The Elderly And Driving

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

So this week I had to work days which is really rare for me. My SWAP BUDDY is on VACA for the Month of July so I had to do 4 DAY TOURS. WEEP WEEP. Anyway, we had a pretty serious PIAA today. One driver was 85 years old and I am not sure about the other driver. When I saw both drivers before I even asked what happened I had it in my mind that it had to have been the "OLD MAN" that caused the accident and just as I thought he did. Turns out that he BROKE his C5/C6 and is now paralyzed from the nipple line down. The other driver only had minor injuries I think. He decided that he was going to make a left into a shopping center and I guess he didn't see the other car coming N/B. Later on there was a car parked in a FIRE LANE in our town which is a NO NO but usually just a hit on the siren and the people come out of the store and move. After 8 min I wrote him a ticket.. Well 4 min later here comes this "OLD MAN" walking out of a bank at a snails pace. I should have known by the HANDICAPPED PLATES but I figured I would wait and see. He got mad at me because I gave him a ticket. I told him that he should have parked in one of the MANY HANDICAPPES spots that are provided. I followed him for a little while because I got stuck behind him and he drove so bad. What to do?

Here is my question. When should we start giving yearly DRIVING tests to the elderly? I have always said about 70 or after any major injury/medical conditon. I know most of us have/had grandparents/parents that are older and still drive. My Grandmother turned in her license a couple of years ago at 83 or something like that. Mainly because she had knee surgery and she knew that her reaction time was slower than previous years. I guess it didn't hurt that I told her how bad it was for her to drive. That was the hardest thing for her to do. I know that out ELDERS are so DEPENDENT on their own, but we read and see it all the time about an ELDERLY person crashing into a store front or this and that.

I know as a PO I can fill out a form and send it to the DMV if I feel that a driver should not DRIVE. Just wanted some opinions. My mind is made up about what I would do. I know that the INSURANCE COMPANIES would never go for it because they would lose so much money but something has to be done.

I don't want this to turn into a DISCRIMINATION about he ELDERLY or for anyone to say that their PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS are great drivers or any of that. Try and be objective and try and think of some of your calls involving the ELDERLY and DRIVING.

BTW, no more days till I actually have to keep them. THANK GOD.

[Guest]

Some information I found from an industry magazine called Insurance Journal:

Elderly Drivers Pose Growing Challenge for States and Auto Insurers

By Kathleen Murphy

May 17, 2004

As the nation's population ages, states are looking for ways to weed out people who shouldn't drive.

Half the states have passed some form of elderly driver restrictions, usually laws that require older motorists to renew licenses more often and have their vision checked.

But while states have little trouble imposing special driving limits on accident-prone teenagers, such as limiting the number of passengers, imposing road restrictions on elderly drivers poses difficult policy-making challenges. Among the issues are how to avoid age discrimination and how to assess driving ability.

Drivers over age 75 had a higher rate of fatal accidents nationwide in 2001 and 2002 than any age group except for teenagers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The problem of fatal elderly crashes is expected to grow because by 2024, one in four U.S. drivers will be over age 65, according to the National Older Driver Research and Training Center.

Last summer an 87-year-old California man killed 10 pedestrians when he drove through an open-air market. The crash got national attention and prompted calls across the country for legislation, but state lawmakers have found no easy fix.

This year Florida began requiring vision tests for drivers over age 80. Virginia will require vision tests for octogenarians starting July 1.

Most state restrictions on older drivers focus on license renewal, not road rules. Only Illinois and New Hampshire require a road test for applicants over age 75.

Fifteen states--Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island and South Carolina--require accelerated license renewal for older drivers. Illinois, for example, requires drivers ages 81 to 86 to renew their license every two years instead of the usual four, and drivers over 87 must renew annually.

Renewal-by-mail is not an option for drivers over 70 in Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana and New Hampshire.

Some state licensing laws prohibit treating people differently based on advanced age. Maryland, Nevada and Minnesota specify that age alone is not grounds for re-examination. But in Nevada, applicants for renewal-by-mail over age 70 must include a medical report.

This year the Hawaii Legislature is considering a study to look at banning driving after a certain age and toughening license renewal requirements.

In New Jersey, where no laws limit older drivers, a Senate bill would devote $3 million to creating senior citizen "safe driving health centers," that would offer hospital-based medical and diagnostic services to improve older people's driving capacity. The centers would assess the need for a senior's car to be modified by adjusting brakes, mirrors, seating and steering. The bill also would offer auto insurance premium reductions for three years to older drivers who complete a safe driving program.

