Should I still drive a car? This is a question most people have to ask themselves as they get older. Often they don’t notice it themselves, but their relatives do. You see how grandma becomes more insecure and how grandpa can no longer find his way home. How the mother sees worse or the father hears worse. A look at the numbers also shows that this can pose a danger: According to the Federal Statistical Office, people over 65 were the main culprits in accidents with injuries in almost 70 percent of cases.
So when is the moment when someone should stop driving? And who decides that? We spoke to four people about how they deal with it. They talk about small sheet metal damage, growing insecurity and heated discussions at the kitchen table. They are stories about responsibility, about fear and about the loss of independence. For many older people, the car is more than just a means of transport: it stands for freedom, participation and dignity.