Experts at AARP stress that every family is different, but it often helps to enlist the entire family to have the talk. According to a survey by the Hartford Financial Services Group and the MIT AgeLab, 50% of married drivers over the age of 50 prefer to hear about driving concerns from (1) their spouses, (2) their doctors, and (3) their adult children.

Safety First
As for the conversation itself, experts say you should approach it from a safety and health perspective, rather than age.

For example, you can say something like, "Does your eyeglass prescription make it tougher to see when you're driving?" or "Does your doctor think your medication will have an effect on your driving?" You can also talk about it in terms of driving itself -- "driving isn't what it used to be" -- focused on the way others drive or difficult road conditions.

If one of their friends has stopped driving, you could also ask, "I hear that Mr. Smith gave up driving. Do you think your driving ability has changed?" or ask about an older family member and when they stopped driving.

Suggest Limits
You can also suggest that your parent puts limits on his or her driving, rather than stopping completely. Ask your parent if he or she might be more comfortable not driving at night, or only in good weather, or just locally and not on highways. These strategies can help you ease them into the idea of hanging up the keys.

Consult a Doctor
If your parent is still unwilling to discuss the matter, you can turn to their doctor -- making it a medical issue and not an age issue. This generation respects their physician's voice and will often take their advice. Older drivers value the opinion of doctors, and some doctors might be able to see if your parent's visual and cognitive skills and reflexes have declined.

Present Alternatives
Many older people reason that hanging up the keys takes away their independence. When you're going to have this conversation, make sure you have some alternatives in mind. Find out if your community has good public transportation that goes where they want to go or an elder organization that offers transportation.

Some will say they can't afford to give up the car and take taxis. Do the math for them, because that might not be true. If they don't have to make car and insurance payments, pay for gas and upkeep, they might find that there's a tidy sum available for alternate transportation.

Suggest They Take a Driver Safety Class or Evaluation
The AARP offers information about driver-safety classes, and a doctor might recommend that your parent undergo an assessment of driving skills, including a road test. The results may surprise your parent so much that they make their own decision to give up driving.