Elderly Drivers.....
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 589
Likes: 0
From: Rochester, MA
Elderly Drivers.....
Today,going down the highway i was taking my exit,and noticed the fellow in front of me lock his brakes up. There was a elderly women who went the wrong down the ramp,this of the disaster that would have caused! Now after being hit almost twice this past week(not including this incident) by a elderly driver id like to hear what you other users feel about this. Do you believe that after a certain age older people should be re-tested for there drivers license? Im not saying after you reach X age have your licensed taken away,but i do feel greatly about that there should be some sort of retesting,because obviously some of the older folk are not driving safe on the road. Id love to hear what you think about this. 
Still kicking!!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,061
Likes: 6
From: Kalispell, Mt.
Well, we all become elderly drivers ... at least if we make it that long. Some elderly drivers voluntarily give up their driving priveleges. Others don't or won't because the need to be able to transport themselves. While testing may be prudent, who is to judge what age people are started to be tested at? I've seen many people of all ages do some kind of major goof-up at one time or another, so discriminating against old folks just somehow doesn't seem right.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 589
Likes: 0
From: Rochester, MA
I didnt wanna come off to seem like i was discriminating against old folks,but there are a whole lot of them driving dangerously. I know people of all ages do some stupid things driving but truth be told a bunch of the people that i see that almost cause accidents are the elderly. So if its between starting re-testing at a certain age and the safetly of me and my loved ones its a given with which one im going to go with. I agree with justine's77ford comment greatly. That would avoid "discriminating" against old folks.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,577
Likes: 0
From: Southern MD
Hopefully, one day you may become an "Elderly Driver". All older folks aren't dangerous. I see more kids on Pocket Rockets, youngsters in high performance cars, kids running the streets with ATVs, folks in SUVs, and dirt bikes, than old folks causing trouble for drivers.
People always complain about the "old" drivers in Florida. I have no more problem with them, than the ones here at home, which is minimal. You can always find someone pulling a dumb trick in a motor vehicle, no matter the age. You've probably been called a fews names by other drivers once or twice yourself.
People always complain about the "old" drivers in Florida. I have no more problem with them, than the ones here at home, which is minimal. You can always find someone pulling a dumb trick in a motor vehicle, no matter the age. You've probably been called a fews names by other drivers once or twice yourself.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,759
Likes: 0
From: Pleasant Hill, MO
well, I think what he's saying is their state of mind isn't quite all that it used to be when these incidents happen. Sometimes the older folks do something, and really have no idea that anything is wrong until something disaterous happens. That's something we should all want to avoid. We can talk about reckless drivers of all ages, but when they make a mistake, BOOM, they know they screwed up. It's really a situation you can't compare. It's a completely different 'kind' of mistake, comprende?
Ryan
Ryan
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,473
Likes: 4
From: Lafayette, IN
Minimal fees? Regular testing for all drivers will be expensive, especially if it includes road tests. Who would pay if not the testee? Why should taxpayers who don't drive have to pay for your driving privileges? Minimal fees means extensive government subsidy, which means taxpayers are coughing it up. This is exactly why I'd like to see the government steer towards more of a Use Tax system than an income and property tax system.
Jason
Jason
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 136
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I'm in favor of more testing. After a certain age more frequent testing would be justified. Yes, it's discriminates, but so does having a minimum driving age.
You can get a license as a child, and not get tested again for 70 years! Laws and 'rules of the road' change, as well as driving conditions, etc. Our abilities change over time also. People are naturally reluctant to give up their freedom (driving), and will continue to drive after their abilities have diminished in many cases.
As someone else pointed out, younger people can drive like idiots, but if they passed a test already, chances are they are capable of driving properly. At some point, all of us will see our ability to drive diminish, if we live long enough. Will we know when the time comes to give up driving?
I also think it's too easy to get, and keep a driver's license.
You can get a license as a child, and not get tested again for 70 years! Laws and 'rules of the road' change, as well as driving conditions, etc. Our abilities change over time also. People are naturally reluctant to give up their freedom (driving), and will continue to drive after their abilities have diminished in many cases.
As someone else pointed out, younger people can drive like idiots, but if they passed a test already, chances are they are capable of driving properly. At some point, all of us will see our ability to drive diminish, if we live long enough. Will we know when the time comes to give up driving?
I also think it's too easy to get, and keep a driver's license.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,665
Likes: 0
From: B/CS, Texas!!
