Safety Tips for Seniors

Aging typically affects vision and reaction time, although at different rates for different people. Groups such as the American Assn. of Retired Persons and the Automobile Assn. of America, which offer classes to older drivers, recommend that seniors take certain steps to help ensure safety on the road:

* Plan your trips, both short and long. Use familiar streets. Avoid rush-hour traffic or heavily traveled highways.

* Allow more distance between cars.

* Don’t drive under stress.

* At intersections without protected signals, avoid left turns. Instead, go up a block and come back to the intersection by making three right turns.

* Minimize background noise by keeping your radio, air-conditioner or heater on the lowest possible setting.

* Know how medications you are taking can affect your driving.

* Limit night driving, or, if you must drive then, let your eyes adjust to the darkness before you leave home.

* Be alert to warning signs that driving skills may be slipping. Have other drivers been honking at you frequently? Are cars suddenly appearing out of nowhere? Have you gotten lost on familiar roads? Have you received traffic citations recently or had any fender benders? One collision often can predict future crashes.