Is It Time To Hang Up The Keys? Tips For Utah’s Senior Drivers

Will we know when it's time to give up our driver's license?

This can be a very touchy subject. Most senior citizen drivers have had their licenses for five, six or even seven decades.

They've come across just about every scenario you can imagine on the road.

The have safely navigated through country road and city traffic jam and have come out the other side.

So most seniors will be reticent to give up their last link to true freedom -- being able to get in a car and go wherever they want.

So seniors who are reading this, perhaps you should be the one to tell your loved ones when it's time.

Here are a few things to think about as you age and driving becomes more challenging (courtesy of the SGPD):

As we age, it is important to stay safe on the road. Here are five tips to help our seasoned drivers prioritize safety:

1. Maintain "brain fitness": sharpen your brain's decision making and reaction time by challenging yourself with puzzles, games, or learning a new skill!.
2. Perform a self-assessment and reflection of your driving skills: Ask yourself what your strengths & weaknesses are as a driver. Driving self-evaluation surveys are also available online
3. Know and look for warning signs: if you or a loved one notice vision or hearing loss, loss of strength or overall fitness, or cognitive depreciations, talk to your doctor about receiving a Comprehensive Driving Evaluation
4. Schedule an eye test every five years: the Utah Department of Public Safety requires that drivers aged 65 and older must receive and pass an eye test every five years.
5. Discuss driving safety with your doctor and family members: have small conversations with your healthcare provider and loved ones about your driving safety before it becomes an issue. Create a driving retirement plan with your loved ones, as well as a plan for alternative transportation.

Maybe it's time ... or maybe it's not. But you should be the first to know before an accident makes it too late.

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The Truth Behind 'I'm Just Buzzed' And Other Alcohol Myths

People who drink alcoholic beverages and then make the decision to drive a motor vehicle will make all kinds of excuses and rationalizations.

They'll say things like "I'm not drunk, just buzzed," or "I just had a little," or "I feel perfectly fine."

So to demystify the effects alcohol has on the average person, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has put out a chart on what happens to someone who imbibes.

Keep in mind that the blood alcohol legal limit in Utah is .05.

The chart also does not attempt to quantify how many drinks will get you to those BAC plateaus.

There are so many factors that go into figuring that out that most websites and experts defer when asked how many drinks make you legally drunk.

Factors that can affect an individual's BAC include:

• Sex
• Weight
• Drink's alcohol level
• Drink size
• Food intake
• Water/liquid intake
• Weather
• Medical conditions
• Medication
• Time

Plus, alcoholic drinks are very different when it comes to the amount of alcohol in each one. From the website gorelick-law.com, here are just a couple of the differences:

"When counting drinks to estimate BAC, it is important to understand how different the amount of alcohol can be based on the drink. According to the charts, one drink is equal to .06 ounces of 100% alcohol. This includes:

• 1 1/2 ounces of 80 proof liquor;
• 12 ounces of a 5% beer (Utah was 3.2% beer for 86 years, but changed to 5% in 2019)
• 5 ounces of a 12% wine.

When people are out with friends or having drinks with dinner, it can be difficult to estimate drinks. Sharing a bottle of wine makes it hard to know how many drinks each person had, especially when the drinks keep getting topped off. Going to a brewery and sampling a number of beers may be deceptive as the small tasting glasses could be 4 to 6 ounces and some craft beers or barley wines can be 10% or higher."

Unfortunately, we've seen quite clearly in recent times how deadly and devastating drunk driving can be.