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When is Too Old To Drive pertinent?

Enola

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Raw Video: 76-Year-Old Driver Plows Through Grocery Store

Dayum. Just DAYUM.
Personally, I think once you hit 70 or 75, all driver's licenses should be revoked. Too many old people refuse to give up their driving privileges and cause damage to others. This being just one of many such stories.

Vid is....horrifying.
 

It depends.. My grandmother lived in a small town in Alabama and drove until she was 80.. If you lived in Atlanta or Houston.. maybe not.
 
my great grandmother drove until she was 88,she didnt stop driving until health problems got in the way.
 
I met an elderly gentleman of 92 a few days ago. He still drives, and is sharp as a tack. It all depends on what your health problems and limitations are.
 

I think states should start testing people yearly at 75 years of age.

In Illinois, I believe they start at 80. That's too late, in my opinion. They also give the test over-and-over-and-over before saying, "That's it, Mrs. Abernathy," you can't seem to turn corners without running over fire hydrants. Your license is denied. You get three times, I believe. And then, with a doctor's letter, you get three more. Ridiculous.

Personally, I think doctors should be more responsible for their patients. When they are regularly prescribed medication that will impair their driving ability...when they realize a patient has lost significant cognizant abilities...they should write the Secretary of State and pull the plug.

I know it's damned hard for seniors to give up driving. I fully understand the impact it has on their lives. For many men, it's probably the "last thing" they have where they feel in control and equal, in just that small way, to everyone else. But there are people out there driving who have absolutely no business behind the wheel.
 
Personally I think EVERYONE should have to pass a driver's test again every time they renew their drivers license. At the very least seniors need to be tested. I'd say start it at 60, 75 is already WAY too late. If you fail, sorry about your luck, you can come try again in six months. And you should have to present something from your doctor saying you're free of any medical conditions that would impair your ability to drive. High risk of heart attack or stroke, bad eyesight, Alzheimers, all should get your driver's license taken away. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and if you can't do it safely, you shouldn't be allowed to do it at all. Otherwise people die.
 
I live nearby where that happened - was bananas. She never hit her brakes - just careened through Publix. It was bad enough hearing about it, but when that video was released - horrifying. The baby in that stroller - lucky it's still alive. It's only 3 months old. And she drug an old man under her car. *shakes head* And they charged her with careless driving.

I don't think the elderly should have their licenses automatically revoked, but I certainly believe that once you reach a certain age, you should be regularly tested. Maybe 65 to 70 get tested yearly, then 70+ every six months. My husband's 63, and is probably one of the best drivers I've seen. But others at that age aren't so great. This lady in Publix was 76.

If she's plowing through a Publix without ever even hitting the brakes, then she has had problems driving for a while. Regular, mandatory testing would have caught that.
 
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I don't think age plays as much of a factor as people think - I just think it draws attention to an accident in a different way.
 

I'll bet good money that my 84 year old mother drives as good as you. I'm not kinding.
 
She knew that she was going to the store to get a few things, she just forgot that you're supposed to leave the car outside. It could happen to anybody.
 
justabubba said:
how would they get around without having a driver's license
Click to expand...

They wouldn't. They'd have to have someone drive them. I'm sorry, but just because you can't get to the Walmart doesn't give you the right to put other peoples lives in danger.
 
Enola, I don't know how we broach this with our elderly loved ones. There are several elderly members in my family who I know shouldn't be driving. Some are in my extended, family, so it's not my place to discuss, but my 80-year-old dad is my direct concern. My mom and I have sort of talked about it obliquely. I say that because she gets defensive and it goes no where. She's concerned that to even mildly suggest he might not be up to it, is to rob him of his dignity. His driver's license is a symbol of his independence and that he's still in the game of life. She's afraid he would just lay down and die if he couldn't drive.

If the state tested after, say, 75, it would taken from my hands and those of my relatives. Even though it would be protecting their lives and potentially the lives of others, the discussion would open a rift and potentially destroy relationships. That is how strongly they feel about being able to drive.

