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Professional Assessment
Because you want to be a safe driver as long as possible, consider getting a professional driving assessment. Your driving performance should be assessed regularly. Not only can this help you recognize and correct possible shortcomings, it also can result in a specialized drivers’ training plan to help you continue driving safely. Think about getting a professional driving assessment the same way you look at visiting your doctor for annual wellness checkups – as a smart way to identify and manage any physical or mental changes.
Professional driving assessments generally fall into two categories: driving skills evaluations and clinical driving assessments. A driving skill evaluation includes an in-car evaluation of your driving abilities and a recommendation regarding any further specialized drivers’ training. Clinical driving assessments are used to identify underlying medical causes of any driving performance deficits and offer ways to address them, so driving remains a safe option.
Consider getting a comprehensive driving skills evaluation or clinical driving assessment if:
- You are concerned that your driving skills may have diminished over time.
- You have concerns regarding results of informal self-assessments, such as Drivers 65 Plus.
- You have been diagnosed with a medical condition known to impact driving ability (e.g., impaired vision, dementia, diabetes, seizures, sleep disorders, stroke).
- You have experienced a recent increase in near misses or minor crashes (fender benders).
- Friends and/or family have suggested that you may not be fit to drive.
Conducted by state-licensed and trained driving instructors, in-car driving skills evaluations can provide a relatively quick and inexpensive checkup. Results may:
- Show that your driving skills are adequate and current, with no need for specialized drivers’ training.
- Reveal deficits that could be addressed with specialized drivers’ training.
- Lead to a recommendation for a clinical driving assessment by an occupational therapist driving rehabilitation specialist (OT-DRS).
Clinical assessments by trained specialists are the best way to learn the true level and cause of a decline in driving health. In some cases, getting a clinical driving assessment can help you to decide if you should continue to drive and if so, under which conditions. Results may:
- Show you are perfectly fit to drive without restrictions.
- Indicate you would benefit from extra training or need special adaptive vehicle equipment.
- Reveal that you are no longer safe to operate a motor vehicle.
If you are interested in getting a professional driving assessment, it’s important to understand the options. Two major types of trained professionals can provide skills evaluations or clinical driving assessments:
driving skills evaluators and
occupational therapist driving rehabilitation specialists. The services provided by each may seem very similar, but they are distinctly different.