Health & driving

Your health is closely connected to your driving. You must be able to see well enough to detect hazards in different types of lighting, judge distances, adjust to traffic speed, and read road signs.

Your brain must be alert enough to quickly decide the correct course of action in any type of traffic situation, including unexpected ones.

Your body must also be able to respond and react quickly.

As you get older, you change physically and mentally. These changes can and do affect your driving skills. Getting older does not automatically make you a poor driver. Many people continue to be safe drivers well into their retirement years.

You have control over lifestyle choices that may affect your health, for example, what and when you eat, how much and what kind of exercise you get, how you handle stress, how much social interaction you seek, and so forth. A healthy, responsive body, along with an alert mind, requires good nutrition, adequate rest, and exercise to maintain or increase strength, flexibility, and sharp reflexes.

Physical and Mental Fitness

Ageing brings changes in our physical mobility. For example, can you still turn your head to look over your shoulder when backing or changing lanes? Do you feel weakness in your arms or legs when steering, braking, or accelerating?

Staying fit and active will help you maintain the muscle strength and the flexibility you need to drive safely. Exercise and physical activity don't have to be strenuous, and don't have to require special equipment. You can exercise in the comfort of your own home by lifting light-weight items such as soup cans or 500 ml water bottles. You can rhythmically squeeze a small ball or a stuffed animal to strengthen your hand and upper arms while watching television.

No matter what your condition or age, there is some type of exercise or activity you can do that will benefit you. You could try:

These are just a few suggestions. The important thing is to be active and do what is comfortable for you. Exercise not only makes driving easier and safer, it can prevent or delay many disabilities, diseases, and other conditions.

Ask your physician what type of activity would be suitable for you and be sure to consult them before beginning any new exercise program. Mental exercise is also beneficial - reading, word or number puzzles help and jigsaw puzzles sharpen your visual search skills.

For more information, download Your Health and Driving. (PDF 122KB/2 pages)

Safe Driving Tips

• Stiff joints can make turning your head to see behind you difficult. Install large side mirrors and/or a panoramic mirror on your vehicle. Turn your body to look behind you when backing or changing lanes.
• As muscles lose strength, turning the steering wheel gets harder. Don't swing wide on turns to compensate. Drive a vehicle with power steering. If you still have trouble, try using a turning knob.
• Tired muscles and sore joints can distract you. Make sure you are well-rested before driving. Stop frequently to rest on long trips.
• Give yourself time to react. Stay at least three seconds behind the car in front of you (on a highway, this is the length of about one city block or approximately 500 metres). Anticipate danger. Watch out for other drivers.