Neat Features That Heighten Safety When Your Parents Are Driving

Close to 42 million older drivers held driver’s licenses in 2016. If your parents are one of them, you may worry about their safety. Over 290,000 drivers aged 65 or older were injured in car crashes that same year. Another 7,400 were killed in crashes.

Monitoring your parents’ driving skills is important. At some point, they may need to have their car keys taken away. In the meantime, many cars have new technology designed to make driving safer. These are a few of the neat features the heighten safety when your parents are driving.

Push-Button Start

Holding a small key and sliding it into an ignition can be tough when you have arthritis in the finger joints. Push-button start eliminates this. Your parents would set their key fob in the center console, pocket, or purse, and press the brake fully down. Push the start button and the engine starts.

Blind Spot Detection

When a vehicle or other obstacle is in the blind spot, a warning goes off. The warning is a flashing light first and then increases to an audible alarm. This ensures the driver doesn’t accidentally hit a car or person coming up along the side of the car.

Lane Departure Alerts

Cameras on the car check to make sure the car is in the travel lane. If the car starts to cross a line or go onto the shoulder, the vehicle emits a warning. Some cars have the technology to apply brakes and steer enough to get the car back into the lane.

Collision Warnings

When the vehicle is approaching another car too quickly or something is about to run in front of a car, the cameras on a collision warning system catch it and apply brakes before the collision happens. Visual and audible alarms are given prior to the brakes being applied in order to give the driver time to react.

Back-up Cameras

Checking blind spots is important, but many cars now have back-up cameras too. When backing up, your parents can check both shoulders to scan blind spots and check the back-up camera to make sure nothing is moving towards the back of their car while they move.

It may be time to take your parents keys. While it’s not easy, it could save lives. They don’t have to give up their usual activities. With the help of senior care services, they can have a caregiver to drive them to stores, restaurants, senior centers, and other area businesses. Talk to them about senior care and the ways it helps them stay independent and then schedule the services that will help the most.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Care in Big Timber, MT please contact the caring staff at AdvoCare Home Care Services today at 406-582-5402.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/older_adult_drivers/index.html