When to Stop Driving
What are the warning signs when someone should begin to limit driving or stop altogether?
- Feeling uncomfortable and nervous or fearful while driving
- Dents and scrapes on the car or on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, curbs etc.
- Difficulty staying in the lane of travel
- Getting lost
- Trouble paying attention to signals, road signs and pavement markings
- Slower response to unexpected situations
- Medical conditions or medications that may be affecting the ability to handle the car safely
- Frequent "close calls" (i.e. almost crashing)
- Trouble judging gaps in traffics at intersections and on highway entrance/exit ramps
- Other drivers honking at you and instances when you are angry at other drivers
- Friends or relatives not wanting to drive with you
- Difficulty seeing the sides of the road when looking straight ahead
- Easily distracted or having a hard time concentrating while driving
- Having a hard time turning around to check over your shoulder while backing up or changing lanes
- Frequent traffic tickets or "warnings" by traffic or law enforcement officers in the last year or two
If you notice one or more of these warning signs you may want to have your driving assessed by a professional or attend a driver refresher class (see resources at the bottom of this page). You may also want to consult with your doctor if you are having unusual concentration or memory problems, or other physical symptoms that may be affecting your ability to drive.