Simple exercises improve your ability to drive and stay safe on the roads, especially as you age.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST concerns for many people as they get older is how long they will be able to maintain their independence by being allowed to continue to drive.
Increasingly, authorities are looking at the effects of aging on our ability to drive, and that means they are also looking at removing licences from people they consider to be a risk to themselves or others on the roads.
Of course, responsible drivers will voluntarily surrender their licence when they recognise that their driving abilities are impaired to a degree that significantly affects their driving skills.
Good health is the first step
Staying healthy has many advantages, not least of which is the ability to continue driving as you get older.
To state the obvious and repeat what health professionals have been telling us for years, exercise offers many health benefits.
Simple exercises may not only improve your quality of life, contribute to a more positive driving experience, and help you stay safe on the roads, but also make it possible to stay on the roads for longer.
The US Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence and MIT AgeLab tracked experienced drivers ages 60 to 74 as they followed a physical fitness program for 15 to 20 minutes per day over eight to 10 weeks. The exercise program focused on four areas: flexibility, range of motion, strength and coordination. Participants’ driving skills were assessed before and after the exercise program with a combination of in-lab tests, a driving simulator and the instrumented MIT AgeLab Aware Car. The research also surveyed drivers age 50-plus about exercise and driving as well as the most challenging aspects of driving.
Measurable benefits
Drivers in the study who were asked to exercise daily:
- Reported greater ease in turning their heads to see blind spots when changing lanes or to reverse.
- Were able to rotate their bodies farther to scan the driving environment while making right-hand turns (this would equate to left-hand turns in Australia).
- Were able to get into their cars more rapidly, demonstrating increased overall flexibility.
The research also surveyed drivers 50-plus and found that half have not considered how exercise might be beneficial to their ability to drive. Those surveyed also identified the physical aspects they find most challenging when it comes to driving. They are:
- Turning their head and body to look behind when backing up (41 percent).
- Getting in and out of the car (22 percent).
- Turning their head to see blind spots when changing lanes (19 percent).
Exercising daily not only contributes to a more positive driving experience overall, but also may improve the types of driving-related movements that many people find challenging.
Fit, healthy drivers keep their licences for longer
There is no hard and fast rule about when you should consider surrendering your licence. Like most things, it varies from person to person, but there are some things you can do to extend your driving life.
Staying fit and mentally alert is one of the most important.
Healthy vision
It almost goes without saying but vision is a vital component in all aspects of driving.
It’s not a simple matter of “being able to see”. To drive safely, you need to have good long distance and near distance vision to identify road hazards, read road signs, observe pedestrians and other motorists and even read your dashboard.
How clearly or accurately you can see is called visual acuity.
There are many conditions that affect visual acuity, especially as we age.
Some of the conditions include:
- Colour Blindness and Cataracts. These may cause problems in identifying traffic signals, brake lights or indicators. Regular eye tests can identify these conditions and initiate treatment or correction.
- Decreased Sensitivity to Contrast. Objects that are not outlined clearly or don’t stand out from the background become more difficult to identify as contrast sensitivity is decreased. This results in drivers not seeing pedestrians or road signs, and it’s worse when road lighting is poor or conditions are bad (such as in rain or fog).
- Decreased Useful Field of View. While you may be able to take in information visually when you have plenty of time to do so, when driving, you need to be able to process a vast amount of information with a brief glance, using both eyes. Our ability to process information slows with age, particularly when the surrounding environment is complex, such as a busy roadway or a freeway.
- Decreased Depth Perception and Peripheral Vision. When driving, it is critical to be able to judge the distance of objects in relation to ourselves, and to see outside our immediate field of vision. Both tend to decrease with age and make it more difficult to judge the distance and speed of approaching cars when merging or pulling out from an intersection.
Regular eye examinations alert you to reductions in your visual acuity, let you take action to treat or correct them and help keep you sharp and ready for the road.
A sharp brain
As we age, our ability to quickly assess and react appropriately to the demands of driving are reduced. The conditions may be as simple as fatigue, or as complex as Alzheimer’s, and like most things associated with aging, they develop slowly so you may not even be aware of the deterioration.
Your ability to carry out the following processes should be assessed, professionally if necessary, to determine your fitness to drive:
- Attention and reaction time
- Concentration (paying attention to changes in your driving environment)
- Ability to process information quickly and accurately
- Problem-solving skills (how to get help if you have a flat tyre, for instance)
- Memory (how to get to the doctor’s office)
Stimulate your brain by trying new activities. Try testing your memory and problem-solving skills, even with something as simple as taking a new route to a familiar location. A study by the U.S. National Institute of Health recently found that people who had cognitive training for memory, reasoning or speed of processing had 50 percent fewer car accidents than those in the control group.
Stay focused
Driving is a demanding activity that requires your full attention to many things at the same time. This is important at any age, but especially as we get older. Eliminate distractions inside the vehicle and minimize activities that require you to take your eyes off the road or take both hands off the wheel, especially in heavy traffic.
- Put your mobile phone on silent and tuck it away so you are not tempted to answer a text or phone call while driving.
- Try presetting your radio with your favourite radio stations—you won’t have to look away from the road to change the station.
- Refrain from eating, drinking and smoking while driving.
These important tips will keep you sharp and ready to drive! Driving is demanding, so take measures to ensure good vision, brain health, and reduce distractions while on the road.
The Exercises
The participants in the Hartford and MIT study participated in an exercise program that focused on four areas: flexibility, range of motion, strength and coordination.
- Strength Exercises:Strength is important for many driving tasks, such as pressing down on a brake pedal. Exercises like biceps curls and squats can help enhance a driver’s strength.
- Range of Motion Exercises:Range of motion is central to actions such as putting on your seatbelt easily. Performing exercises such as back stretches and heel drops can improve your range of motion.
- Flexibility Exercises: Flexibility is necessary for movements such as getting in and out of your car easily. To enhance your flexibility, consider exercises such as chest and shoulder expansions and shoulder stretches.
- Coordination Exercises: Coordination can help with the integration of movement in your upper and lower body, such as simultaneously braking and turning. Soccer kicks and lateral steps are good exercises for boosting your coordination.
Exercises like these are easy to learn, can be done anywhere and can be combined with your current exercise program.
To add or begin an exercise program to boost your driving wellbeing:
- Check with your health provider on the best exercise plan for you.
- Follow a regular exercise program. Connect with friends, build it into your calendar and try to spend at least 15 to 30 minutes a day being active.
If you’d like to learn more about issues affecting older drivers, retirement, health, superannuation, travel and much, much more, subscribe to YourLifeChoices (it’s free) at https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/ and listen to the podcast (including interviews with seniordriveraus) hosted by Kaye Fallick and John Deeks at https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/podcasts/mind-your-own-retirement