FOX 5 Special: Too Old to Drive?

ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - When many people hear that an 80-year-old driver has been involved in a car accident, they often assume the older driver is at fault. Surprisingly, statistics show that in crashes involving one younger driver and one elderly driver, the younger driver is twice as likely to have caused the accident.

How old is too old to drive? It’s a difficult question that most people will have to ask themselves one day, but it also may expose some misconceptions about the relevance of chronological age.

Larry Cross is 67-years-old and still lives near the Buford farm where he grew up.

Cross recently retired after 30 plus years at the Ford plant in Hapeville, and just got some disturbing news from his doctor.

"The test came back, my brain was shrinking. Then they found it was a form of dementia that was causing it," Cross said.

On top of that, because of complications from shoulder surgery, Cross said he can't use his left arm. So he takes it slow when he drives.

"I've just learned to respect things a lot more than I used to. I guess that goes with age," said Cross.

One of those things Cross has learned to respect is his limitations. Like more than two-thirds of elderly drivers, Cross regulates his own driving. In his case, Cross stays off the roads at night and in bad weather, and stays within 25 miles of home.

When his doctor suggested he be tested at Atlanta's Shepherd Center, Cross said he didn't hesitate.

"This man had figured out how to compensate better than I could have taught him. He did fantastic steering with the one arm," said Occupational therapist Michelle Luther-Krug.

Luther-Krug took Cross on the road for an hour, and demonstrated with a colleague the computer tests she used to gauge his physical and mental fitness.

Lack of sensation can make it harder for some older drivers to distinguish the accelerator from the brake. The tests also measure visual memory, depth perception, and attentiveness, which is crucial in traffic.

"Doctors refer people to us because they don't want to limit that person's driving. They want to see if there's anything we can do to help them," said Luther-Krug.

"If you notice someone in your family is lost or traveling too fast or too slow for condition or if they're having accidents. Those are very important signs to not ignore," said Dr. Ted Johnson.

Dr. Johnson is the chief of Geriatrics at Emory University School of Medicine.

"If we get this wrong, we're going to limit the driving ability of someone. In the city of Atlanta that's a big deal," Dr. Johnson said. "On the other hand, if we fail to recognize a poor driver whose aging and doesn't have that insight into their limitations, that's a danger to everyone else on the road."

As the baby boom generation ages, there will be more and more older drivers every day. The number of drivers in their 80's will jump from nine million to 20 million in the next 20 years.

"When I come out into the street, the sun blinded me for a minute and I didn't see the car," said Dorothy King.

King, who had eye surgery after a stroke, is 78-years-old and that car she hit was a police cruiser. King is now taking an AARP driving class.

"I have taken the class before, but this time I had an accident with the police," said King.

King still has her license and, like many seniors, including fellow classmate Ruby Artis, she plans to keep it.

"As long as I live, and I hope that's in the 90's," said Artis.

Cross said he will see his doctor every three months, and he has asked his wife and three kids to tell him if they see changes in his driving.

As any family that has confronted the issue knows, the stakes are high.

Dr. Johnson said that taking the keys away can impact an older person's health, by potentially limiting their social interactions or even visits to the doctor.

The discussion over when it may time to hand over the keys doesn't have to be an all or nothing discussion.