44Driver’s Handbook
Motor Registration may request an update on your general medical
health, an occupational therapy assessment, an update from a specialist
or medical practitioner on a particular condition or you may be required
to do an on-road assessment with a driver examiner. It is also important
to listen to your own body. Many people realize they should not be
driving and for the safety of themselves and others, choose not to.
Many types of medical conditions can affect your ability to drive such
as substance use disorders, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular
conditions, diabetes, epilepsy, injuries and disabilities, neurological
disorders, sleep disorders and vision loss, among others.
Aging
As you age, your ability to operate a vehicle may be affected. It is
important to understand the ways aging will affect your driving so
you can prepare for these changes. Several common abilities tend to
deteriorate as you age.
Vision: You may have difficulty seeing moving objects and judging
distance. You may be more sensitive to glare from rain and light on the
windshield and see less clearly, especially at night, dusk or dawn. You
may also develop medical conditions such as cataracts.
Hearing: Medical problems such as tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, and
infections can impair hearing. Regular hearing exams can detect these
problems. Hearing loss affects your ability to hear horns, sirens and
brakes. You may also have to rely on your vision more to compensate for
hearing loss. There are no driver medical restrictions for non-commercial
drivers, as the loss of hearing does not increase the risk.
Flexibility and strength: As we age, we often have more stiffness
and less range of motion in our neck, shoulders, arms, legs and trunk.
Strength also tends to decrease with age, especially if people are not
physically active. If you lack flexibility, movement and strength in your
limbs or joints, it could affect your ability to drive including the ability to
check your blind spot, look for traffic and pedestrians at intersections,
merge with oncoming traffic, yield the right of way, back up and park.
Remember that you need to turn your head or body to check your
blind spots and to scan what is around you. Exercise and stretching can
improve flexibility, muscle strength and range of motion. Talk to your
doctor about remaining active. Many people develop some arthritis
with age, which can restrict movement. Other conditions such as
Osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, Lupus and gout can also limit flexibility,
movement and strength.