GM Wants To Tell You When It’s Time To Hand Over The Keys… Would You Trust It?

For a lot of families, the hardest conversation is asking Mom or Dad if they should stop driving. I’ve been there. Now General Motors has put forward a patent that could take that question out of human hands and hand it over to technology.

So what does that mean? A computer in your car might one day decide if you’re still fit to drive.

The “Driver Retirement Score”

The newly published GM patent describes a system that gathers information from both the driver and the vehicle. That information gets processed into a “driver retirement score,” which places the driver into one of three categories: acceptable, questionable, or unacceptable.

What Kind of Data Gets Collected?

According to the filing, the system could use:

• Medical conditions provided by the driver
• Cameras and sensors tracking posture, reaction times, and habits
• Vehicle data like speed, lane control, and drifting

All of this is fed into the vehicle’s hardware, which then produces a score. The system can also update that score over time, showing whether performance is holding steady, improving, or getting worse. Personalized recommendations and reports may also be part of the package.

Why RVers Should Pay Attention

Long hauls and towing a trailer aren’t easy tasks. For older RVers, fatigue, slower reaction times, or health issues can make the road a tougher place. A system like this could give families reassurance that their loved ones are still capable drivers, or a wake-up call that it’s time to take a break.

But that’s where things get tricky. Who gets access to that information? Just the driver? Insurance companies? Family members? Even state agencies? Those questions are left unanswered in the patent.

More Than Just Aging Drivers

GM’s filing notes that the system could also flag distracted or impaired driving. That broadens the use beyond seniors and opens the door to a tool that monitors safe driving habits for everyone.

Still Just a Patent

For now, this is only a patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. There’s no guarantee GM will ever bring it to market. But the idea itself is enough to spark a debate.

Would you trust a car to tell you when it’s time to stop driving, or is that a decision only people should make?