Not all states are tightening restrictions. Indiana dropped a road test requirement for older drivers in 1998 after its Bureau of Motor Vehicles decided it didn't have the authority to single out older Hoosiers.

In most states, elderly drivers decide when to hand over the keys, and often it's voluntary. Already one in five Americans over 65--more than 7 million people--are non-drivers, according to the Department of Transportation.

Lisa D'Ambrosio, research associate at AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said, "The car represents freedom. Drivers generally voluntarily make changes and reduce their driving so they can continue to drive safely."

Some elderly drivers face a slowdown in response time, lose clarity in vision and hearing, have decreased muscle strength and flexibility, and may suffer drowsiness from medications.

But predicting problem drivers isn't an exact science, despite researchers' efforts to develop assessment systems, said Sandra Rosenbloom, director of the Roy P. Drachman Institute for Land and Regional Development Studies at the University of Arizona.

"There's no proof that training sessions help. Testing practices at the state level are idiosyncratic. The Holy Grail is a cheap test," Rosenbloom said.

Find this article at:

http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/...tures/42638.htm

© 2007 Wells Publishing, Inc.

In my experience, the elderly driver who is becoming/has become a danger loses insurance before the state takes away the license.

The part about Illinois drivers over 87 having to renew annually didn't do anything to stop this (and note that although the story doesn't say it, this woman had plowed into another building a week or two earlier:

(CBS) WILMETTE, Ill. A car slammed into a restaurant in north suburban Wilmette Thursday afternoon, injuring nine people, including three critically.

A couple drove through the glass front of the Panera Bread at 1199 Wilmette Ave. in the North Shore suburb. The car was completely in the restaurant. The incident occured at about 1 p.m., during the lunch rush.

As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, police say charges are pending against the 94-year-old woman who was driving. The woman, CBS 2 has learned, passed a required road test last September and has a clean driving record.

Initial reports indicated a person was trapped after a car “went through†the store, according to a Wilmette firefighter. The car was removed from the restaurant shortly before 5 p.m. That person has been rescued and transported to a hospital, according to the firefighter. “I don’t think they were trapped for very long,’’ the firefighter said.

“When I came outside, one of the ladies was screaming for her daughter and so it turned out that when she came back in it was her daughter that was under the car,†said witness Phil Klinge who was inside the restaurant.

Eight people were taken to Evanston and St. Francis hospitals. Their ages and conditions were not immediately available. One of the elderly people in the car was taken to the hospital with chest pains. The five patients brought to Evanston Northwestern Healthcare were all in stable condition, and were released by 6 p.m.

Thursday night, as workers began repairs to the restaurant, the owner of a car damaged in the crash had some concerns.

“Something has to be done here because there are so many people driving who shouldn’t be driving,†said eyewitness Eric Smoot.

Illinois has among the most proactive seniors testing program in America. Testing is required every two years for drivers over 81, and every year after age 87. There is no maximum driving age.

“The fact of the matter is no state in the country does have a limit and if a state did pass something like that it would get thrown out as discriminatory,†said Dave Drucker, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office.

“Age is not necessarily an indicator of someone's ability to drive or not drive,†said Bob Gallo, the Illinois Director of the AARP.

Gallo says it’s important to watch for warning signs.

“Some of those are slower reaction times; dents and scrapes on their car, mailboxes, garage; confusion, getting lost on a frequent basis is one of the key indicators as well,†he said.

Victims And Eyewitnesses Recall Surreal Crash Scene

As CBS 2’s Katie McCall reports, the crash was a brush with death for 21-year-old Linda Hyatt who said the view from inside the Panera was like something out of a movie.

“I was very scared,†she said. “I can't even describe it, it was like everything was slow motion.â€

Before she even saw the car come crashing through the window, Hyatt says she heard screaming.

"I just heard people say ‘oh no’ and I looked and there was a wall of glass coming at us and then a car,†Hyatt said.

Hyatt had been standing in line when the car came into the restaurant. Initially she was trapped.

“I was turning to run and that's when the car got my leg basically,†she said. “I got pinned against the counter."

Within seconds, she felt another patron grab her.

“This kid basically picked me up and moved me to the other side of the restaurant,†Hyatt said.

And it's a good thing he did, because the car was still moving forward.

“They kept hitting the gas and everybody said ‘turn off the car, turn off the car!’†she said.

