What Families Should Do To Prevent Elderly Relatives From Being In A Car Accident In Florida

Many retirees move to Florida to enjoy the nice weather, low cost of living, and tax benefits. Because of this, our state has many elderly drivers. While many seniors are still great drivers, there are many elderly drivers who need to give up the wheel but they don’t want to let go.

Because we don’t want any harm to come to our relatives or other innocent motorists, it is important that families know when older relatives need to stop driving. So what should families do and how do families know when to take the keys away from their elderly relatives?

Old age isn’t enough to take someone’s keys away. This is why it is important that family members observe their relative’s driving by being passengers in their vehicles. At that point, it will be apparent if there are valid driving concerns that need to be discussed.

According to a survey from The Hartford, about 50 percent of adults are concerned about an elderly family member’s driving ability but have not discussed their concerns with that relative.  It is critical for families to talk with their elderly relatives if the following concerns exist:

• Health and medical issues that make driving difficult
• Someone else such as a neighbor or friend has expressed concern
• Their involvement in a recent car accident
• Noticeable damage to their vehicle continues to occur

If any of the aforementioned things are apparent, families should have a conversation with their elderly relatives. In addition to having this conversation, families can also make sure their elderly loved ones are getting their annual medical exams and eye exams. Also, families might need to discuss their concerns with their elderly relative’s doctors. For example, there could be a medication that is impairing their driving.

When families start noticing an elderly relative’s vision loss, declining motor skills and physical agility in addition to driving concerns, it is essential to have a conversation with that family member. Although having this conversation can be difficult, it can help save them from being in a serious or even fatal car accident in Florida.

As a South Florida accident attorney, I encourage families to have these conversations with their elderly loved ones to prevent needless accidents and injuries. If you have suffered an injury in a crash, contact the Law Offices of David Benenfeld today at (954) 677-0155(954) 677-0155 for a free consultation.