When you’re young, driving can be challenging because you don’t have a lot of experience to draw from. But as you get older and start approaching retirement and beyond, there are different concerns that you and your loved ones will have regarding you being behind the wheel.
Although you may be young and spry enough to not be moving into an assisted living facility yet, there may come a time in the not-too-distant future where you may need to give up your keys and your car in order to keep yourself and others safe. But until that time, here are three tips for safe driving as you get older and older.
Make Sure Your Hearing And Vision Are Reliable
As most people age, their hearing and their vision tends to deteriorate. And while there are things you can do to help improve these senses, you’ll want to be sure that they’re good enough for you to still be safe when you’re behind the wheel.
If you frequently forget to wear your glasses while driving and find that you can’t see well, you either need to make it a point to keep a pair of glasses in your car or avoid driving as much as possible. With your hearing, it’s vital that you’re able to hear if your car sounds like it’s running fine or if emergency vehicles are approaching. So if you can’t hear well on your own, consider getting a hearing aid to assist you with this.
Become A More Defensive Driver
While it’s always good to be a defensive driver, as your reflexes and response times start to decrease with age, your commitment to being a more defensive driver should increase.
As part of this, you’ll want to do things like leave a lot of space between you and other drivers on the road. Also, you’ll want to keep all distractions away from you while behind the wheel and take extra care when coming to intersections or traveling at high speeds.
Only Drive In Good Road Conditions
When road conditions are bad, no one should really be out on the roads in order to keep themselves and others safe. But as you get older, your threshold for good driving conditions might need to change.
If you can help it, try not to drive when there’s rain, snow, or ice on the road. High winds can also be dangerous for you to be driving in. Additionally, you may want to try to avoid driving at night as well, especially if you’re already having issues with your night vision.
As you start to get older, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you adjust your driving and stay safe while behind the wheel.