One of my grandpas had his license removed by the state police after a minor accident, in his 80's. He never gave up trying to get his car out the garage whenever he thought the coast was clear. LOL He went so far as to borrowing bolt cutters from one of his friends to cut the lock off the garage. That time he succeeded in going for a spin, but was spotted by the local police in short order. My uncle disabled it in some way when he locked it back up. Until he was incapacitated many years later, from time to time, my grandpa couldn't help but bring up the fact the car wouldn't start and shouldn't it be taken for repair, just in case "someone" needed it. :2razz:

"Well, how do you now it won't start, Dad?"

Caught stealing the keys, he would hush up until the next time.

He was a wily bugger.
 
Superfly said:
They wouldn't. They'd have to have someone drive them. I'm sorry, but just because you can't get to the Walmart doesn't give you the right to put other peoples lives in danger.
Click to expand...

so, at an arbitrary age you would have folks be without personal transportation
no thanks
 
I'll be 69 in August. I'm near-sighted and I only have a daylight license. I am so much more attentive and careful than most others are. You are safer coming to an intersection when I get there than you are with a 27 year old who is texting while driving.

My mother handed in her license at 90. Then she got cancer and refused all treatment because she was thrilled to die.

It's easy for the young to take away the privileges of the old. It's easy for the drinkers to criminalize the pot smokers. It's easy for the rich to criticize the poor. Here, we are taking a single event and advocating altering the lives of millions. You should be allowed to drive as long as you can pass the test.
 

70 is way too young. it should be on a case by case basis above a certain age. dementia should be taken into account, not just eyesight. some with good eyesight begin to be confused, and that's where the real problems happen.

just revoking a license due to an arbitrary age would be a mistake, in my opinion.
 
justabubba said:
so, at an arbitrary age you would have folks be without personal transportation
no thanks
Click to expand...

Nope. That's not what I said at all. If you can pass the test, there's no reason to stop anyone from driving. What I did say is that, at a certain age, older drivers need to be required to retake the test. If they pass, good. Keep them on the road. I 110% agree with what specklebang said - I'd much rather be on the road with older drivers who can drive well, instead of kids who are texting and driving and have had their license for a total of 20 minutes. I don't advocate removing anyone's license as long as they are still good drivers, and safe. Once they start becoming unsafe, like the lady who turned Publix into a drive-thru, pull the license. As I said before, I guarantee this is not the first time she's had problems. Her family is probably sick over the whole thing, knowing that they should have forced her hand earlier.
 
British driving entitlement ends at age 70. You can keep reapplying for a 3 year licence following that. I thought you had to get a health certificate from your GP too, but it seems not. Your Dr can write to the DVLA and request you be tested if he thinks you're a hazard.

Older drivers - deciding when to stop driving : Directgov - Motoring
 
this


two women. one, 90, drives to volunteer at our soup kitchen every week
she is sharp, spry, in good health, and possesses more energy than anyone else in the room

the other, my mom-in-law, is legally blind. held off getting her a new vehicle a while back because we all knew she would not get her license. she got it and the new car. since then, her license was renewed (recently) yet again
did i already say she is legally blind
why are the licensing authorities allowing a blind woman to drive the freeways?
 
What is the definition of legally blind? I correct only to 20/70 which is the absolute minimum for any license (daylight only). There are a number of states that I believe I would not be able to get a license in.

 

I don't mean to be a douche, Bubba, but why is her family allowing her to drive the freeways? Isn't that a little selfish? Knowing that she is legally blind, yet still allowing her to drive? Sorry, but she sounds like a hazard, and her family should keep her from driving, to save her life, and possibly the lives of others.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
I don't think age plays as much of a factor as people think - I just think it draws attention to an accident in a different way.
Click to expand...

Indeed. If it had been a 30 yr old behind the wheel, nobody would be suggesting 30 yr olds should give up their licenses or be tested yearly.
 
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