When it's time to get off the road

By MARY JANE PARK

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 24, 2001

Because Florida is such a sprawl, most of us have cars. Those of us who live in cities use public transportation as a last resort when our vehicles are in the shop or when injury or other unpleasant circumstance leaves us without wheels. In Manhattan, we'll walk 12 blocks at a time, plus take cabs or the subway. For the most part, however, we give little thought to the privilege that enables us to dash out for a half-gallon of milk or a videotape rental.

Driving under the influence of age The impact of aging on our bodies affects virtually everyone's ability to drive, whether or not we want to admit it. The key is to understand the limitations and adjust. Alternatives for the older driver If a dispassionate assessment tells you that you are still a safe driver, some tips, both behavioral and physical, can keep you on the road with greater comfort and confidence.

The addled, shrunken, white-haired driver is a figure of ridicule in Florida. He engages the right-turn signal and edges left over three lanes. On the interstate, she floors it to 40 mph, the minimum speed required.

We who are too stiff to turn around far enough to see the driveway behind us, too limited in our vision to see clearly at night, fear the loss of independence that goes along with surrendering our automobiles.

I'm thinking of a friend whose deteriorating eyesight required that he sell his car. When he wants to take an appetizer to a dinner party, he catches the bus to and from the grocery store. He enjoys trying new restaurants and going to movies but loathes both time-consuming rides in public conveyance and depending on friends.

Small strokes robbed my father of clear vision in the nine months before he died last June. My mother added the role of chauffeur to her already considerable list of family duties; most of their trips were around town.

As we traveled to the North Carolina mountains in August to observe the 50th wedding anniversary Daddy did not live to celebrate, Mama tested her highway skills. She performed well, but she has since imposed limitations on her driving. My parents' home is about an hour north of Charlotte, whose traffic rivals that of Atlanta. She doesn't go there. A kind friend offers rides to their Wednesday-night choir rehearsals, and Mama accepts.

A colleague talks of a neighbor who takes the bus to shop for food. She buys what she can comfortably carry. Invariably, she declines rides to the store but not gifts of ice cream, too fragile for the warm trip home.

Today's cover story talks about physical and mental challenges that may develop as we age and pose dangers as we take to the road. Classes such as those sponsored by the AARP can help hone driving skills and lower insurance rates, and features such as cruise control or special rear-view mirrors can compensate for limitations.

We owe it to ourselves and our neighbors to be safe drivers; otherwise, it's time to get off the road.

- You can telephone Mary Jane Park at (727) 893-8267; toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8267. Write to her in care of the St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731; her e-mail address is park@sptimes.com

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