How to Find Out if Your Elderly Parent is Safe to Drive in Virginia

Are you worried that your elderly parent is no longer safe to drive? This article will tell you what to do next, especially if your loved one lives in Virginia.

Observe the Older Adult’s Driving Skills

First, collect information about the older adult’s current driving skills. The older driver’s friends, family, and neighbors may be willing to share their observations - but be sure to respect the driver’s privacy and dignity. Ride with the driver and make your own observations. And ask the driver to assess their own driving safety.

There are many driving safety checklists for older adults. At Care is There we like to use the ones from the “Recognizing the Signs” and “Test Your Driver Safety” lists from Virginia GrandDriver program from the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and funded by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

If the information you collect causes concern, encourage the driver to obtain a driving safety evaluation.

Obtain a Driver Safety Evaluation

Driver safety evaluations differ based on the center. Some centers use driving simulators, and others use physical tests and actual driving tests. Some require a referral from a doctor. Fees are usually not covered by insurance.

Driver safety evaluations result in a confidential report that is sent to the people you designate.

Virginia testing centers can be found at this link. They include:

The Virginia Driving Safety Laboratory in Charlottesville (Click for detailed information and a video)
The DriveAbility program in Harrisonburg (Click for detailed information and a video)

If an older driver isn’t willing to register for a driving evaluation, you can request a medical review from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Request a Medical Review from the Department of Motor Vehicles

Any concerned citizen can file a request that the Department of Motor Vehicles perform a medical evaluation of a person’s ability to drive safely . The Medical Review Form from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is attached at the end of this article.

In Virginia, the name of the person filing the form is confidential if it is a medical professional or a family member, but otherwise the driver can request the name of the person filing the report and the DMV must provide it.

Many families choose to ask the older adult’s doctor to request the driving evaluation and/or the medical review by the DMV. Some older adults are more willing to accept concerns posed by their doctor than those posed by their families.

How the DMV Conducts a Medical Review

The DMV will take the following actions after receiving a Request for Medical Review:

Review the request
Follow up with the person reporting the driver, if necessary
Determine the type of review to be conducted
Notify the driver of the actions they are required to take, which may include medical and skills assessments.
Evaluate the information provided and the test results
Determine if additional testing or information is needed
Review the case with the Medical Advisory Board, if necessary

As part of the medical review process, the DMV may require your loved one to:

Submit a medical statement from their physician, physician's assistant, or nurse practitioner.
Submit a vision statement from their ophthalmologist/optometrist
Undergo an evaluation by a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist in a driver evaluation program
Pass the two-part driver's license knowledge exam
Pass the road skills test

Based on DMV's evaluation of the medical information and/or test results, the DMV will determine whether to:

Suspend the driving privilege;
Restrict the driving privilege (e.g. distance from home, maximum speed limit, daylight only, etc.)
Require a driver evaluation; or
Require the driver to submit periodic medical and/or vision reports

How Driving Evaluations Can Help Drivers Improve Their Skills

Your loved one may have a temporary or correctable condition that impairs their driving. Driver safety programs can sometimes recommend therapies or devices that will help your loved one drive more safely, and the DMV allows retesting to reinstate driving privileges.

How Care is There can Help:

If you are concerned about your loved one’s ability to drive safely, Care is There can help. We can:

Collect information about your loved one’s driving abilities by utilizing safe driving checklists and collecting driving observations
Arrange for a driving evaluation, accompany your loved one to the appointment, and drive them home if they are deemed unsafe to drive.
Facilitate requesting a medical review with the DMV, either through your loved one’s voluntary participation or through the filing of a medical review quest by the doctor, the family, or by Care is There
Help your loved one obtain assistive devices or engage in therapies that could improve their driving skills
Help your loved one develop a post-driving transportation plan that will keep them mobile and engaged even if they retire from driving

Resources for Safe Driving for Seniors in Virginia:

Next Steps

Concerned that your elderly loved one may not be safe to drive?

Contact Care is There today for a free consultation!

Central Virginia: 434.326.5323
Toll Free: 800.434.1633
Email: Info@CareisThere.com