LIHUE — Katherine Sato, 96, started driving in her 20s when she ran the Lihue Delicatessen for many years before retiring. Nowadays, she takes the bus more often than not. But every once and a while, when the destination isn’t
LIHUE — Katherine Sato, 96, started driving in her 20s when she ran the Lihue Delicatessen for many years before retiring.
Nowadays, she takes the bus more often than not. But every once and a while, when the destination isn’t too far away from her Pua Loke neighborhood in Lihue, she’ll slip behind the wheel, buckle up and drive.
Used to be, she would drive anywhere on Kauai when there were fewer cars, she said. Today, with an increase in traffic, pulling out onto the road can be a little daunting, though she navigates the roadways when she has to.
“Right now I feel kind of scared and I don’t go far,” Sato said. “I just do what I have to do or else I take the bus.”
Sato is one of many elderly drivers. People are healthier and living longer and this means more kupuna are driving as long as possible. And even when blessed with good health, drivers over age 75 tend to drive fewer miles each year but also are involved in more crashes for each mile they drive, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Those numbers would decline, the agency added, if more awareness on the subject was out there.
Knowledge is key.
“Knowing where the weak spots are will help to take the right action and increase your driving life for many years,” said Jim Jung, a retired attorney who teaches a monthly four-hour AARP Driver Safety course for seniors at the Kapaa Neighborhood Center.
In fact, once drivers reach 75, crash statistics begin to resemble the 16 to 24-year-old age group, where inexperience is attributed to the highest number of accidents. For aging drivers, however, fading faculties are to blame, Jung said.
The most serious concern is reduced vision, especially in low light. Cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration can be common as one ages, and a reduced peripheral vision and depth of field impairs the ability to judge the speed and distance of other vehicles, the instructor said.
Making sure one’s eyes are still capturing all that they should is essential for aging drivers to remain safe drivers.
“Eye exams are essential as we age,” Jung said. “We become more sensitive to sunlight and glaring conditions.”
Night driving is most difficult for elder drivers who complain of about half the ability to see as they could years earlier. The glaring lights of oncoming vehicles makes it even more difficult to see the dark surroundings as can switching vision from the dash lights to the road. A way to lessen the hazard is to avoid looking directly into the headlights, focusing to the right side of the road.
Loss of hearing may also slow response time to engine noise, horns and emergency vehicle sirens. Senior drivers should compensate by looking at the mirrors more often, Jung said.
The AARP class helps elders learn to “fit the car” properly, with the body in correct height and distance from the steering wheel and foot peddles. They teach how to adjust the mirrors to compensate for any vision limitations and to reduce blind spots.
To improve reduced hand and foot reaction time, AARP recommends walking and stretching for better flexibility in the neck, torso, wrists and ankles.
Some at the Lihue Senior Center said they drive out of necessity and prefer to let others do the driving or taking the bus whenever possible. They don’t give it up entirely, however, and there are times during the week when they have no other option.
Elsie Takata, of Lihue, has been driving since she was 15 years old and is still driving today at 80. She said that learning to accept that her reflexes are not as sharp as they once were means having to drive a little slower.
That can be frustrating for other drivers who seem to be in a hurry and tailgate her. No one seems to follow the speed limit anyway, she added.
“The best thing for us seniors is to go shopping in the morning because in the afternoon (the roads) are too crowded,” Takata said. “Why is it we always decide to go shopping when it is busy?”
Sumako Ichimasa of Lihue, is another aging driver still on the road at 81.
She said there are more cars on the road, which concerns her, but that it’s easier to drive now with more traffic lights. But other drivers, not necessarily aging ones, can bother her when she’s behind the wheel. People making illegal U-turns, and the impoliteness that comes from driving too close and passing when they shouldn’t is what she finds frustrating.
“There is a hundred times more cars and people are not as nice as they used to be,” Ichimasa said.
She only drives to church on Sundays and to the Lihue Senior Center twice weekly. If there is someone else to drive she always accepts the help. But it is still important to remain independent, she added. That means being able to drive somewhere when there are no other alternatives.
Some seniors have said they quit driving all together.
Connie Espirito of Puhu, admitted that her reflexes and mind are not as fast and alert as they once were, and that it’s better to catch a ride or take the bus when it is convenient.
But Espirito, approaching 80, quit driving when she retired 15 years ago because of the costs associated with owning a car, not because she was getting older.
“My daughter totaled my car and I said ‘I am not going to buy another car,’” she said.
The AARP class noted that nationally, right of way violations for drivers over age 55 amount to 35 percent of all tickets. Around 25 percent are for improper left turn, 15 percent for improper lane changes, and 10 percent for ignoring a stop sign or traffic light. Sixty percent of elder crashes nationally occur at intersections from improper left turns or changing lanes on busy roads, and the numbers increase with age, according to Jung.
“This wouldn’t happen if drivers were more careful to make better decisions about judging distance and speed,” Jung said.
Additionally, the effects of medication on the elderly can create blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness and weak muscles. Alcohol also has a more pronounced effect on them too, Jung said. Senior drivers should consult with their pharmacist to learn how different types of meds could affect their driving.
The AARP class recommends that family and friends of elders check on their driving abilities and help them understand the effects of aging on driving.
There are constructive recommendations to stop driving when someone exhibits the warning signs. Jung said, as well as self-assessment quizzes for the home to evaluate whether a loved one should hang up the keys.
“If you are seeing more dents in your car, and saying things like, ‘where did that car come from?’ then it might be time to start thinking about it.”
Three serious accidents that happened on Kauai this year involved elderly drivers.
This is mostly due to a lack of “situational awareness” — when a driver does not know where they are in relation to other vehicles, Jung said.
• On Feb. 16, a 71-year-old female pulled onto Kuhio Highway from a Kapaa lookout and by misjudging oncoming traffic, committed a right-of-way violation. A passenger in her vehicle was killed when another vehicle struck their car.
• On March 16, an 82-year-old male driver was driving erratically on Kaumualii Highway. His SUV left the road and struck and killed a pedestrian in the Puhi area.
• On July 20, an 82 year-old female driver committed a right of way violation while turning left onto Kuhio Highway in Wailua. An oncoming motorcyclist was killed after colliding with her vehicle.
Marcie Ballesteros, of Hanamaulu, stopped driving over 20 years ago.
She said the roads are busier and faster and that when seniors get into accidents they become afraid to drive.
“I was one of those,” Ballesteros said. “It is better not to drive because I was getting panicky and so it’s better to take the bus.”
The AARP class is offered monthly at the Kapaa Neighborhood Center. The fee is $12 for AARP members, $14 for non-members. Call Merrilly to register at 245-1851.
