Almost half of adults concerned about an older relative’s driving have
not talked to their older relative about their concerns, according to a
new survey from The
Hartford. In addition, 40 percent of adults with concerns have not
observed their older relative’s driving by being a passenger in their
car.
“It’s important for families to have thoughtful conversations with their
loved ones about driving,” said Jodi Olshevski, executive director of The
Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence. “Getting into the
passenger seat to get a bird’s eye view of the older driver can help
worried families find out if their concerns are valid. Once families
have the facts, they will be in a better position to help.”
Common reasons cited by the 14 percent of adults (18+) with concerns
about an older relative’s driving are:
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Medical or health issues (47 percent);
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Family member/friend mentioned it (25 percent);
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Driving incident or accident (25 percent); and
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Older driver expressed concern over driving tasks (20 percent).
Family Relationships and Aging Drivers
While older drivers prefer to hear from relatives about their driving
ability, some family members may disagree on whether there is cause for
concern. The study found:
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52 percent say all siblings/other family members agree on whether
there is cause for concern;
-
23 percent say they do not agree with siblings/other family members on
whether there is cause for concern;
-
20 percent say they have not discussed their concerns with another
sibling/family member; and
-
5 percent say they have no other sibling/family member involved.
In addition to disagreement on whether there is cause for concern, there
may also be differing opinions on how to approach the driver. Among
adults with siblings/family members that all agree that there is cause
for concern, 33 percent do not agree on how to approach the relative.
Having the Talk
Transitioning from driver to passenger can be deeply emotional, which
may cause families to hesitate to have the conversation. However, the
study revealed that 44 percent of concerned adults say the conversation
went better than they expected.
The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence has developed
resources, such as a list of warning
signs for family members to use in the car, conversation starters,
worksheets and other tips to help families address the topic and foster
meaningful family conversations.
Survey Methodology
The Hartford’s 2014 Family Conversations with Older Drivers Survey was
fielded online by TNS from Oct. 16, 2014 to Nov. 2, 2014 and was
completed by 4,884 adults 18+ and representative of the U.S. household
population.
About The Hartford
With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is a
leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual
funds. The company is widely recognized for its service excellence,
sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the
company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.
Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheHartford.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford.
About The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence
The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence creates innovative
business solutions for the mature market. Staffed by gerontologists, the
center is uniquely positioned to apply knowledge of aging to develop
one-of-a-kind products and services for The Hartford's customers, and
specialized training for The Hartford's employees. The center conducts
original research in partnership with academic institutions and produces
public education programs on safety, mobility and independence. The
Hartford has had this in-house expertise since 1984, guiding The
Hartford to unparalleled success in understanding and serving the mature
market.
HIG-N
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1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ
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Copyright Business Wire 2014