The Doctors discuss the often difficult conversation of telling a loved one they are no longer safe to drive due to dementia and also discuss whose responsibility should it be to report it?
Currently, only six states are required to report cognitively and medically impaired people to the DMV.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon feels the responsibility should be a combination of the patient, the family of the patient and he also feels the DMV should have better standards for ensuring that those who are impaired are not on the road.
Dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra notes that a study from The University of Pittsburg found that in-person driver’s license registrations were more effective at identifying impaired drivers compared to a physician reporting an issue.
ER physician Dr. Travis Stork notes that it might not be possible to identify if someone is a safe driver while in a medical office and says he feels in-person registration might work better at determining who might be unfit to drive.
The following resources are available for elderly at-risk drivers and their loved ones, including:
Roadwise Rx http://www.roadwiserx.com/
American Automobile Association Drivers 65 Plus Assessment https://seniordriving.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Driver652.pdf
CarFit https://www.car-fit.org/
