
In this car-centric society, what do you do when you can no longer drive?
It’s important to think about, and most people don’t, according to Beth Gibson, a certified driver rehabilitation specialist at UF’s SmartDriver Rehab. More often, Americans are focused on issues such as planning for retirement, making changes at home to age in place, or considering a senior living a senior community.
“People think about those things, but they don’t think about the potential changes for being independently mobile and able to drive for themselves,” Gibson said. “Most of us will outlive our ability to drive, and it’s not necessarily just because we’ve gotten older. It is more related to changes in visual and cognitive function that may be related to a disease.”
The Florida Department of Transportation, in its guide to “Safe Mobility for Life,” notes that Americans are driving longer and putting more miles on their vehicles. But the research shows that most people won’t always be behind the wheel.
“Older adults can expect to outline their ability to drive safely by seven to ten years,” according to AAA and FDOT.
More than 20% of Florida’s population is over age 65, and by 2030 will account for more than 24% of Florida’s population – meaning that one in four licensed drivers will be elderly.
Florida has the second-highest number of registered vehicles in the United States, with 7,763,328 as of 2022, according to Statista, a global data and business intelligence platform. California is first with 13,796,109.
“Driving is so important,” Gibson said. “Most places you live in our country are not set up well enough with public transportation. If you can’t drive a car, you can’t get around by yourself.”
That dynamic can create new and significant logistical challenges.
“You are severely limited – economically in terms of getting to work or school and socially in terms of being able to go out and be involved in things,” Gibson said.”
Some local seniors have found ways to cope when it is no longer safe for them to drive. Gaby Gross, 91, and Martha Bergmann, 83, are both residents at The Atrium in Gainesville, and they know what Gibson is talking about.
“When I moved here two years ago, I left my car behind,” said Bergmann. “I stopped driving because I crashed my car.”
Gross said she stopped driving about five years ago when she ran a red light and had an accident.
“The car wasn’t totaled, and I wasn’t hurt,” she said. But I didn’t want someone to tell me to stop driving. I wanted to make the decision myself.”
The two women use the “Freedom in Motion” program offered by Elder Care of Alachua County through the Gainesville Senior Recreational Center. It subsidizes Uber rides for seniors who apply for the program. Gross and Bergmann take advantage of the service, which offers about one-way trips or two round-trips per month to participating seniors for a $0 to $5 copay within city limits.
“Whether it’s a trip to a medical appointment, grocery shopping, or visiting friends, this program ensures reliable, on-demand rides within Gainesville, FL, so seniors can travel on their own schedule,” said Nicholas Hauzer, Senior Recreation Center and Volunteer Services manager.
“With the growing need for transportation services among older adults in our community, we are always seeking additional sponsors to help expand this vital program,” Hauzer said. “Each contribution allows us to provide more rides and ensure that more seniors can stay connected and engaged in their daily lives.”
Go Go Grandparents is another rides program available in Gainesville and throughout the United States, Australia, and Canada with a private pay model that provides screened and monitored services from Uber, Door Dash, Instacart, Lyft and Uber.
“We started this about nine years ago with a founding ethos around enabling older adults to live independently longer,” said Mike Ball, partnership manager. “What it involved was providing a phone number to call where a live person answers the phone 24/7 for folks who don’t use apps or don’t do it well who can call to get an Uber ride or get a hot meal or prescriptions delivered.”
Ball said founder and CEO Justin Boogaard started the company to help his grandmother, who wanted to do things with her friends and saw how well her grandson utilized the technology but feared that she couldn’t do it.
“We work with states, local governments, counties, senior living, and other organizations to address social determinants of health, to address social isolation, and to enable folks just to be more social out in their communities in addition to helping them get to doctor’s appointments dialysis appointments and other medical and non-medical transportation needs,” Ball said.
GoGo has served over 120 customers in Gainesville and another 800 in Jacksonville.
But for those who can still drive, Gibson says there is a lot older drivers can do to stay on the road more safely – especially by paying attention to their visual needs and limitations.
“Ninety percent of the information we gather that helps us make decisions with driving comes from vision,” Gibson said. “Then, we interpret that information, and based on what we see, we decide what we need to do.”
Gibson suggests keeping up with annual eye exams and staying aware of how medications may affect your driving skills. She also points out how important it is to keep your windshields and headlights clean, and if you have a disabled tag, to remove it when you are driving so it doesn’t block your view.
If you have a newer car with more safety features, you can get to know it better. One helpful website is My Car Does What?, which is put out by the National Safety Council (NSC) and explains the new technologies that make cars safer, how they work, and when they work.
Driving is not a walk in the park, but these new tools are helping seniors stay mobile safely, with or without a car.
Editor’s note: This is the latest story in Mainstreet’s award-winning Aging Matters series. It was independently reported by Ronnie Lovler and underwritten by Elder Options.