Your parents taught you how to drive. They were great drivers, and you can’t imagine that changing. As they get older, you start to wonder if they should still be driving.
Here are some of the important indicators families should monitor. Go with your mom or dad when they’re driving and don’t let them automatically hand you the keys. Make them drive. If you see your parents do these things, it’s time to take away their keys.
Failing to Check All Blind Spots
If your parent isn’t checking blind spots on both sides of them, there’s a problem. Before changing lanes, they should be looking over their left shoulder and doing another check of the area behind them on their right shoulder.
They need to pay close attention to motorcycles and bicyclists that can be harder to see. When backing up, they should use a backup camera if one is equipped, but they still need to check their blind spots, too.
Mistaking the Brake Pedal and Accelerator
Some seniors get confused when driving and hit the wrong pedal. When this happens, they might drive into another car or a building. If your mom and dad cannot react fast enough to hit the brake when stopping or the accelerator to move the car, there’s a problem.
Struggling With Headlights at Night
Headlights at night can be blinding. If your parent is having a lot of difficulty seeing halos around headlights, it can be an indicator of glaucoma.
While they don’t have to give up driving completely yet, their eye doctor may ask them to limit driving to daylight hours only. Dark, stormy days and night driving may not be a good idea.
Following Too Closely
Seniors can start to have a hard time judging distance. If you notice your mom or dad following too closely. It’s a concern. At a stop light, they should be able to see all of the rear tires of the vehicle ahead of them.
While driving, police advise that it’s best to leave a second of space for every 10 miles of speed. For example, when traveling at 30 miles per hour, the three-seconds-of-space rule applies. Increase it to four seconds at 40 miles per hour.
When your parents can’t drive, there are great alternatives. You can drive them around, but that may conflict with your own work schedule and personal responsibilities. Instead, look into homecare services. Homecare services providers can drive your parents to local businesses their transportation services. Whether they have an appointment or need to go to the store, homecare service services providers can drive them for you.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Homecare Services in Indian Land SC, please call the caring staff at BlueDot Cares today, (704) 586-9248.
Jimmy Clonaris is Managing Partner at BlueDot Cares, where he oversees operations, caregiver standards, and service delivery for in-home care across the organization. With more than 19 years of experience in healthcare and over a decade with BlueDot, he has been directly involved in building and scaling care programs that support individuals aging at home.
His work focuses on the practical side of care delivery. This includes caregiver training and oversight, care plan consistency, and coordination with families and local healthcare professionals. Jimmy is actively involved in ensuring that care is not only well-structured on paper, but executed reliably in the home.
Over the course of his career, he has worked with thousands of families navigating care decisions, from short-term recovery support to long-term in-home care. His approach is grounded in clear communication, accountability, and building systems that allow caregivers to deliver consistent, high-quality support.
Under his leadership, BlueDot Cares has grown to support tens of thousands of families while maintaining a locally operated, relationship-driven model. He continues to focus on strengthening the team, improving care standards, and ensuring families have a dependable partner when care is needed.
