I’ve found that safe driving pundits and even columns just like this one are quick to comment about the concerns, even the dangers, that older drivers can face when they head out on the road. But there’s another, much more positive, aspect to elder driving which never seems to receive much attention in terms of driving safety.
Older drivers have been there and done that and their experiences are often invaluable to those who have recently hit the road.
Example: When I was a kid my dad told me about a time in his own youth about riding a bicycle through the streets of Toronto. Up ahead he spotted a large roll of crumpled up newspaper laying in the middle of the road. It was a perfect chance for him to impress his riding buddies with some daring-do by smashing through that imaginary fortress in his path — showing guts and claiming victory. Too bad that the crumpled paper ball was actually a large chunk of rough concrete. Victory turned out to be surviving a few days in hospital. Oh, and the bike was destroyed too.
Lesson for me as a young driver: To this day, I never drive over any unknown object in the roadway if I can help it.
Vehicle technology is astounding compared to the time many elder drivers received their licences. Robotic factories build vehicles now with a precision that Louis Chevrolet and Henry Ford couldn’t have imagined, the point being that vehicle maintenance for many younger drivers is a lost art. The elder drivers in my life were always quick to point out the importance of vehicle maintenance.
Regular oil changes are a necessity, keeping the windshield washer reservoir topped up is crucial especially during wet seasons and replacing burned out lights should be done as soon as possible. For many younger drivers, the vehicle maintenance list talk usually brings on eye rolls which is kind of understandable, that is until that check engine light won’t go away or they rear end someone because they couldn’t see through their filthy windscreen, washer fluid having run dry two weeks ago.
Many elder drivers have not only been through fender benders, they have survived the ordeal of making an insurance claim. I learned about the importance of documenting everything, not just at the crash scene with police, but with insurance adjusters and medical professionals.
In worst case scenarios, the last thing your potential legal opponent wants to see is a well-organized file folder being opened with a record of everything you have gone through before, during and after a crash.
This mindset includes being medically checked after a crash even if everything feels OK at the time. I learned through the experiences of others, and, to be fair from myself, that the hurt often doesn’t appear for days and sometimes weeks later. Court litigations are full of examples of innocuous injuries coming to life long after the event. A medical and documentary trail is an invaluable tool in surviving the “system.”
It’s not absolute by any means, but I find that generally older drivers have a much better awareness of their limitations. They have learned the hard way that it wasn’t really necessary to head out in that snow storm. They can verify that when the sign says the road ahead has changed to a temporary gravel patch, that you really need to slow down.
I often see this come into play with the aggressive highway driver — bobbing, weaving and tailgating through heavy traffic only to repeatedly find themselves at a red light next to the elder who just kept pace with the rest of traffic. My father-in-law showed us once that by doing only a steady 40 km/h from the Johnson Street bridge, you could reach Oak Bay and not hit a single red light.
Indigenous peoples learned millennia ago that intergenerational learning was not only the key to improving historical knowledge and cultural awareness but improved literacy and fluency in most other aspects of youth education. Time to include driver safety within that mindset.
Glove Box: We’re well into the rainy season now and hydroplaning dangers loom large. To avoid that, start with good tires and by slowing down. Turn off your cruise control, avoid puddles and standing water if possible and increase your following distance by double. If practical, use a lower gear which can increase traction and control. Finally avoid hard braking and sharp turns. If you start to slide, take your foot off the gas — slowly, naturally, gradually — let gravity work. Hard braking and sharp steering corrections will likely send you out of control.
