Here is a number that stopped me cold. In a major study of older drivers, 82.7 percent said they had never talked to anyone about driving safety. Not a spouse, not a grown child, not a doctor, not a friend. And yet, as the same research shows, plenty of those drivers are quietly changing how and when they get behind the wheel.

The findings come from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in a summary of its LongROAD project published in October 2025. The researchers followed 2,990 drivers aged 65 to 79, with assessments running from 2015 through 2022. It is one of the longer looks at how real people adjust their driving as the years go by.

Smart Drivers Adapt Quietly

If you picture older drivers as stubborn folks who never change a thing, the data tells a gentler story. About 24.8 percent of the drivers reduced their driving for some reason. And the situations they most commonly steered clear of will sound familiar to anyone who has ever white-knuckled a commute.

The most commonly avoided situation was rush hour, at 55.9 percent. Next came driving at night, at 35.7 percent. That makes plenty of sense. Rush hour means stop-and-go traffic, tailgaters and people in a hurry. Night driving means glare, shadows and tired eyes. Cutting back on those is not giving up. It is a sensible way to keep driving longer and more comfortably.

The study also found that 89.3 percent of the drivers used at least one alternative way to get around. That could mean a ride from a friend or relative, public transportation, walking, or another option. In other words, most of these drivers have already built a backup plan, even while they keep their keys in their pocket.

There was good news on the technology front too. The share of drivers with advanced in-vehicle technology rose from 57.2 percent to 72.0 percent by the third year of the study. More and more of these drivers had that kind of built-in help in their vehicles.

The Conversation Nobody Is Having

Which brings us back to that 82.7 percent. According to the AAA Foundation summary, that share of drivers had not discussed driving safety with anyone.

It is easy to see why. Driving is tied up with independence. For many people it means getting to the grocery store, the church parking lot, the grandkids’ ball games and the doctor’s office without asking anybody for anything. Bring it up, and it can feel like someone is hinting that you are on the way out. Family members worry about hurting feelings. Drivers worry about losing freedom. So everyone stays quiet, and a topic that could be handled calmly gets pushed off until a scare forces it.

That silence is the gap. Many drivers are already making careful choices on their own, and talking about it openly could help them make even better ones with support from the people who care about them.

How To Start The Talk

Whether you are the driver or the one who is worried, a few simple ideas can take the sting out of the subject.

• Start with what is going well. If a parent or friend already skips rush hour or avoids driving after dark, say that is smart, and mean it.
• Talk early, not in a crisis. A relaxed chat over coffee beats an emotional argument after a close call.
• Ask questions instead of giving orders. “How do you feel about driving at night these days?” opens a door. “You should not be driving” slams it.
• Make a backup plan together. Since most drivers in the study already used some alternative way to get around, work out who can give a ride and what other options exist near home.
• Look at the car. Newer vehicle features can make driving easier, so ask whether the car you have is the best fit.
• Talk to your doctor. If you have any concern about how you are doing behind the wheel, a regular checkup is a fine place to bring it up.

Keeping The Keys, Safely

If you are in this age group yourself, take the study as a reminder that adjusting is normal and smart. Planning your errands for mid-morning, taking the lit and familiar route home, and letting a friend drive on a rainy night are habits plenty of careful drivers have adopted.

And if you are the adult child, the neighbor or the old friend who has been quietly worrying, remember that the numbers suggest most people are already thinking about this on their own. They are just waiting for someone to bring it up kindly.

The LongROAD project followed 2,990 drivers aged 65 to 79 from 2015 through 2022. Over that span, 24.8 percent reduced their driving, 89.3 percent used at least one alternative way to get around, and the share with advanced in-vehicle technology climbed from 57.2 percent to 72.0 percent. Together, those figures describe drivers who are planning ahead rather than waiting for a crisis.

The bottom line is simple. Most older drivers are doing the thoughtful things, from dodging rush hour to lining up other ways to travel. The one thing missing for most of them is a conversation. It costs nothing, it can keep a loved one on the road safely for longer, and it is one that is a whole lot easier to have today than after a scare.

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