YouTube music feature now available in Waymo robotaxis
More features will soon be available in Waymo vehicles, including listening to your YouTube music account while riding, by simply connecting your YouTube and Waymo accounts.
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- Adults will typically outlive their ability to drive safely by seven to 10 years.
- Florida allows anonymous reports of drivers with deteriorating skills to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
- The fatal crash rate for drivers 70 and older is higher than for most other age groups.
- Some Florida counties are expanding transportation options, and robotaxis are expected to launch in Miami.
The Palm Beach Post has a healthcare series called Aging in the Golden Years focused on navigating the financial and physical challenges to emerge as more people reach advanced age and, along with their children, confront a reality for which they will need help preparing. We want to hear what questions you have as you and your loved ones enter new territory. Email Post reporter Anne Geggis your questions at [email protected].
Here’s a milestone moment I’d bet you would rather not reach: The person who handed you the car keys for the first time may also be the person you now have to convince to hand them over for good.
Many of us are moving closer to having that conversation with an older parent or loved one. The average adult will outlive their ability to drive by seven to 10 years, according to research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. It presents a particular problem in a state like Florida, which has one of the highest percentages of seniors and some of the most car-dependent communities.
Legend has it that my grandfather was convinced to give up driving only after someone spotted his olive-green Dodge Dart Swinger heading the wrong way on a ramp onto Interstate 95 just outside Boston. That person ran to the nearest payphone (before cellphones) to inform my father.
Later, a vision of twisted tons of metal and broken glass flashed before my eyes last month when another family member got behind the wheel of a hybrid and expressed uncertainty about how to start the car.
Despite that, any suggestion that person give up driving has so far been met with abject, if not dramatic, resistance: “What do you want me to do? Lie down and die?”
Danger ahead, or just paranoia?
Statistics show meeting one’s death on the road becomes a greater possibility with age, however. The average fatal crash rate per mile traveled is higher for drivers 70 and older than for all age groups except drivers 16 to 19, according to 2023 research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The good news is transportation options for those setting aside the car keys are increasing.
Some regions in Florida, like Lee County, are increasing rideshare-style options at public transportation prices for anyone who wants to get places without either a bus schedule or bearing down on an accelerator.
Palm Beach County has door-to-door rides for those with disabilities and people older than 60 years, but the $3.50-per-trip service (going up to $4 for some riders in 2026) requires an application, and, once eligibility is determined, booking the ride a day ahead.
It may come as a great relief to many adult children that robotaxis are coming this way — driverless Waymo service is slated to appear in Miami in 2026 and Tesla has announced the Magic City is among those chosen for launching its robotaxis.
Still, prying the keys from an elder’s hands feels a lot like taking their right to self-determination away. I’m not a perfect driver — could I be overreacting to an error because of a loved one’s age?
Putting on the brakes
Florida is among the states with something of a slow-motion emergency brake to stop drivers with medical conditions that have compromised driving skills. The public is allowed under Florida law to anonymously report those drivers with deteriorating skills who won’t be convinced.
There’s a form for reporting the driver, asking for full name, date of birth, address and full description of the disability. Conditions that can be noted include vision deficits, sleep disorder, seizure, dementia and memory issues.
To get to the form, go to the main page of the department, flhsmv.gov, and hover over “resources” and navigate to “forms” on the drop-down menu. On that page, click on the line, marked “72190: Report a driver whose ability is questionable.”
Once the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles gets the report, officials there decide whether to initiate a review of the driver. In 2024, the department received 3,198 reports, according to a department spokesperson.
“If questionable, an investigation is performed to assure the validity of the complaint,” said the spokesperson, Madison Kessler. “If a review is necessary, the driver is notified in writing that they are under medical review, and they are required to provide medical information from their physician within 45 days.”
That report goes to the department’s Medical Advisory Board for review and recommendation, Kessler said. The driver may be required to take a test or submit a follow-up medical report to stay licensed to operate.
“If the driver has a medical condition that affects their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle and their records indicate they pose a risk to public safety, their driving privilege will be denied.”
State law requires the department to decide whether to suspend or dismiss the referral within 90 days of receiving the driver’s medical report. In 2024, the department suspended 942 drivers.
Bring on the chauffeur robots!
The Palm Beach Post series, Aging in the Golden Years, focuses on navigating the financial and physical challenges that arise as more people reach advanced age. Thanks to our partner and fiscal sponsor, Journalism Funding Partners, verified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, tax ID #84-2968843, you can invest in the future of this reporting on the healthcare issues that matter most to Floridians. Make your tax-deductible donation today and support local journalism that serves the Palm Beach community.
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Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected].Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
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