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Michel has not been driving for some time, but driving was a problem
during the last years before he became incapacitated.  Reading the list
has made me aware that some people look at their parkinson symptoms and
try to figure out the best way to manage them, while others refuse to
admit they exist.  Michel is in the latter category.  I'm wondering if
this denial extents more to driving than to other questions, since not
driving means losing independence.

Michel had various problems driving, some serious and others not.  The
first one I noticed was variations in speed, which I think were due to
movements of his foot on the accelerator, movements of which he was not
aware.  This was uncomfortable for passengers, but not really dangerous.
A much more dangerous development, noted by others on the list, was his
tendency to swerve from side to side and not remain in a lane.  Once this
got so bad I asked him to stop and let me drive.  Usually frequent
reminders got him to get back in line, but he resented the reminders.  I
sensed what others have reported, a sort of unawareness of what was going
on around him, not seeing the big picture.  Again, he did not recognize
these problems, and assured me that he knew full well when he was able to
drive and would not drive if he was not able.  We did not have confidence
in his judgment.  (We being me and our children.)

I don't know if we handled this very well.  Every time we (mainly me:
the children pushed me to get him to stop driving) addressed the issue,
he resisted.  So we worked hard at getting to the car first.  This worked
fine.  Michel would drive occasionally, on well-known routes near home,
or on highways on long trips, not in unknown urban areas.  When we rented
cars on vacations I managed to "forget" to have his name added to mine as
a driver.  Since he was not working, and since I work five minutes from
home, I was able to take him anywhere he wanted to go.  After about a
year during which he did not drive at all I said I though he should not
drive again.  He was not happy but did not protest.  Some months later,
when one of our daughters needed to get a car, he suggested that we give
her our second car, which I saw as acceptance of his situation.

It's certainly not an easy question.

Teresa Marcy