Doctors put 20 staples in Hyatt's left leg, she has liquid stitches on her forehead and several cuts and scrapes, but she feels that good Samaritan saved her from much more serious injuries.

“If she had hit me in the car once again it definitely could have been broken and I'm really thankful that he did that,†she said.

CBS 2’s Suzanne Le Mignot reports victim Laura Murphy was waiting in line to order a sandwich and the next thing she knew, she said, the unimaginable happened.

“I saw the driver coming around the corner off the side street and saw that he was going too fast and he jumped the curb and the next thing I knew there was plate glass shattering everywhere and people screaming and a lot of running and, kind of, hysteria and there was a car in the middle of the Panera,†Murphy said. “It happened fast and kind of incredibly.â€

Murphy says the car brushed right next to her leg as she was standing inside the restaurant. She has scratches all over her legs and was released from the hospital early Thursday evening. Murphy said after being released that she wanted to go home and have a sandwich, and a glass of wine to calm her nerves.

Witness James O’Hara was alarmed when he saw the car right behind him, roaring into the parking lot moments before the accident.

“I could hear a vehicle going at an incredible rate of speed, so I turned to look and as I looked, the car popped up on the sidewalk and went directly through the Panera,†O’Hara said.

Most of the people in the restaurant were in their teens and 20s. At least 20 people were inside; they heard the car before they saw it.

“Because of the sound, the horrible sound that you hear,†said Susan Costello, who was inside the restaurant at the time. “It was metal against metal.â€

“So when I turned to look I saw this car, this silver car, just pushing at everything, coming towards the door,†said Mitchell Campbell who was also inside the Panera.

A witness, David Kaiser, who works at the Joseph A. Bank clothing store next door, said he heard a crash and went out to see what happened.

“The first thing that I heard was people running by and screaming, and seemed really scared,†he said.

While there were many injures, it could have been much worse.

“This could have been an extremely serious situation with many fatalities,†said Wilmette Fire Department Chief James Dominick. “One o’clock at a Panera Bread store, that’s about as busy as it gets.â€

CBS 2's Jim Williams, Kris Habermehl, Suzanne Le Mignotand Katie McCall contributed to this report.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

Thanks for the article. I guess Isurance companies may get hit harder if they are making payouts. Not only is vision a factor but I believe that reaction time could be the key thing. I am sure that most ELDERLY wear glasses by the time they are 70y.o. so their eyes may just need to have a higher RX. I don't think reaction time is judged all that much and that is where the problem comes in. Either going from the brake to the gas or the gas to the brake.

I still think a renewal every year after 70 should be a FEDERAL LAW or at Least a NATIONAL LAW. In the span of 1 year all our lives change. We get older which is obvious but we may come down with Health Issues that we didn't know we had. When you are older this is more prevalent. What if you are over 70 with great vision, hearing and reflexes but suffer from DEMENTIA or ALZHEIMERS? That is a risk. I am not about taking people driving privelage's away. I just want the roads to be a little safer.

From my story yesterday. At the age of 85 he was still playing TENNIS everyday. Now he will never feel his lower body again. That sucks.

[SgtGumby311 0]

When you read about the elderly involved in accidents and they're asked what happenned, most of the time they say they hit the gas instead of the brake. IF you had an elderly person with a pistol permit and they said they accidentally pulled the trigger instead of setting the safety, what would happen? It may be comparing apples to oranges, but I just figured I'd put it out there.

[ny10570 745]

You want an unbiased look at who can who can't drive, spend an afternoon at your local car wash. I spent a few months in college at one for an evolutionary biology paper and had to chart everyone's performance. Long story short, you'd be surprised at how hard it is for many people to get their tire lined up in that track. Hands down elderly had the hardest time, followed by people on cell phones. Women were consistently worse than men across all groups and teens and through middle age men were nearly perfect. It all comes down to perception and hand eye coordination.

[eike1701 1]

get behind an elderly person on a cell phone.thats as bad as it can get

[DOC22 1]

get behind an elderly person on a cell phone.thats as bad as it can get

No, I don't agree. Because if you're behind them, you can prepare for what might happen. Being in front of them is worse, more dangerous, cause they can attack from the rear, without warning.

