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Elderly Drivers

Doc

Doc

Bottoms Up
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We had a major accident on our stretch of I-77, just across the Ohio border into WV. A 74 year old Zanesville Oh. woman somehow ended up driving south in the north bound lanes. She hit a 66 year old Hilliard Ohio man's vehicle head on. Both died instantly according to reports. I know the intersection where she got onto the interstate going the wrong direction, and it is clearly marked WRONG WAY.

I'm just over 50 and in sight of 'old age'. Any changes to the system will impact me, but I still see a need for more stringent testing of elderly drivers. Perhaps a real driving test every 2 years, not just an eye exam every 5 years. I would hate to loose my driving privileges, but others lives are at stake. No easy answers here, but it is a problem that will only get worse unless some action is taken.

 
Doc-

I know this is a problem is all states but based on the average age of the population, Florida and Arizona have it the worst. In some areas it might be more dangerous to be a pedestrian than a driver.

Bonehead
 
While this thread certainly is picking on the older drivers (and correctly so) I should probably point out that young drivers are as big a problem.
  • Personally I would love to see those aged 16, 17, 18, 19 & 20 subject to renew their license annually.
  • I would also love to see the same for any driver aged 66 and older.
  • I would also suggest that there be an annual test for 5 consecutive years for anyone who had a license suspended, and then reinstated, for any reason.
Then again, I rather enjoy life and would prefer not to be killed by some jerk, punk or someone else who shouldn't be on the road.


EDIT : Let me add to my list . . .

  • I'd like all beautiful women to drive convertibles in the summer
  • I'd like all drunk drivers to drive glow-in-the-dark cars so I can see them
  • I'd like criminals to ride in the back of black & white cars
  • I'd like Mary Kay "pink" cars banned completely
  • I'd like lowered 4x4 pick up trucks crushed by a car crusher
  • I'd like good looking 'easy' girls to drive/ride glass cars so I could watch
  • I'd like those little rice racers to be relegated to "HO" scale slot car tracks
And I could probably think of a bunch more things too
 
I'm just happy not to be associated with the WV State Police.
At the scene both drivers were cited for refusal.


Martin
 
Whoa easy does it now. How about bringing this up again when you reach 60? Not all folks are feeble minded when they get into their 60's. Just recently my Dad voluntarily stopped driving at 85. I'd periodically ride with him (at his request) and he was fine last year. I'm in my early 60s and feel I can continue flying until my 70s--there's a yearly medical exam for Instrument ratings or every two year medical for VFR. The Medical is required to make your Pilot's license valid.

I have a good friend that is 67 and he went to Bonneville this year to get his 150 MPH license, got rained out though.
 
v8dave said:
Not all folks are feeble minded when they get into their 60's.
Click to expand...


No arguement from me on that point. But the reality is that as we age our reflexes tend to slow, our eyesite tends to dim, and for some of us our minds tend to wane. Any of those 3 things can make a bad driver, two or more is darn dangerous. And the odds are in favor of people over 60 having at least one of those problems.

And again, as some level of balance, I'm also in favor of restrictive licenses for young folks too.

All we need to do is look at the numbers and and make sensible regulations. If someone is over 80 and fit and fine, they should be able to drive. It may be a burden to renew a license annually, but it is less of a burden than plowing into a crowd and killing a few folks on the sidewalk. Ditto for the under 21 crowd. Ditto for people with a history of bad driving so they got a suspension.

I was young once, I'll be old soon enough. I still don't see the problem with annual renewals over the age of 60.
 
I'm afraid the annual test would be to costly, that is why I suggested testing every two years, but full testing ...a real driving test.

Young uns are another story. It scared the heck out of me turning kids loose behind the wheel with all the aggressive driving going on now days. I have two daughters that learned to drive while we were living just outside Columbus Oh. Big city driving is something else. Ohio does have a law which says all new drivers have to have 50 hours of driving with an experienced driver (over 18). That helps. They have to learn to drive, but it will give you a few gray hairs when you hand them the keys.
 
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