More than 80-percent of older drivers aren’t talking about driving safety, according to a Triple-A survey. Northern California spokesman Mike Blasky says it’s not surprising that seniors are reluctant to discuss declining abilities with family and friends. So loved ones need to be able to recognize signs, which are usually related to medical and physical problems…

click to listen to Mike Blasky

In 2016, more than 200-thousand drivers ages 65 and older were injured in a traffic collision and more than 35-hundred were killed, nationwide. Blasky says with seniors outliving their ability to drive safely by an average of seven to 10 years, families should not wait to talk about safety…

click to listen to Mike Blasky

Blasky says past research finds that older adults who’ve stopped driving are also two times more likely to suffer from depression, and nearly five times as likely to enter a long-term care facility, as those who remain behind the wheel. Blasky says it’s important to keep emotion out of the discussion as much as possible and focus on facts, such as a medical condition or medication regimen. The older driver should also be made aware of alternative forms of transportation.