Let’s talk about health behind the wheel
“The driver felt a spasm of discomfort” is an oft-heard line. Let’s admit that a driver’s state of health can have consequences as serious as those connected with drinking and driving. This is true of 18- or 81-year-olds. And as our population gets older, it’s become an increasingly important issue both for society and the CAA-Quebec Foundation.
Two out of five people have already accompanied a loved one who has been obliged to give up their driver’s licence and 63 percent of them have found the experience distressing.1 Should you find yourself in this unhappy situation, the Foundation can offer help. How do you recognize the warning signs that your parent’s health may be a problem when he or she is behind the wheel? How do you approach the issue? How do you intervene? Are there other ways to resolve matters? These subjects are addressed in our new online guide, Good Driving Never Gets Old (caaquebecfoundation.org), as well as in this issue’s special supplement: Seniors and Mobility.
The issue is health, not age
Within the next decade, there’ll be 1.5 million senior citizens driving on our roads.2 It’s time to spread the word: There’s no age limit for driving, it’s strictly a question of health. When a driver strains to read road signs at night, forces folks to honk, is involved in fender benders, or gets lost in a familiar neighbourhood, then questions should arise. Avoiding busy highways and adapting the vehicle with safety technology are a couple of solutions that can prolong driving careers.
But what should absolutely be avoided is becoming a danger to yourself and others. When one’s health is no longer reliable, it’s time to stop driving. While the police, the Société de l’as surance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) and doctors all have a role to play, it’s up to each one of us to assess our own ability to drive a well as that of our loved ones. This is also the SAAQ’s message. Have you seen the video clip where a young family man – Chef Louis-François Marcotte – recounts an epileptic seizure he endured while behind the wheel? His personal take is spot-on, regardless of age: “Epilepsy, heart problems, diabetes, sleep apnea... all these illnesses can lead to serious accidents. If you suffer from an ailment that can affect your per formance behind the wheel, see your doctor, listen carefully, then follow the medical recommendations.”
A responsibility to act
A driver who poses a threat to other road users is never a trivial affair. It’s everyone’s responsibility to act… though not in any old way. We need to put ourselves in the person’s shoes and address the matter with tact and sensitivity. We need to offer help, to suggest alternatives like public transport or carpooling.
I invite you to consult the guide There’s No Age Limit for Safe Driving. It is a gold mine of relevant information on road safety. For 115 years, from generation to generation, CAA-Quebec has acquired an enviable expertise in the matter. To our 1.3-million members, I say take advantage of it.
1 Survey conducted by Léger Marketing for CAA-Quebec, in summer 2019, with 1,034 respondents
2 Source: SAAQ