I agree with the first post...in fact, I've thought about that myself. Why? Because I've seen MANY elderly people do a lot of mistakes while driving. From little things like running straight through a curb(scraping the crap out their car), to big things like coming the wrong way. And not just once, I see it ocassionally. I am not discriminating, I just think its a fact that as we age, our senses aren't as sharp. Yea, I will be old too, and if I had to retake a test, I would.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 389
Likes: 0
From: SOUTHEAST OHIO
Don't know. At first I thought retest after a certain age would be a good idea. But now that I think about it I just don't know. The auto accident that I go to usually involve people between 16 and 40. Very seldom does the accident involve "older" people. Of course this probably has to do with the fact that that the younger age group outnumbers the older age group. If I had to pick I would say retest. Maybe we should retest people that have certain medical conditions also, but how would we track this. Like it was kind of mentioned earlier we could do alot of thing if we only had the $$$$$$$$.
The Pacifier
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,245
Likes: 7
From: Cloverdale, BC
I think to make it as unbiased as possible, there should be a mandatory physical at the time of license renewal, and renewals should be every 2 years instead of every 5. That way, if your health is going in the tank, you can get a conditional license. Doctors would be able to keep an eye on their patients in regards to motor skills, reaction times, things like that, which would enable a doctor to pull the license if he feels justified. And a second opinion that differs from the first would have to be seconded itself.
One of my uncles who does not drive still has a license. He just doesn't drive anymore. And he isn't going to renew it. The reason was he got into a very minor fender bender. No injuries to anyone, damage to both vehicles was less than a grand combined. Not even his fault. But he knew that he was getting older. He's in his early 70's, but he was healthy enough to have another 10 years of driving left. He said it wasn't his driving that he was worried about. It was all the other idiots out there. And after driving for nearly 60 years, he finally called it quits.
One of my uncles who does not drive still has a license. He just doesn't drive anymore. And he isn't going to renew it. The reason was he got into a very minor fender bender. No injuries to anyone, damage to both vehicles was less than a grand combined. Not even his fault. But he knew that he was getting older. He's in his early 70's, but he was healthy enough to have another 10 years of driving left. He said it wasn't his driving that he was worried about. It was all the other idiots out there. And after driving for nearly 60 years, he finally called it quits.
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,155
Likes: 0
From: Southern Louisiana
Not trying to discriminate against the elderly here, but I am in favor of retesting at a set age and every renewal thereafter. I understand that younger people get in their fair share of accidents, but I feel that older people should be tested cause a lot of them are not as articulate and their senses are not the same as they once was and yet they insist on driving. I do see a good bit of young people in accidents, and a few elderly. On the other hand I have seen more accidents than I can count involving young people that tried to avoid an accident with an elderly person driving dangerously.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,292
Likes: 5
From: NJ where fun comes to die
The problems are many. I was almost hit a few years ago by two young girls coming down a ramp the wrong way. People should be retested every ten years until 55 and then every 5 years. But, the problem is finances for one. And another is that lawmakers are afraid to propose this because they think the older people will vote them out.
Being able to work the controls and steer the car or truck on a test does not qualify anyone to drive. All age drivers are becoming worse in general. There is less respect for others, and a lot more distraction on phones etc. And also all the drunk drivers. They kill something like fifty thousand every year. What about people who loose their lisences and drive anyway. The old people are a problem with poor eyesight, and slower reaction time and just being unsure what to do. But I bet at least half the drivers on the road are a potential disaster, at any age.
Being able to work the controls and steer the car or truck on a test does not qualify anyone to drive. All age drivers are becoming worse in general. There is less respect for others, and a lot more distraction on phones etc. And also all the drunk drivers. They kill something like fifty thousand every year. What about people who loose their lisences and drive anyway. The old people are a problem with poor eyesight, and slower reaction time and just being unsure what to do. But I bet at least half the drivers on the road are a potential disaster, at any age.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
From: Long island NY
They should definitly re test elders, because thier vision deteriorates and so does there reaction times.
My grandma's vison was questionable, and she said that peoples headlights made her lose focus for a seccond, so she gave up her licence. If only all people had a brain to do that, but they chose to put our lives in danger
My grandma's vison was questionable, and she said that peoples headlights made her lose focus for a seccond, so she gave up her licence. If only all people had a brain to do that, but they chose to put our lives in danger