Skip to main content
    Step 1 of 6
    Tips & Tricks
    Beginner
    9 min read 6 stepsMay 8, 2026Verified May 2026

    How to Know When It Is Time to Stop Driving

    Honest, compassionate guide for older drivers and their families on the warning signs that driving may no longer be safe, and what to do next.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Tips & Tricks
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    9 min read
    Steps
    6
    Topics covered
    driving
    seniors
    safety
    self-assessment
    family
    life transitions
    70+

    In this guide (6 steps):

    1. 1.Watch for the Common Warning Signs
    2. 2.Take a Formal Self-Assessment
    3. 3.Talk to Your Doctor Honestly
    4. 4.Make Small Changes Before Big Ones
    5. 5.Have the Family Conversation With Care
    6. 6.Plan the Last Drive on Your Own Terms
    1

    Watch for the Common Warning Signs

    ~56s
    The clearest early warning signs are usually clustered, not single events. A single missed exit on a familiar highway is not a crisis. A pattern of missed exits, near-misses, and confused moments over a six-month period is the signal to pay attention. Common signs include: bumping the curb when parking, drifting between lanes, missing red lights or stop signs, getting honked at by other drivers more often than before, feeling lost on streets you know well, family members nervously declining to ride with you, slow reaction to brake lights ahead, trouble reading street signs at night, and new dents or scratches on the car that you cannot explain. Keep a small notebook in the glove box and write down any of these events as they happen. After three months, review the list. A pattern stands out clearly when written down on paper.

    Warning

    Do not dismiss two near-miss crashes as bad luck. Federal data shows that older drivers who have two near-misses in a six-month span are five times more likely to have a serious crash within the following year.

    2

    Take a Formal Self-Assessment

    ~58s
    The American Automobile Association publishes a free online tool called Roadwise Review that walks you through eight short tasks that test the skills most important to safe driving. The test measures reaction time, head turning range, visual scanning, working memory, and leg strength for moving between pedals. It takes about 30 minutes to finish and gives you a printed report at the end that compares your scores to safe-driving thresholds. AARP also offers a similar tool called We Need to Talk that focuses more on family conversations. Both tools are free and private. The results are not sent to the DMV or any insurance company. They are meant to help you and your family have an honest conversation about the actual numbers, not feelings. Visit aaafoundation.org or aarp.org/driversafety to start. If you do not use a computer well, ask a grown child or a senior center volunteer to sit with you while you take the test.

    Quick Tip

    Take the same test again every six months after age 75. The scores show whether your skills are stable, slowly declining, or dropping fast. The pattern matters more than any single score.

    3

    Talk to Your Doctor Honestly

    ~2 min
    Schedule a 30-minute appointment with your primary care doctor and tell the front desk you want to discuss driving safety. Bring a written list of any recent near-misses, dents on the car, missed signs, and any medications you take. Most doctors are glad to have this conversation and have tools to help. They can run a short office vision test, check your reflexes, and review your medications for ones that affect alertness. Drugs to watch out for include sleep aids, certain antihistamines, opioid pain pills, some blood pressure medications, and any drug that lists drowsy or dizzy as a side effect. The doctor may suggest small adjustments, like switching to a different drug or moving a dose to bedtime, that improve daytime alertness. The doctor can also refer you to an occupational therapist for a formal driving evaluation that costs about 200 to 400 dollars and gives a detailed report of strengths and weaknesses.

    Warning

    Some states require doctors to report drivers with certain conditions, such as untreated epilepsy or advanced dementia, to the DMV. Ask the doctor at the start of the appointment whether your state has any reporting rules, so the conversation feels honest from the beginning.

    4

    Make Small Changes Before Big Ones

    ~59s
    If the warning signs are early and small, you can often extend safe driving for a few more years with smarter habits. Stop driving at night. Stop driving in heavy rain or snow. Stop driving on highways and stick to the 35 to 45 mile per hour neighborhood roads. Plan all trips before pulling out of the driveway, with a written route on paper if needed. Avoid rush hour by running errands between 10 AM and 2 PM. Keep the radio off so you can focus. Drive only routes you know well. Make U-turns instead of left turns across busy intersections. Sign up for a refresher driving course through AARP, AAA, or a local driving school. These small changes can give you another two to four years of safe driving, but they need honest follow-through. If you find yourself driving in conditions you said you would avoid, the conditions are now harder than your skills can handle.

    Quick Tip

    Talk to your insurance agent about each new restriction. Some companies offer mileage discounts for drivers who report less than 7,500 miles per year, which the new habits often produce.

