I'm still relatively young (62 next month) and still bicycle extensively. However, my driving is getting poorer. I'm honest with myself enough to realize that my reaction times are slower, my attention to detail is waning, and my level of anger is rising. If I drive through an intersection, I've discovered that I have to slow down and concentrate, look around, and make sure I know exactly what's going on before I proceed. Motorists behind me honk. I just can't "collect" all the information and proceed as fast as I used to.

I feel very fortunate that I love bicycling, and have been car free several times in the past, most recently 3 years ago. I think I can transition easily into a car free or car lite lifestyle again. Everything that is important is within easy cycling distance, and I'm still relatively fit. Therefore I do have a happy answer to my driving dilemma, so I'm seriously considering and probably will make the transition pretty soon.

Anyone else experiencing something similar? It feels strange to me - In the past, I've been carless because it was fun, green, and saved a lot of cash. But now I feel like I have no other choice. Great choice, yes, but my hand is forced.

I'd recommend checking with your doctor about your concerns at the next visit. Some increase in reaction time is normal but that seems a little young for it to be so noticeable. However, your driving may well be safer for both yourself and others than that of the drivers who are prone to honk at you with impatience.

I'm hoping that the autonomous cars become approved and accepted before too long so we won't have so many drivers who recognize that their skills are decreasing but, unlike you, are unwilling to adopt a car-free lifestyle.

I'm driving as well as ever, but my short game has gone to hell.

I can't resist the straight line, but it is actually true. And likely due to physical decline of eyesight and nerves. But what you describe sounds beyond the normal range of decline for an active person of your age. I would definitely speak with your doctor about it.

Kudos for recognizing an issue. Having a positive attitude towards the solution shows your concern for the safety of yourself and others that is lacking in many drivers.

NOTE: IMO it's not those drivers who recognize their skills are declining that concerns me but those who have no skills at all other than being able to insert key or push a button and then take the vehicle out into traffic.

My problem is distraction when driving a familiar bike route in the winter. My mind keeps telling me when to shift.

I'm glad to live in a more sedate region in terms of others driving patience with me. I hope the doc has a recommendation that could help. Be careful on your bike, accidents are less forgiving.

The advice to go to a doctor is great, I will do that.

Another vote for visiting your doctor, make a list of your concerns about the reaction times and any other cognition issues you notice. My mom voluntarily gave up her driving and the state license a few years back, she realized that her eyesight and her reaction times were getting worse. We just take turns taking her where she needs to be.

It can be a forerunner of other conditions that you aren't even thinking about, Parkinson's Disease has a slowed reaction and cognition time element to its various symptoms. I am hyper aware about this, now. If I notice a problem, that will be it for my license, voluntarily. Not wanting to be a statistic or front page news about the guy that kills or injures a group of people, needlessly.

Good on you for realizing the signs of a problem, just get answers now. Best of luck.

Bill

I'm planning on getting rid of my car soon. I don't drive as well and I can't afford
the gas insurance and maintenance.

Charlie

I've noticed my worry when one of my kids is behind the wheel

Wow ... now that is refreshing.

I think for most of us, the lack of attention and perhaps compromised motor skills are more than offset by better judgment. But 62 seems young for the kind of problems you seem to be having, so it makes sense to get it checked out. It could be as simple as a change in medication.

I wish more folks were as honest and ethical as you are. I still believe I am a safe driver, but I do drive very conservatively and defensively -- a whopping 1500 miles/year -- and at night I have to make sure I am wearing the correct pair of eyeglasses and have a clean windscreen. My ophthalmologist is starting to hint at cataract surgery, which I probably will need in a few years if I continue to drive at night. He also mentioned that Germany administers a strict optical contrast test in addition to our familiar Snellen eye chart, and I figure the time for cataract surgery will be when I become marginal on the German test. I have long advocated stricter motorist fitness requirements here in the US, but too many people mistakenly regard driving as a right, rather than a privilege.

I suspect there are way more people like you that drive and don't recognize that their driving has deteriorated, to the point where they should stop driving but don't... Listen to yourself, you know what to do... Unlike most who even when told by others they shouldn't drive, they don't listen and their drivers licence must be taken away, usually way later than safety would have mandated it if everyone was honest about their driving capability... JMO

tractorlegs-I find that nighttime driving is becoming a bit more problematic. I'm fine on the big roads but hate the narrow ones as the glare from the lights of oncoming cars does its best to blind me. I'm only 64 so still quite young () as well. Still, I hope that when its time to give driving up, I'm able to not only recognize it but to do so gracefully.

