Banning Elderly Drivers?

There's been talk of this in my state. In this month alone in my state there have been 5 fatal crashes involving elderly drivers. The latest involved a woman in her 80s who struck and killed a 4-year old girl who was crossing the street in a crosswalk. The woman had 6 previous violations, 5 of which were more accidents, since 1982. Her license has since been revoked because she was an immediate threat. She has since been charged with vehicular homicide.

Now legislation is pushing for stricter rules for elderly drivers, which could potentially limit when elderly drivers can drive, or what age they must turn in their license and get off the road, or how often they are tested. While many agree that this should be done to try and prevent further accidents (because when drivers reach 80 years of age, the odds of a fatal accident quadruples), others feel this is a violation of their rights.

I want to know what you think, either as a driver or as someone who knows an elderly driver. I'd like to hear all sides to this.

Myself, I feel they should go ahead and push for stricter driving rules. I've had too many near misses with elderly drivers to consider letting them stay on the road. I don't think they can see things as well at that age as they did when they were younger, which can make them a hazard on the road if they aren't paying attention or seeing things.

So....you?

 

I think at the age of retirement, if they wish to continue driving, they should be asked to take another test.

Some of them drive FAR too slow, and obstruct other drivers and such :/

 

Well, we have to be careful about this. My grandmother, for instance, drives as well as she did 20 years ago (she's like in her 80s). She shouldn't be denied the privilege of driving, However, the testing for competence should be required a lot more often in later life (renewing your license every year, or so, for instance, with a road test), to try to catch the age-impaired earlier.

 

This^^
In my government class, we had a project where everyone wrote a new amendment to the constitution and added a law. We then voted to see if the bill passed.
This girl's amendment was that after a certain age (55 I think) they should start retaking the test.

I agree. I become nervous when I'm around elderly drivers because I can never tell how they're going to drive. I've seen them drive slow, speed, run stop signs, and recently, I saw an old man get pulled over for running a red light. I don't think they should be denied the priviledge as a whole, but they should re-earn it.

 

In the UK the government was thinking of mandatory retesting every 5 or 10 years. It sounds extreme (and I'm sure it would put a lot of people off driving, as well as meaning a lot of people will probably fail it) but there are a lot of people who are on the roads that shouldn't be. I know myself that after doing your test and passing a lot of what you were taught goes out the window by the next time you drive.

With elderly drivers it is health problems that are the major threat to their driving, as well as being over-cautious. I definitely think that a health check and re-test at retirement age (currently 65 in the UK, but goodness knows how high that will go >_>) couldn't hurt.

People just need to remember that driving is a privilege not a right. It was never meant to be a right, you have to earn it and prove that you have the skills to do it. As well as being physically competent as well.

 

I believe that we should limit driving for elderly.

I was actually hit by an elderly woman in a parking lot a while back. I was stuck in a line of traffic and she backed up into me. Put a dent in my new car, too. A normal person would have been able to see my car with the long nose of it(I drive a '96 T-Bird, long nose) but she didn't. Whether that's her eyesight or lack of checking her mirrors and seeing it's safe to back out, she didn't drive safely. When people age, they tend to have lessend reflexes, decrease in vision, and poor judgement on the road(at least what I've seen). I think that once a person hits 60, they should have to re-take the test every year to be able to judge their abilities. Also, a record should be kept on file of that person and changes would be made so they could note any differences in previous years. But, I suppose that's a little too complicated.

 

I actually think that pushing for stricter rules is a very good idea.

It makes me laugh when people claim younger drivers to be the worst, clearly they have never seen my grandmother drive.

We came to a roundabout one day and she was told to take the right exit, so she turned right, as in right onto the oncoming traffic. She has also done a U-turn on a motorway, driven the wrong way down a one way street. As well as numerous other delights that I won't bother typing up.

Elderly drivers can be ****ing scary, plus, it is extremely annoying to have to go at 25mph in a 50 because the old man in the car in front won't speed up (going to slow can be just as dangerous as going too fast fyi).

So yeah, I am all for having stricter rules on elderly drivers.

 

what state is this about?

 

This is a good idea to a certain extent.
Older people have a higher rate of getting in accidents.
Actually,before my grandparents passed away they had a car accident and never told us. It was actually the day of my sister's communion and they made some lame excuse.

Think of it this way, even though I'm sure the older person has people that care about them...Would you like to see a young family die because he isn't ready to give up his keys?

For the sake of the children and young families out there, enough is enough.
Get off the road when you are too old.
It is for you and everyone else's own good.

 

I'm in Massachusetts, where drivers just generally suck as a whole. Hence the term "M@sshole".

What they'd like to pass is mandatory re-testing every five years or so. Right now we have nothing of the sort; seniors are pretty much allowed to drive as long as they want to, even pulling them over for numerous traffic violations doesn't stop them (like I posted with that woman who hit the preschooler who had 6 violations on top of the vehicular manslaughter charge). Last I checked the news today (which was around 5:30 pm) they wanted the base age to be 85 to start the retesting.

85.

I hope that gets lowered...

 

I don't think they should ban elderly drivers, but maybe check up on their driving skills more often. I know some seniors who drive pretty well considering their age, and I also know some crappy ones who I wouldn't want to be in a car with at all.
Why take away their ability to get around if they can do it just fine? Maybe a yearly or bi-yearly driving test (I don't know how often they do that right now).

 

AFAIK, in my state, we have nothing of the sort. You're tested once at 16 1/2 for your license, and that's it. You're never tested again.

Ideally, I would love for it to be once your license expires, you need to be retested (which would be every 5 years here or so). Then we're not just singling out just the elderly (because driving recklessly is something I see up here regardless of age).

Not sure how it works elsewhere...

 

I personally have reason to believe the driving tests aren't strict enough as it is. I see so many horrible drivers on the road, and it makes me really frustrated. I'm hoping they'll enforce stricter driving laws here in California, but there's really nothing I can do about it.

But as for the topic: I, like many others, support having more frequent tests for the elderly. my grandmother at 65 drives just fine, but I still believe that starting at about 60, drivers should have to take new tests every single year. It would prevent countless deaths, not to mention stress. my mom was almost rear ended by and old person yesterday, and ususally has bad expereinces a few times a week.

 

No, I think at the age of retirment you should have to take another test. Old people want there idependence, not not being able to drive because they're to old :sigh:

 

Well here in Michigan, everyone drives 85mph on a 60mph freeway. The elderly tend to drive slower, but I don't really have a problem with them unless they are in the left lane (fast/passing lane). On county roads it can get a tad annoying when you can't pass them. I would have nothing against a second road test, though I haven't decided which age would be best for that. =/

 

The main problem age wise is that new drivers (usually young, but not exclusively) are inexperienced and therefore prone to accidents. However, inexperience is often combined with overconfidence in young people which is where the accidents come in.

With old people it is health that is the major detriment. Their skills may not be any worse, and they definitely have experience on their side, but the older you get the further your body falls into disrepair.

A second test at the very least at retirement age is absolutely necessary.

 

I think that the elderly should just take another test for it. Not every older person in a terrible driver, but there are those who are. It wouldn't be fair for the good drivers to not be able to drive anymore just because they're old. D: My grandma can drive just fine. But I know some other's who can't drive for their lives. So yeah. :/​

 

Too Slow, Too Fast. Those are the problems I see ..and they lose eyesight and hearing so they should retake a drivers test when the elderly years come on. I'd have elderly test the skills in driving they have again, and only ban those that aren't fit for driving.