For the past two weeks, Betty Rhodes, 85, has been without her car. It's been in the repair shop and she has no spare "wheels."
"It's been terrible without a car," Rhodes said. "It's not easy, especially walking on these hot days."
Rhodes is among about 1.5 million Ohio residents age 65 and older. That's 13.3 percent of the total population, as compared to 12.4 percent of the U.S. population.
While many of these citizens are still driving, as birthdays come and go, some have made the decision to give up their keys and licenses.
When the time comes, a large number of older adults make the decision themselves to quit driving.
It saves family or friends from approaching the sensitive and sometimes, upsetting topic.
About eight years ago Karen Eddy's mother, Doris Rinard, of Marietta, put away her car keys and never looked back.
"My mother has always been a very independent person, but she developed a degenerative retinal problem (macular degeneration) and she just didn't feel secure driving anymore," Eddy said.
Today her mother, 85, is helped with transportation by her family and friends.
"She did this all on her own," Eddy said. "I think she just lost her confidence."
Experts say that a decrease in confidence is the number one warning sign regarding declining driving abilities.
For others, the decision may not be voluntary.
"Age is not always a determinant," said Sgt. Len Ritchey with the Marietta Police Department. "I have seen people 80 years old who are every bit as sharp as a 30-year-old, and 50-year-olds who are confused and shouldn't be still driving."
For older drivers, the rate of fatalities increases slightly after age 65 and significantly after age 75. In fact, drivers in their late 50s and early 60s are the safest drivers on the road, according to a 2004 study by AAA. But the study also found that drivers older than 85 were nearly four times as likely to die in a crash as middle-aged drivers.
On Monday afternoon, a local citizen phoned Marietta police to report that an elderly driver was driving left of center and erratically across the Washington Street Bridge. An officer was dispatched and he followed the car several blocks, finally pulling the driver over along Fourth Street. After speaking with the driver and observing no traffic violations, the officer let the individual go with no citation.
Officers must have probable cause to stop a driver, according to Ritchey. While a report like Monday's can suffice, the major reason for such a stop is because of an accident, usually minor.
"Families ask us all the time to talk to the older family member about giving up driving. We can't do that," Ritchey said. "What we suggest is that if you begin to notice decreased driving skills or specific problems, talk to the person."
Since 2002, Jerry Geisler of Marietta has taught a refresher driving course for seniors at the O'Neill Center and Marietta Memorial Hospital. The course is written and sponsored by the AARP.
"There is no set age to take away somebody's car keys," Geisler said. "People who want to take away keys - that's drama."
Geisler said the first step is to talk with an older loved one about driving. In the class, he hands out a safe driving book, "We Need to Talk: Family Conversations with Older Drivers," produced by The Hartford insurance group.
"What others need to do is allow the older driver to make the decision," he said.
Those who take Geisler's course often increase their confidence behind the wheel and learn about today's challenges on the road.
"I have so many people tell me that they learned about things they had forgotten about," he said.
Two Geisler courses, one at the O'Neill Senior Center and the other at Marietta Memorial Hospital, are coming up in October and November. The cost is $10 for the eight-hour course.
Beyond a vision screening, no re-examination is required to renew a driver's license, regardless of the driver's age. An older driver who has an accident or has been stopped by officers for a violation can be referred to court, where police can request he or she be re-tested.
When the individual is ordered by the court to be re-tested, 95 percent don't pass, Ritchey said.
Left turns are the most dangerous situations for an older driver, Geisler said. There are likely more crashes while turning left, when drivers must make quick judgments about whether or stop or go, he said.
"As people get older, they lose depth perception. They may think they have a clear path to turn, but they may not," he said.
Rhodes has never had an accident and is looking forward to getting behind the wheel again.
Active at the O'Neill Senior Center, she has walked back and forth four times in recent weeks from her condominium home near Ohio Street to the 300 block of Fourth Street and the center.
Being without a car has caused her to begin thinking about what it might be like to give up driving all together. It isn't a pleasant thought, she said.
"I know people who have given up their car," Rhodes said. "I don't want to ever lose the ability to drive or freedom of my car, but also, I don't want to ever be a hazard to anyone else," Rhodes said.
In the meantime, Rhodes has been walking or catching a ride here and there with her daughter, Nancy Matheny. Family and friends are the best alternative to driving for older adults, but there may be conflicting feelings of burdening or inconveniencing others.
Although she hasn't minded occasional trips lately, Matheny said she can imagine that there could be issues arise for a family if driving Mom or Dad was an every day occurrence.
"Working it into your own schedule might be an issue," she said.
Now she enjoys checking in with her mother to see if she needs to go to the store or even just wants to ride along. This "taste" of being without a car is teaching both lessons.
"Now Mom thinks that walking has been a plus for her," Matheny said. "She's noticed an improvement in her stamina the more she walks, and she isn't spending money on gasoline."
