ALS and Driving

Status
Not open for further replies.

happygardener

Active member
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
91
Reason
Loved one DX
Diagnosis
08/2011
Country
CA
State
Nova scotia
City
Porters lake
Well here is my ongoing battle with my husband.He is still driving.I dont believe it is safe..What do i do without upsetting him..do i contact the dr for him to be tested?i hate to be in the position but legally i dont want him to do anything to danger himself or others.I do a strength and foot test daily...he is ok i guess but(he still goes to work daily):(
 
I know w my mom she was up for her license renewal and she would have to take a driving test so she gave up driving but she was using a walker at that time and had gotten worse at walking. Her Dr did a strength test but she wasn't ok. She knew she wasn't capable of driving anymore. You could call his Dr and see what he says. Would your hubby give up driving if he thinks he would be unable to drive?
 
no..he thinks he is fine..i would rather the dr do it than me .I dont want to be the one to do it.when he was first diagnosed he was fine but now his right side is very weak and he is still walking but its difficult..everyone has commented he should be behind the wheel..
 
You can anonymously contact the Dept of Public Saety (or equivalent) in your state and ask them to do a secret evaluation of his driving. You give the tag # and a day/time/location. If available, an officer will tail him for a short time to evaluate. That might work. I went through this with my mother, so I'm on your side. They often don't realize their condition. It may not be the routine -- it's the unexpected change in route or what the other drivers do -- reaction time.
 
When my brother started having difficulty driving, he put a foam wedge under his right leg . The fat end of the wedge would be under his knee. He also wore braces that kept his feet and lower legs stabilized.
Having the knee elevated like that allowed him to move from accelerator to brake a little more easily than having to move the whole leg. At that time, he was still able to walk with a walker.
That being said, he drove only a few weeks before he decided ( with the not-so-gentle persuasion of my sister-in-law) to stop driving. At that point, he was no longer walking comfortably either. So sad to give up the independence, but sadder still to get into a wreck and get hurt or hurt someone else. He now uses a van service to get to and from work. (Paid for due to his disability) He is declining rapidly and it is heartbreaking to watch as each of his independent activities has to end.
I respectfully disagree with Susan’s suggestion to involve the Dept. of Safety. This disease is tough enough on the dignity without going behind your husband’s back to get a secret evaluation. If you and your husband are not able to come to terms about his driving skills, I feel strongly that his doctor or an OT should be the ones to evaluate. Perhaps even on the road!
Good luck. My heart goes out to both of you.
 
Happygardner -

I am so sorry you are going through this. Driving was the biggest bone of contention between my husband and me. He lost the use of his hands and arms first, so turning the steering wheel was hard. when he finally could not shift the gears (automatic!) it was time to stop. He, however, did not admit that he was unable to drive!

Since your husband's onset is in his legs, the car can be outfitted with hand brakes and acceleration. This will keep him safe and independent much longer. It will also give you some peace!
 
I believe the OT can do an evaluation for you. I gave up driving last summer due to difficulty moving my foot from accelerator to brake. I was offered hand controls but decided against having them installed as I knew my right arm and hand were beginning to weaken already and I didn't think I would be able to use them safely for very long. Besides that I needed a W/C to get around once I got to where I was going. Now I happily chauffeured by my daughter. We're looking at PWC accessible vans now.
 
Some people are able to tell and just say that can't drive anymore. Some will fight and fight because it is the last bit of independence they feel.

Maybe, there is something that would strengthen his feeling of independence to help him out in giving up the driving...maybe not. I don't know, apparently my great grandfather kept stealing the keys to the car at age 99 to get around so you never know.

I personally, would feel really 'set up' if a cop car followed me and then took me out to do a test. It would be embarrasing and could lead to a big problem if he can't pass the normal 'drunk' test...

I would take him to PT, OT, Neuro, GP and find a way to tell them that he needs a full evaluation of his abilities. ..and with this they will check the strength with his foot and recommend whether or not he should continue driving.

Depends on your husband...and you know him best.
 
My OT went for a ride with me to see if it was safe for me to drive. Maybe you can get someone like that to ride and assess. An OT or PT would do. Better soneone else tell him if he is a danger. My driving is good according to my OT. Does he have ankle/foot orthotics?
 
I don't know if you're dealing with cognitive issues, but it sounds like you might be if he is saying he can still drive safely when it is obvious to others that he can't. His doctor can in fact report to the DMV who will require a driving test. Or you can arrange with the local police department to observe his driving. My brother, who was a police officer, was going to do this for me. As it turned out, before that happened Glen's hand lost the ability to turn the key so it was no longer an issue. I know you don't want him to feel bad or to take away his independence but his safety and that of others is on the line here.
 
Pride is an awful thing to get over, along with the fact of giving up a huge part of a persons independence to stop driving. I decided on my own to stop when I caught myself picking up my leg a little to get to the brake. How stupid was that? I realized I could not let anyone get hurt or worse because I thought I was okay to drive. So far it was one of the absolute hardest thing I had to do. I drove an aerial lift truck at work and have never had any kind of an accident. Good luck!
 
My pals finally gave it up before losing her leg movement. She did not have the power in her legs to hit the brakes fast enough. She was smart to just give it up. I know it hurt her. We still keep her license up hoping that she will use it again one day. She also would get to a destination and not be able to take the key from the ignition or turn it on when she got back in. She learned that people are nicer and willing to help whether it was to take her groceries to the car, or start it. Finally she just quit on her own for safety.
 
Last edited:
I think most cals have been where you are. I certainly was. I let my husband drive even though I was very nervous about it. when I really felt he was a danger I told him--you can not drive me or the kids anymore-- and you should not drive at all--you could kill someone and you would have to live with that. it was hard for me to say and it was hard for him to accept but he did becasue he knew i was right.

It is hard I know!
 
My husband asked me to give it up last week. I have joint pain and it's hard to turn the wheel on the Suburban. Plus I don't want to put my 12 year old in danger.
 
I don't know how it is in CA, but there is also an insurance issue at stake here. If he were to have an accident, the insurance company could come after ya'll, as he knowingly drove in his "condition." We made the mistake shortly after my husband was diagnosed, in telling our agent about husband's illness. He was perfectly capable of driving at the time, but the insurance company required either a test from the motor vehicle dept. or a letter from a doctor. The neuro at the ALS clinic would not commit so we went to his Internal Med guy and he wrote the letter stating he was fine to drive.

Towards the end, my husband had slight dementia and drove on two occasions, when he should not have, justified in his own mine that he was OK in driving. He had not driven in so long that I was caught off guard that he had found a way to turn the key in the ignition. These episodes were months apart and tragedy was avoided. I can only imagine what kind of law suit I'd be dealing with to this day, if he had not been so lucky.

happygardener, if he is not suffering from dementia, you may be able to appeal to him from the insurance aspect, anyway. I wish you luck.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top