Almost nobody wakes up one morning unable to drive. It happens slowly, and the person doing the driving is usually the last to notice.

That is not a criticism. Driving is so well practised that most of it runs automatically, and the brain is good at smoothing over small gaps. Which is exactly why a checklist is useful. What follows is what we actually see, drawn from assessments I've completed across the Gold Coast.

Use it for yourself, or for someone you are worried about. It is not a test and it does not diagnose anything. It is a way of turning a vague feeling into something you can act on.

Signs from behind the wheel

The car has new marks on it and you cannot fully account for them. Kerbed wheels, scrapes on the garage frame, a scuff on the bumper. One is nothing, but a pattern is worth noticing.

Other drivers are beeping at you more than they used to. Beeping is annoying, but it is also feedback. If it has gone up and the traffic has not significantly changed, something has.

Gaps in traffic feel harder to judge. Pulling out of a side street onto the Gold Coast Highway, or merging onto the M1, has started to feel like a bigger decision than it used to.

You are drifting in your lane, or getting close to the line. Often noticed by a passenger before the driver.

Roundabouts have become stressful. The Gold Coast is full of them, and they demand fast decisions about several things at once. They are frequently the first thing to feel difficult.

You have had a near miss you cannot fully explain. Not a near miss where someone else did something stupid. One where afterwards you were not quite sure how it happened.

Signs from around the driving

You have started avoiding things. Night driving first, usually. Then rain, then the motorway, then unfamiliar suburbs, then peak hour. Avoidance is a sensible adaptation, and it is also information. Ask yourself how much of your old driving you have quietly given up.

Someone has offered to drive, more than once. Family members often try this before they try a conversation.

You have got lost somewhere familiar. Not a wrong turn. A moment of genuinely not knowing where you were on a route you have driven for years.

Passengers have gone quiet, or become jumpy. Bracing on the dash, sharp intakes of breath, a spouse who has stopped coming along. People rarely say it directly.

You are more irritable in the car than you used to be. Frustration behind the wheel often means the task is taking more effort than it used to.

A doctor or health professional has raised it. If someone clinical has mentioned your driving, that is usually not a passing comment.

What does not necessarily mean anything

A few things worry people more than they should.

Age by itself. Plenty of people drive safely into their late eighties. Age is a reason to be checked regularly, not a reason to stop. In Queensland, being 75 or over means holding a current medical certificate, which is covered in driving over 75 in Queensland.

A diagnosis by itself. A diagnosis of dementia, Parkinson's, epilepsy or MS does not automatically end driving. What matters is how you are driving now.

One bad drive. Everyone has an off day. Look for a pattern over months rather than a single event.

Needing glasses. Extremely common and easily managed. Get your eyes tested.

Two questions that cut through it

If the list feels overwhelming, these two are the ones we would actually ask.

Would you be comfortable with your grandchild in the back seat, on a route you do not know, at dusk, in the rain? Most people know the answer immediately.

How much of your old driving have you quietly stopped doing? If the honest answer is "quite a lot", then something has already changed. You have adapted well, which is genuinely a good sign, but it is worth knowing what you are adapting to.

What to do next

If you have ticked a few things. Start with your GP. They can check the obvious contributors, which are often more fixable than people expect: eyesight, medication side effects, hearing, blood pressure, pain, sleep. A surprising number of driving problems may actually be a medication problem.

If your GP is unsure. That is what an occupational therapy driving assessment is for. It takes about three hours, half at home and half on the road in your own area with a specialist driving instructor. It looks at how you actually drive, not at your diagnosis. What to expect on the day walks through it.

If it is a family member and they will not hear it. That is a common and difficult situation, and there is a longer piece on it in worried about a parent's driving on the Gold Coast and, where a diagnosis is involved, dementia diagnosis and driving in Queensland.

The thing most people get wrong

People wait too long, because they think an assessment means losing their licence.

It often does not. A significant number of assessments end with the person continuing to drive, sometimes with a condition attached that costs them almost nothing in practice, such as driving in daylight or within a defined local area. Some end with a few lessons rather than a licence decision. Others turn up something fixable.

Waiting has the opposite effect. The longer you leave it, the more likely the decision gets made by a crash, a police report or a doctor, rather than by you. Coming in early is what gives you options.

Frequently asked questions

My husband says his driving is fine. How do I know?

Sit in the passenger seat on a route he does not drive often, at a time of day he tends to avoid, and pay attention rather than talking. Most families learn what they need to know in twenty minutes.

Will one bad result take my licence?

An assessment is not just a pass or fail. The outcomes range from no change, through licence conditions, through recommended lessons, to a recommendation to stop. What happens if you fail an OT driving assessment sets them out.

What if the problem is my medication?

Then that is worth knowing, and it is often adjustable. Raise it with your GP or pharmacist before anything else.

How long does it take to get an appointment?

We are a mobile service and come to you across the Gold Coast and surrounds. Get in touch and we will tell you current availability.

Ready to book an OT driving assessment on the Gold Coast? Steer Driving is a mobile assessment service covering the Gold Coast and surrounding areas. Whether you already have a referral or you're just getting started, get in touch and we'll guide you through the next steps.

This article was written by Elise, an AHPRA-registered Occupational Therapist and driver assessor. Elise is the founder of Steer Driving, a mobile OT driving assessment practice.