more than one thing at a time and respond quickly to sudden changes. As you age, you may notice changes in your reaction time, memory, attention, and decision-making.

Have you noticed changes with how easily you can:

• Keep your attention on the road
• Respond to signs and others on the road (cars, bikes, walkers, motorcycles)
• Turn left on busy roads
• Merge with traffic
• Move to avoid hazards
• Make quick decisions on the road

If you have noticed any of these changes, they may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. But you can take action to keep driving safely.

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Fitness

Your strength, flexibility, and balance help you stay safe on the road. As you age, changes in your fitness can affect your driving.

Have you noticed changes with how easily you can:

• Get in and out of your car
• Look in your blind spots when changing lanes
• Check behind you when backing up
• Press the brake pedal to stop
• Move your foot from the gas to brake pedal

If you have noticed any of these changes in your fitness, they may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. But you can take action to keep driving safely.

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Arthritis

Arthritis can make it harder to stay safe on the road. Swelling and stiffness in your joints can make driving painful and uncomfortable.

Have you noticed changes with how easily you can:

• Get in and out of your car
• Look in your blind spots when changing lanes
• Check behind you when backing up
• Start your car
• Buckle your seat belt
• Turn your steering wheel

If you have noticed any of these changes, arthritis may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. But you can take action to keep driving safely.

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Dementia

Dementia can make it harder to stay safe on the road. As your memory, mood, and decision-making change, you will find that you can no longer drive safely. Because dementia affects everyone differently, there is no exact timeframe for when driving will become unsafe.

Have you noticed changes with how easily you can:

• Find where you parked
• Drive to familiar places
• Remember the purpose of a trip
• Respond to signs and others on the road (cars, bikes, walkers, motorcycles)
• Make quick decisions on the road

If you have noticed any of these changes, dementia may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. Planning ahead can make the transition easier when driving becomes unsafe.

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Diabetes

Diabetes can make it harder to stay safe on the road. Day to day, high or low blood sugar can lead to feeling shaky, confused, dizzy, drowsy, blurred vision, and seizures. Over time, diabetes can lead to loss of vision and feeling in your hands or feet.

Have you noticed changes with how easily you can:

• Stay in your lane while driving
• Press the brake pedal to stop
• Use pressure on the gas pedal to control your speed
• Focus and stay alert on the road
• See signs and others on the road (cars, bikes, walkers, motorcycles)
• Manage your blood sugar levels throughout the day

If you have noticed any of these changes, diabetes may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. But you can take action to keep driving safely.

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Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease and side-effects from medicine can make it harder to stay safe on the road. Parkinson’s affects your movement and can cause tremors, stiff muscles, fatigue, and changes to vision and reaction time. Your medicine can also make you feel dizzy, drowsy, and confused.

Have you noticed changes with how easily you can:

• Turn the steering wheel
• Move your foot from the gas to brake pedal
• Look in your blind spots when changing lanes
• Check behind you when backing up
• Get in and out of your car
• Judge the distance of signs and others on the road (cars, bikes, walkers, motorcycles)

If you have noticed any of these changes, Parkinson’s may be affecting your ability to stay safe on the road. As your movement, reaction time, and vision change, you will find that you can no longer drive safely. Because Parkinson’s affects everyone differently, there is no exact timeframe for when driving will become unsafe.

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Stroke

Having a stroke can affect your driving. The impact of a stroke looks different for everyone based on where the stroke happened and what changes it caused to your mind and body.

Some people can keep driving while others may need to take a break. Before you pick up your car keys, talk to your doctor to decide if it’s safe for you to drive and make a plan to return to driving.