Mandatory testing for elderly drivers???

[TR Custom Parts]

I am all for it!!!!! Just left the movies tonite and was heading to dinner with the family. 4 lane road with turning lanes. Came up to an intersection with a green light and some old guy decided to cross both lanes from the opposite direction.

Luckily I was in the right lane but the poor guy in the left lane wasn't. Jammed on the brakes and threw my wife's Jimmy into a slide into a Dunkin Donuts entrance, was my nite as no one was coming out of the place. Was pretty close to hitting a lite pole and curb going sideways but my great driving skills (or good luck) saved us from any damage.

I stayed as a witness for the poor guy in his fairly new pickup who got broadsided.

The old guy in his POS foreign car shouldn't have been on the road, was totally out of it. I think everyone 70 and up should be tested!!!!

 

[GNTIM]

I totally agree even though I am writing this from my grandfathers house that I bought from him when he was in his 80's. He was also from the New Haven CT area. The Virginia DMV sent him a renewal notice that did not require a personal visit a year before he died and he was still driving a car that got mysterious dents. The motor burned up in his Dodge and I stalled the repair at my old shop to keep him off the road. Most older drivers get very defensive when confronted with the thought of taking away a part of their freedom/ independence.

 

[By-Tor]

I remember a few times when I had seen some bad driving by the elderly.
One I was buying something at the store., the store was connected to strip mall. The parking is either along the front of the stores or in a parking lot. Well this elderly lady was parked in front of a store, she got in her car and started it. The problem was she was going forward and not backward like she should of. She hops the curb(Those concrete strip things they have) and slowly crawls to the store. Where the store itself stops her car, she had hit the store. She wasn't going fast enough to do damage, but the reaction time was horrendous. As soon as she hit the wall she knew and put the car in reverse and left.

Another time was an elderly lady behind the wheel of her olds. There is this big intersection where its about four or five lanes wide. This lady wanted to turn left but wasn't in the right lane and was stopped in the middle of the intersection itself. Since she was in the wrong lane to turn left and I was, I was turning left and so was she. We almost swapped paint that time.

Yes, when a person gets to be a certain age they should be test to drive.
Not all elderly people are the same. some can still drive even though its ten miles under the limit and with there turn signal on.

 

[Bad Boyz]

Mmmm I better get ready to take my drivers test again Some of us might go a tad slower but I notice alot more speeders out there that are going 15 to 20 mph over Passing on double lines following to close coffee in 1 hand cell in the other .U wont see to many elderly drivers doing that After reading this morns paper I noticed that there were more younger drivers in accidents than the elderly I do agree though There some people that shouldnt be driving whether ur old or young Dont forget you"ll get here some day If u live long enuf

 

[Chuck Leeper]

How about..

Maybe a better start is to educate the young kids that start off thier driving career, thinking there's noone else on the road, going 120 in a 45, smokin' dope, drinking, playing grabass w/ a cell fone....[Usually, in a new car, that daddy bought for thier 16th b'day.] I'm betting they kill more per 1000 drivers, than do older folks..[Cept maybe in FLA.]:biggrin:
As for the oldsters out there.. A bit of common sense should be exercized by thier younger family members, by taking them out of the cars, and helping them get around.[We've had to do that to my mom, 2 aunts, and a grandfather.] When they start "hiding thier own easter eggs", it's time!!
Alot of states require frequent renewals, as the driver's age increases.
Here, in GA., it's a 10 yr license, until you get to 65.. then a 5 yr deal. Don't know if it gets lower, as I've not gotten to 70, yet that is!
Ya, I'm OLD!!:tongue:

 

[Louie L.]

Chuck,
In my experience , the elderly driver is more dangerous than the younger one. The exception comes in with teenage females. They are just as bad drivers.These same folks get the lowest insurance rates .

And you are so correct. The children of these people should buck up and take some responsability and help their parents instead of putting them in danger by allowing them to drive.

 

[Drip Pan]

My grandmother is one of the best drivers I've ever seen, and she is 84. She recently compeleted a 5-week road trip to Texas and back, and logged almost 1,000 miles in one day. Her idea of fun is zipping down the highway with Barry Manilow on the CD player. About 6 years back she and a friend did a "One Lap of the USA" that began in Northern Cal, went north to Mt Rushmore, the East Coast for the fall colors, down to Atlanta, across to St Louis, through Texas to see relatives, etc. The night before they left they celebrated by drinking Hungarian vodka and watching "Thelma & Louise"!

My father-in-law who is the same age, on the other hand, absolutely scares the crap out of me...for you Denver folks, I was in the back seat of his car and he blew three straight red lights on busy Wadsworth Ave.

 

[GNTurbo6]

If it saves a life, it's worth it. They ought to instate the cell phone law in more states, as much as I hate headsets myself.

