Costa del Sol expat Steve asks: When is it time to give up driving?

For many people, passing their driving test represents freedom, independence and the start of a new chapter. For long-time Costa del Sol expat Steve Marshall, it certainly did.“I was thinking over my morning cup of tea, how often do I use my car each week?” Steve says.

Looking back, he remembers exactly how important getting behind the wheel felt.“When I passed my driving test (second time I admit) it felt as if I’d been awarded a badge of honour. I was a driver! I was independent and I loved it.”Years later, however, Steve admits his attitude towards older motorists has changed considerably.“I looked at ‘older’ drivers and wondered in despair how they could still be on the road – such was the intolerance of youth,” he recalls. “With the years has come a little bit more wisdom.”

Age is not the only question

Steve believes there is no simple age at which someone should automatically stop driving. “Age alone should not be the only consideration,” he says. Instead, he believes older motorists need to take an honest look at several factors that can affect their ability behind the wheel.“Your sight, reactions, ability to park, medication, reduced mobility and general tiredness are all things that need your honest attention if you are to truly be a safe and considerate driver,” Steve explains. That honest assessment can be difficult, particularly when driving has been part of someone’s independence for decades. Steve also believes motorists should consider whether keeping a car still makes financial sense.

Is your car still worth the cost?

Insurance, tax, servicing and other running costs can add up quickly, particularly for someone living on a pension. “How often do you use your car and does the aforementioned cost warrant that drain on your pension?” Steve asks. His own experience provides a good example.

“My own car insurance was more than 300 euros for the year,” he says. Steve uses his car less than he once did, but there is an important reason he has not given it up.“With no bus route to fall back on it’s a lifeline,” he explains.

Do you still need such a big car?

Steve also questions whether older motorists sometimes continue driving vehicles that are larger than they actually need. “I have a ‘mature’ estate vehicle that never lets me down – but really a smaller vehicle would do the job just as well,” he admits. “In the past I needed a larger vehicle but that requirement no longer exists.”

He has noticed other older drivers continuing to use large, comfortable cars and believes this can sometimes create a misleading sense of security. “I see ‘older’ drivers in big, very comfortable cars that in truth cocoon them from the realities of the road,” he says. “That false sense of well being and security is a recipe for disaster.”

Giving up the car does not mean giving up

For Steve, perhaps the most important point is that deciding to stop driving should not be seen as surrendering independence. “If you feel the time is right to relinquish your car don’t think of it as giving up your independence because it isn’t,” he says. “There is a time in life for everything and alternatives are often just around the corner.”

For anyone facing that difficult decision, Steve’s message is ultimately a positive one.

“Whatever you decide, live your best life,” he says, “even if it no longer includes your ‘trusty metal friend’.”