It's time to get mom to stop driving so I compiled some links to help

People, especially Californians, may view cars as their birthright. Or their right arm.
Getting around without a car in most cities can be downright annoying and time consuming.

And for elderly folks whose health and reflexes are unpredictable, being without a car can save someone's life and save a LOT of money.

Before you talk to your elderly parent or grandparents about turning in the keys, be prepared with proposals for how he or she will get around.

Get the DMV to Just Say No to the Car

A doctor can ask the DMV to suspend someone's license if she or he feels the patient shouldn't be driving. Or the doctor might ask the DMV to require a test. Then the topic is out of your hands! They're the bad guys.

Peer-to-Peer Car Services for Seniors

This is a major taxi-alternative find to help your parents stay independent: Check if your area has an ITN (Independent Transportation Network) organization which provides a very high touch service geared to seniors and people with disabilities that is
(Read about why the woman who started this non-profit was compelled, after her child was hit by an elderly driver with dementia.)

The ITN service is also consumer oriented. We provide excellent customer service with the arm-through-arm, door-through-door standard that sets us apart from taxis.  Like using one's own automobile, the ITN service is available 24/7 and gives customers the flexibility to schedule their rides in advance or as needed, as well as the option to ride alone or with others, as they please, to destinations of their choice. - from the Los Angeles ITN service

Peer to peer car services: If your future non-driving senior has a smartphone and is in a metropolitan area, services like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar may be great options. I tried the "You'll be like a New Yorker hailing drivers whenever you want to go out!"

But since mom does not have an iPhone — and I don't want to train her to use one or pay for the data plan — those ideas are out. While taxis are an option, the sharing economy car services seem more friendly and lower cost. Hopefully one day they'll be usable by phone. By that I mean by voice. Like, old fashioned style.

Learn the psychology behind giving up the car to make the conversation easier.

• Caring.com has a great article on having the conversation about stopping driving.
• The Berkeley Parents Network's posts will give you confidence that you are in the very same boat that most other kids are in. It's never easy or pleasant for anyone. So take a read and realize you're not a bad person!
• An NBC article on getting grandma to stop driving from 2008 is still timely and has lots of great statistics and strategies to use to bolster your case.
  
  The article also references the senior citizen who plowed into the Santa Monica farmers market. The problem so far with my mom, to whom I've mentioned this, is that she has very convenient memory loss.
• I'm also going to hand this New York Times blog article to my mom. After all, if a New York Times writer is going through this same thing, it'll validate her need to stop driving.
• Awesome article from Salon.com telling a heartwarming (for me anyway) story about getting mom to give up the keys.

I am going to keep updating this page with stories.

In the meantime, I feel like an ass for having a secret plan to take the car after I fly to visit mom this week. At the same time, the frickin car is in my name so I'm protecting my own future as well as peace of mind by doing this.

The big question: When are online matchmaking communities going to crop up that connect  kids with aging parents who don't live in their parents' cities and may swap transportation and other help ?