    5

    Have the Family Conversation With Care

    ~1 min
    If you are the family member raising the concern, plan the conversation carefully. Pick a calm time, not right after a close call. Sit at the kitchen table, not in the car. Lead with love and respect. Skip phrases like You are not safe to drive anymore. Try phrases like I love you and I want you to be around for a long time. So I want to talk about how driving is going. Bring the AAA Roadwise Review printout or the AARP self-test results, not your own opinion. Show the data and let the older driver react. Offer to help research the ride options together. Do not make the conversation a fight you have to win. If the older driver pushes back hard, set the topic aside for two weeks and try again with a different angle. Sometimes a respected doctor, pastor, or older sibling can carry the message better than the adult child can.

    Warning

    Do not take the keys away on the spot during the first conversation. Forced removal of driving rights almost always damages the relationship and rarely changes behavior for long. Build a plan together over several weeks instead.

    6

    Plan the Last Drive on Your Own Terms

    ~2 min
    When the day comes to stop driving, plan it as a celebration, not a loss. Some families take one last meaningful drive together, such as to a favorite restaurant, a beloved beach, or the church where the couple was married. Take a photo at the destination. Have lunch. Drive home one last time and park the car. Then sit down and write a one-page plan for the next chapter. The plan should include: the ride options you have set up, the phone numbers for each one, the people you can call for backup, the monthly budget you will use for rides, and the activities you will still do every week to stay social and active. Keep the car for a month after the last drive in case the plan needs adjustment. After a month, sell the car or hand it off to a grandchild. The cash from a paid-off car often funds two to three years of rides for the older driver.

    Quick Tip

    Some Area Agency on Aging offices help host a Last Drive Day for older adults who have decided to stop driving. The day includes a guided ride to a meaningful place, a small gathering with family, and help signing up for ride alternatives. Call 1-800-677-1116 to ask if your local office offers this service.

    You Did It!

    You've finished reading: How to Know When It Is Time to Stop Driving

    How well did this guide stick with you?

    Need more help? Book a TekSure tech

    Deciding when to stop driving is one of the hardest conversations many families ever have. The car represents independence, freedom, and a lifetime of going where you want when you want. Hanging up the keys can feel like giving up a piece of who you are. The honest truth is that for almost every adult who lives long enough, the day comes when driving stops being a good fit. The brain and body change with age, and so do the conditions on American roads. The trick is to look at the warning signs early, talk about them with the people you trust, and make the change on your own terms before a crash or a license suspension forces the issue.

    The science on aging drivers is not as grim as the news sometimes suggests. Drivers between 65 and 75 actually have the safest crash records of any adult age group, in part because they drive fewer miles, avoid rush hour, and rarely drink and drive. The crash rate per mile starts to rise after age 75 and rises faster after age 85. The biggest risks are slower reaction time, weakened side vision, and the effects of common medications like sleep aids, blood pressure drugs, and pain pills. Most of these risks can be managed for a while with smaller, smarter driving habits. Eventually, the risks outgrow the workarounds, and the right answer is to step away.

    This guide is written for both older drivers themselves and the family members who love them. We cover the early warning signs to watch for, the formal self-assessment tools that the American Automobile Association and AARP publish, the conversation to have with a primary care doctor, how to handle a family conversation that goes sideways, and the practical steps for closing out a driving life with dignity. We also include a note about the rare cases when family or a doctor must take action even though the driver disagrees, because some medical conditions remove the ability to judge the situation honestly.

    The most important point is this: stopping driving is not the end of a meaningful life. Most older adults who stop driving report higher life satisfaction within a year, once the new ride routines are in place and the daily stress of driving is gone. The transition is hard for a few months, but the freedom of never worrying about traffic, parking, or a fender-bender is real. Read this guide once, then read it again with the family member you trust most. Make a plan together, on your terms, before anyone else makes the plan for you.

    Rate this guide

    How helpful was this guide?

    driving
    seniors
    safety
    self-assessment
    family
    life transitions
    70+

    Official Resources

    How-To GeekAARP Technology TipsTom's Guide — Tips

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

    ← Previous

    How to Find Rides When You Can No Longer Drive

    Next →

    How to Know the Difference Between Hospice and Palliative Care

    Still stuck? Let a pro handle it.

    A real person can walk you through this over the phone, anywhere in the US. If we can't fix it, you don't pay.

    Book a Verified Tech How It Works

    Learn more from official sources

    Related Guides

    iPhone: Battery Saving Tips

    Make your iPhone battery last longer with these proven tips and settings.

    1 min read

    iPhone: Safari Browser Tips

    Get more out of Safari on iPhone with these hidden features and shortcuts.

    1 min read

    iPhone: iMessage and Texting Tips

    Hidden iMessage features that make texting more fun and productive.

    1 min read