Former Ohio state trooper Matt Gurwell talks about his organization Keeping Us Safe and the Beyond Driving With Dignity self-assessment program he created as a proactive measure, after spending years as a trooper delivering bad news to family members about accidents involving older drivers. He tells us how sibling relationships are torn apart over a parent’s driving in later years, why some older drivers are better than others and why having the older driver make the decision about when to give up the car keys is a big part of how his team convinces the driver to do so. Matt also talks about the connection between exercise and safe driving, he explains how handicap parking spots actually increase accidents and he offers tips on how to evaluate and implement a program to keep your family safe. He tells us why he dreads having the conversation with his own father about giving up the car keys, and he ponders how it will work for him when he has to give up driving after spending so much time on the road as a trooper.
UPDATE: In April 2021, Matt became a Consultant to Senior Care Authority® for the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program he created.
For a transcript of this episode click here: Transcript
Learn more : Keeping Us Safe
Music: “Growing Silence” by Ketsa | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive
