People with dementia often do not realize they are having driving problems. Family members and friends will need to carefully observe the person’s driving for signs that it’s no longer safe for them to drive.
Signs that the person should stop driving include:
- New dents or scrapes on the car or multiple near misses or crashes
- Two or more traffic tickets, minor accidents, or increased car insurance premiums
- Confusing the brake and gas pedals
- Speeding or driving too slowly
- Sudden lane changes or other poor decisions in traffic
- Taking a long time to run a simple errand and not being able to explain why, which may indicate the person got lost
- Other health issues that might affect driving, such as changes in vision, hearing, and movement
- Comments from neighbors or friends about unsafe driving
- Recommendations from a doctor to modify driving habits or quit driving
- Failing a driving test or other driving evaluation
