If appropriate and necessary evaluations and recommendations have been made and no amount of discussion can convince the senior to give up the keys, you, a family physician, or a police officer can file an "unsafe driver" report to your state’s DMV. Be prepared to give a detailed account of why you think the driver may be deemed unsafe, including any of his or her vision, hearing, or other medical information. Note that under privacy laws, a physician must have a patient’s permission to share personal health information, so consider getting a medical Power of Attorney to access this information. If your claim is approved, the DMV will then contact the driver and request a series of vision and hearing evaluations and administer a driving aptitude test. Depending on these results, the DMV may impose driving restrictions or revoke his or her license completely.
In more severe cases, where the senior's cognitive problems inhibit them from understanding the danger he or she poses, some caretakers resort to confiscating the car keys or selling or disabling the car.
To learn more about senior driving regulations in your state, contact your state’s DMV. Click your state below to visit your DMV's website.
This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. The law is complex and changes often. For legal advice, please ask a lawyer.
