Start with how your parent will keep getting around, not with taking the car away. Share what you have noticed, ask what worries them, and bring a ride plan for the trips they care about most. Keep it short, stay calm, and expect more than one talk. If there is an immediate safety concern, involve their doctor sooner.
Few talks feel harder than this one. To your parent, the car may mean freedom, routine, and a life they still run themselves. If the first thing they hear is “you should stop driving,” the conversation may end right there. It usually goes better when you start with the question underneath it: how will you keep doing what you love?
Planning ahead for a parent? Tell us about the trips they make, and we will walk you through how a ride would work, with a clear price before anything is booked.
Giving up driving is a big change, and it can last for years. A 2002 study in the American Journal of Public Health estimated that drivers in their early 70s would go on to depend on other transportation for about 7 years for men, and about 10 years for women.
That is a long stretch to figure out one trip at a time. A parent who can already picture how they would get to church, the pharmacy, and lunch with a friend has less to lose by talking about it. You also get to have this talk on a calm day, not in the middle of a crisis after a fender bender.
Your parent may hear a general worry as a judgment about their age. Specific things you have seen are harder to wave away, and they keep the talk on safety.
The National Institute on Aging says there is no one recommended age to quit driving. Its checklist for older drivers includes questions like these:
Ride along a few times, and write down what you see with the date. One rough trip may not mean much. A pattern is worth talking about.
Pick a quiet time at home, not the moment after a scare, and not in front of the whole family. Then keep the first talk small. You are opening a door, not asking for an answer today.
These openers can help:
Try to stay away from lines like “you’re too old to drive” or “we’ve all decided.” Those can turn a talk into a standoff. Stick to “I” statements and what you saw, then listen. Your parent may be more worried about being a burden than about the car.
If they say no, try not to push for a win. Thank them for talking, and come back to it later. This may take several conversations.
The plan is what makes the talk feel like more than bad news. Ask your parent to list where they go in a normal week, and start with the trips they would hate to give up.
Medical visits get most of the attention, but everyday trips often matter more to how a parent feels. Our senior and everyday rides in Baton Rouge cover errands, the pharmacy, the grocery store and visits with family, with no medical reason required. If the pharmacy run is the first trip to slip, read our guide to keeping a parent’s prescriptions coming without the car. For medical trips, our caregiver’s guide to medical rides goes deeper on choosing and booking.
To find other options near your parent, the National Institute on Aging points families to the Eldercare Locator, which connects people to local aging services. You can reach it at 800-677-1116.
Your parent does not have to quit in order to try a ride. A few low-stakes trips can make the change feel less sudden, and they give your parent a say in what works.
Start with something easy, like a night out or a trip they already dislike driving. If night driving or busy roads already bother your parent, a ride can fill that gap first. Let your parent make the booking call if they want to, and ride along the first time if it helps.
Want to try one ride first? There is no need to wait until your parent stops driving. Call us about a single trip, and we will explain how it works.
Sometimes the signs are serious, and the talks are going nowhere. You still have options, and they do not all have to come from you.
Ask their doctor to weigh in. Some parents take this better from a doctor than from a son or daughter. Tell the office what you have seen before the visit, and ask if your parent’s vision, medications, or health could be affecting their driving. If you are not sure how to raise it, the doctor may be able to suggest next steps, including a driving assessment.
Know the Louisiana process. WAFB reported in 2025 that Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles has a Medical/Behavior Report form that anyone can fill out, including family members and doctors. Reports stay confidential. OMV staff review the form and notify the driver by mail, and the driver has 30 days to get a medical evaluation. If that is not done in time, the license can be suspended. Check the current form and steps with the OMV before you file.
If your parent is ever in danger on the road right now, such as driving while confused or lost, treat it as an emergency and call 911.
These come up often when families first start this conversation.
There is no set age. The National Institute on Aging says people age differently, so there is no one recommended age to quit driving. Look at how your parent drives now, including close calls, getting lost, and trouble seeing signs or checking blind spots.
Start with what you have seen and why you care, then ask how they feel about it. Bring a plan for how they will get to the places that matter to them. Expect more than one conversation, and ask their doctor for help if you are getting nowhere.
Stay calm and come back to it later with specific examples. Ask their doctor to raise it, or suggest a driving assessment. If there is a serious safety risk, Louisiana’s OMV has a report form that family members can file, and WAFB reported in 2025 that those reports stay confidential.
Start by listing their regular trips. Family, friends, church or civic volunteers, rideshare and door-to-door ride services can each cover part of the list. A door-to-door service fits when your parent needs a steady hand, help with bags or a walker, or a patient driver.
Yes. Our rides are not only for appointments. We also take riders to the grocery store, the pharmacy, and visits with family and friends. Call us about the trips your parent has in mind.
Yes. You can set up a ride for someone else. Share your parent’s pickup address, where they are going, any mobility needs and the best number to reach them. We call to confirm the details and a clear price before anything is booked.
Ready to start the ride plan? Call us about the trips your parent makes each week, and we will help you see which ones we can take off your plate.
