Question:
When my husband retires next year, we’ll be moving. There are eight different states under consideration (mostly because of climate and dear friends or relatives in each). I know this will sound peculiar, but because of something traumatic in his background, my husband requires absolute freedom of movement more than most men do, which I respect. One of his requisites is that we move to a state that has less Draconian laws regarding licensing senior drivers, because one of his greatest fears is having his driving right snatched away in five or 10 years. I’ve tried making contact with the states to figure out what their renewal laws are, but you know how that goes: you call the number, get bounced around from person to person, no one has any information and they get frustrated because they apparently have much more important things to do. So my question is can you locate any way for us to more efficiently figure out what the various laws are?
Answer:
Yes! It’s actually quite simple these days (though not instantly easy to find).
Go to seniordrivers.org. This AAA site maintains a state-by-state list of driver licensing policies and practices that affect older (and also medically-at-risk) drivers. Look under the heading “Other Useful Resources” and click on “License Policies and Practices.” Use the database to see how each state addresses the topic of interest to you. Among info you can access is each state’s license renewal requirements, renewal cycles, and in-person testing requirements (which may include visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and medical conditions).
Remember this, however: states regularly alter laws. And the ones relating to seniors are thought by many experts to be increasingly ripe for scrutiny, since the sheer number of seniors on the roads will continue to escalate to unprecedented numbers. So it’s possible that a state that currently has regulations that you find acceptable may modify them.
One approach you might consider is to engage in one of the many senior-driving seminars that are now being offered. Participation will help you identify any weak spots in your capabilities and develop strategies to work through them. It could, at a minimum, keep you safer. In a best case, it could help you meet any requirements a particular state sets.
