Because we all take pride in our driving and couldn\u2019t wait as teenagers to gain that freedom and independence associated with getting a driver\u2019s license and buying our first car, having to tell someone they\u2019re no longer safe to operate a motor vehicle can be extremely difficult. But, someone has to do it \u2013 and, that person is probably you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Putting off the dreaded discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a subject people often put off because they dread discussing it with their elderly loved ones. After all, how do you approach someone who has been driving for 50, 60, or even 70 years and announce it\u2019s time for them to turn over their car keys and independence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, there\u2019s no easy way. Unless they\u2019re already aware that something has got to give \u2013 and, that something may be their driving privileges \u2013 you stand hurting their feelings and facing resistance, not to mention a fair amount of conflicting emotions on both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to an article in New York Times Health, titled \u201cThe Car Key Conversation\u201d, 29 percent of adult children who took part in a research study reported that discussing their parent\u2019s funeral plans was easier than talking to them about relinquishing their driving privileges. Meanwhile, another 18 percent of those surveyed said that moving into assisted living and selling the family home was an easier subject to discuss with their parents than the driving issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a> Some experts suggest discussing the subject with loved ones way ahead of the situation turning dangerous. By being compassionate and calm you can inform them you realize that driving is a big part of their freedom and mobility. The goal is to soften the blow when it becomes necessary for them to surrender their car keys should they lose the ability to drive safely without endangering themselves and other motorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it may be a difficult subject with some loved ones, broaching the topic from time to time before the inevitable happens may actually make it easier for them to understand you\u2019re doing it for their own good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Mature](\"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/iStock_000033879190_Small-270x180.jpg\")
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Discussing the subject ahead of time<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"iStock_000067365285_Small\"](\"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/iStock_000067365285_Small-270x180_1_11zon.webp\")
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![<\/a>Importance of reassuring your loved ones <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFurthermore, reassure them by stressing that you will be there to help them so they can continue to do the things that are important to them or that you\u2019ll find other ways for them to get around. If they know in advance they won\u2019t be stranded and will have other means of transportation available, they may be more agreeable to the sudden change in mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe website Caring.com advises that if your loved one denies they\u2019re having a problem with their driving, and their auto insurance<\/a> isn\u2019t cancelled because of too many accidents \u2013 preventing them from getting behind the wheel \u2013 more drastic measures may be in order. Of those, the website suggests taking them to your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a driving and vision test. Should they fail to pass either test, their driver\u2019s license will be revoked immediately, making your task easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFacing the last resort<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the event they pass both the vision and driving portion, return to the DMV every six months to have them tested. Hopefully, it doesn\u2019t come down to the last resort \u2013 taking and hiding their car keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dealing with an aging parent who is having an increasing number of bumper scrapers or fender benders often leads to a heart-wrenching decision \u2013 to take their car keys away. Sadly, many of us will have to do it. If your elderly parent or other close relative is showing signs of diminishing driving skills, it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1002630,"featured_media":11018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"importance":[],"type-content":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10762"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1002630"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10762"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10762\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11019,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10762\/revisions\/11019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10762"},{"taxonomy":"importance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/importance?post=10762"},{"taxonomy":"type-content","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-content?post=10762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/iStock_000067365285_Small.jpg\"){kind=link}