 

[URSPANKED]

My dad is almost 91 and still drives. He only drives in the daytime and goes to the grocery store and to see his wife in the nursing home. I'm sorry, but I don't agree with the mandatory testing of a certain age group. For every elderly person who is involved in accidents or near-misses, I can cite 10 of all other ages who cut you off, run stop signs and red lights, and speed. A lot of them are new drivers who have just been tested, so testing doesn't get you anything.
I think, like was said, that the children of elderly folks should keep a close eye on their parents and watch how they drive, how they see, dings on the car, etc. Only when you reach their age can you realize how important having your independence is. When you start seeing signs of inability to drive, then you can take action.

 

[BlackMetal]

I don't agree with the mandatory testing of a certain age group. For every elderly person who is involved in accidents or near-misses, I can cite 10 of all other ages who cut you off, run stop signs and red lights, and speed.

I agree with you. Living and driving in Chicago, I can say that all sexes and age groups are TERRIBLE drivers. Yes we've all been behind that elderly driver who goes 8MPH and forgets to signal their lane changes, but I see other idiots a lot more often.

Bottom line there's a ton of people who don't belong on the road.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

My dad is almost 91 and still drives. He only drives in the daytime and goes to the grocery store and to see his wife in the nursing home. I'm sorry, but I don't agree with the mandatory testing of a certain age group. For every elderly person who is involved in accidents or near-misses, I can cite 10 of all other ages who cut you off, run stop signs and red lights, and speed. A lot of them are new drivers who have just been tested, so testing doesn't get you anything.
I think, like was said, that the children of elderly folks should keep a close eye on their parents and watch how they drive, how they see, dings on the car, etc. Only when you reach their age can you realize how important having your independence is. When you start seeing signs of inability to drive, then you can take action.

Well this guy was inable to drive that's for sure. Shoot, I am 51 and wouldn't object to testing if it keeps incompetent drivers off the road. The only thing this guy was concerned about was that his front license plate was sheared off. The cops asked him to move his car out of the road and thought he was going to end up smashing into my wife's Jimmy after we avoided the initial accident. Not sure what happened to him as we left after I gave my statement to the cops.

Younger kids and/or cell phone users are a real problem too. Had a guy cross the center line earlier yesterday who was oblivious to what was going on around him. It's real scary out there lately.

 

[turbofish38]

Old farts should be tested annually. I dont think they are any worse than teenagers but do a google and you'll see they have driving into fixed objects down to an art. The local papers have been milking this story for all that it's worth. One thing that caught my eye was the fact that older drivers dont have the reflexes. Lots of stories out there of them driving into buildings. Mistaking the gas for the brake pedal. Better reflexes would have prevented most of those. Teenagers dont do that. The comment about cell phones aint fair. How many older folks are the product of lap top computers and play stations?Heck some of them didn't see a TV intill they were in their 20's. Electronics are another generation. Maybe in another 10 years when more baby boomers are in their 70's than you can start saying that. What really scares me is when I pass somebody going way under the limit and they are smunched up against the steering wheel because they cant see 10 feet in front of the car. Yep mandatory testing annually. Heck I'd even go for no age barriers. Everybody,every year. I aint afraid of passing or failing. But than I pride myself on my driving abilties. You wont catch me driving like a jerk. I've picked up skills from the track that carry over to the street. As a matter of fact I've had quite a few instructors over the age of 60. They know some tricks. And most of them are physical exercises to sharpen your mind and eyesight. Yeah what Chuck said. Maybe we should have a learners, er experienced drivers permit. Have a licensed driver sign off before the DMV determines that one should have their licensed renewed. Wait! Scratch that comment. I cant stand it when the wife drives. A 30 minute trip takes one hour when she's on the helm. And no I dont speed more than she does. I use simple logic with a shot of testerone to get me down the interstate. My wife drives like a timid mouse. Courtesy instead of the rules of the road is her agenda.

 

[SuzyQ]

From Wikipedia

The young and inexperienced drivers are by far the most likely to be involved in a car crash[citation needed], and this has become an area of focus. Reasons suggested for this include inexperience combined with over-confidence, peer pressure, a desire to show off, and even neurological development arguments. In addition most serious collisions occur at night and when the car has multiple occupants. This has led to the following proposals:

A "curfew" imposed on young drivers to prevent them driving at night.
Requiring an experienced supervisor to chaperone the less experienced driver.
Forbidding the carrying of passengers.
Zero alcohol tolerance.
Compulsory advanced driving courses.
Vehicle restrictions (eg. 'high performance' vehicles)
Vehicle restrictions, not too flat windshield and pillar for the best driver visibility angle.
Requiring a sign placed on the back of the vehicle to notify other drivers of a less-experienced individual in the driver's seat.