I'm with everyone else - see a doctor. This doesn't sound right. I'm older than you and drove from Taos, NM to the Grand Canyon (with a fair amount of off-road) and back in May. NJ to FL and back early in the fall. NJ to Bellingham, WA and from Bellingham to Taos pulling a new trailer this fall. No accidents, no hesitation, no close shaves and no blowing horns. Other than the Grand Canyon trip, all were solo. I had a 1,000 mile driving day on the way to Washington State.

Hope to drive a whole lot less this year.

While I don't disagree with seeing the doctor, fact is, you are having difficulties, and a lot of people do... They just don't see it , or they don't want to see it... JMO

yep, I agree that what you are describing is not normal for your age and you should see a doctor....
I also applaud you for what you are doing about it...

Glad your seeing a doctor, and in the meantime avoiding driving. How is your concentration when riding the bike?
I know that I have to very vigilant especially when approaching an intersection where drivers will blow through a red light to make a right turn forgetting that they are supposed to stop first. I've had a couple of close calls in that situation.

Just turned 60 and still travel a lot work. Drive a lot of rentals and confidence level is down with lane changes, etc. I hear ya.

The only differences between you and most people over the age of fifty is that you are being honest with yourself and you are responsible and ethical enough to look to alternatives. While there may be an organic cause to your decline, noticeable declines are the norm, not the exception. Sure go see your physician, but don't expect her to find anything out of the ordinary.

It's a pity more people don't assign a younger person to evaluate their driving on a regular basis and tell them when their decline indicates "It's time..." You can't notice what you can't see, kind of by definition.

Yeah, this is not OK. Most folks who ride a lot find that their driving gets better because they pay more attention to the road and their surroundings. Being careful not to get killed on a bike concentrates the mind. For a while I was having trouble seeing over my shoulder and turning around in the seat to back up. Upper body work at the gym took care of that.

OTOH, driving is more dangerous now for everyone. People run stop signs, go through red lights, drive at 90 on the freeway changing lanes constantly, do all sorts of objectionable things. I don't go on the green any more until I've looked both ways. Almost been hit too many times by nutcases.

If you're having trouble seeing at night, you may have cataracts. We should all see an optometrist every year after we're 60.

This.

Today I was nearly hit by a taxi and a following limo as I attempted to cross a street. I was in the marked crosswalk and had the white Walk signal. I could see the red light on the signal for these vehicles. Had my companion not grabbed me I would be either in the morgue or a hospital.

Neither of the drivers appeared to be older than mid-30's. Point? The old chestnut about age just isn't so. In the scheme of things there are many other dangers and poor driving causes. Plus, variation in health, cognition, activity level and type all make age, by itself, nearly meaningless as a causative factor.

Kudos to the poster who has exercised self-discipline. That is indeed a rare commodity. But, I am a bit curious why the individual posted.

The taxi and limo that almost hit you were being stoopid. What I'm referring to in this thread is a growing difficulty functioning as a driver, because of what may be age related issues.To see if others were experiencing the same thing.

You may assume the taxi and limo drivers were being "stoopid". But, you don't know that. Big difference. In my travels I've ridden with many limo and taxi drivers who had serious physical issues. Debilitating physical issues are not limited to the old. So, when you say "may be age related" there is a strong emphasis on the word "may" in this day and age.

As far as posting to see if others were having the same experience; it never occurred to me anyone would be so socially and geographically isolated they would not have a spectrum of ages in their community. Sorry.

This was my experience for many years. My experience as not only a cyclist but as a motorcyclist made me a very careful driver.My eyesight is very good, so fortunately that's not an issue.

In some ways my driving has improved as I got older. True, reaction time, vision, being able to sit in a fixed position for long amounts of time have degraded to various degrees. But, I am more experienced, better able to avoid dangerous situations, and have had far fewer close calls in the last few years.

OTOH, I no longer feel capable of doing performance driving. You know, donuts around the flag pole at school, right angle corners in traffic at +40 mph, fast driving on gravel roads where counter steering is a requirement.

So yes, age has effected my driving.