[eike1701 1]

YES you are right i did not think of it that way

[Guest]

i always get mad at elderly drivers when they pull stupid move, but after a couple seconds, i start to feel bad that i got angry..its like yelling at my grandma, lol. anyone have this feeling? i was driving down the saw mill pkwy yesterday on the way home, and an elderly woman pulled on the pkwy from a side street, TOTALLY ignoring the stop sign....on top of that, when she cut me off and got on the road, she did about 20 miles an hour...i passed her as soon as i could and i did the typical "grill" at her out my passenger window, when i noticed she looked like she just saw a ghost. i think what she really saw was me giving her the death stare, and she freaked....so when i pulled in front her and drove away, i glanced in my rear view mirror and all i could see was the top of her forehand overlooking the steering wheel, and all of a sudden, i felt so bad for giving her the death stare, ha!!! but its a problem...god forbid i didnt react to her stupid move...wouldve been very bad for ALOT of people.

Another time, probably about 3 or 4 years ago, i was upstate for military stuff. i left my car parked outside my freinds apartment, and just carpooled with him. when we were done and got back to his apartment, i noticed a car trying to parallel park in front of my car, so we waited and i watched closely. there was just something about the way this car was maneuvering that made me feel nervous (not to mention is was an old style buick or something, so i had a feeling it was a senior citizen). of course, BOOM, he backs into my car! I jump out of my freinds car, run up to other car, about to flip out, and then i see a little tiny old man and his wife just looking around as if nothing happened and ignoring me (i KNEW they saw me, cause i tapped on their window pretty hard to get their attention).

By all means, i always respect my elders, but the road isnt a playground and the car isnt the toy. i understand that they are reluctant to give up their licenses, but when everyones safety (including their own) comes into play, something needs to be done. with that being said, i'll also throw in that its not just the senior citizens out there are that are stupid @ss drivers.

[Danger 160]

Terribly passionate about this topic. Not much on the road out there drives me crazier than poor elderly drivers. Donate your car to the county, auction it off, and fund Senior Citizen transportation for Doctors Appts, get bus service for shopping trips, etc.

[oper8er758 0]

ONEEYE you do know as a Police Officer you can have a persons drivers license placed under review I believe the form is a "DS-7 (Request For Driver Review)". If you don't have any you can get them from DMV on the same forms you order UTTs and the MV104s from.

[x648eng119 2]

As bad as some elderly people can drive, It's not just them. I can't count the amount of times i've almost gotten taken out on my motorcycle by some young teenager weaving in and out of traffic in their "riced-out" honda civic with the music so loud i can't even hear my exhaust. I'm all for a new road test every 10 years or so.

[Guest]

The DS5 is for police; the DS6 form is for physicians; the DS7 is for anyone who wants to report a possible medical condition.

DS-7 form: http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/forms/ds7.pdf

And if it hasn't happened yet, just wait--you too will be holding newspapers and menus at arms length and hitting Costco for cheap reading glasses. Everyone's eyes need correction as we age...everyone.

[JBE 328]

I've seen a few complaints on here, and a few solutions. Why not this?? Every 2-3 years after a person turns, we'll say 65, they are to be given a road test. The same road test a kid has to pass to be licensed to drive. They fail, they have to wait x amount of months to re-apply and retake the test. Fail it three times, driving privileges taken away permanently. I know it's a b**** for an older person to feel like they are losing their independence, but at the same time that person has to realize when it is time to turn over the keys, permanently.

[RescueKujo 130]

I believe here in California elderly drivers have to take at least the written test at the DMV, no more renewal by mail. But I don't remember the age at which it starts. I'm going through this with my dad. His tongue speed vs. gas pedal power ratio drives me nuts (in other words, the more he talks the slower the speed gets. But he's a stubborn old German, and won't give up the keys.

The problem is the politicos who fund public transportation and stuff like dial a ride see that as an extra benefit, and cut it as such. If people are to give up their vehicles (and I'm not just talking elderly drivers, I'm talking all) this country must realize to use a public trasnportation system, there must be a reliable system.

Edited July 31, 2007 by RescueKujo

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

ONEEYE you do know as a Police Officer you can have a persons drivers license placed under review I believe the form is a "DS-7 (Request For Driver Review)". If you don't have any you can get them from DMV on the same forms you order UTTs and the MV104s from.

I can? Thanks for telling me. Sorry I had to do that. I wrote that in my opening post. I see tons of old people driving around that I don't think may be in a safe manner. What am I going to do write them all up? I would probably get sued for DISCRIMINATION of the ELDERLY or something.

All I want is a test to be given EVERY YEAR. Both written and road test. Just like when we first learn to drive at 16 or 17 I think that is how people get when they are OLD. Maybe not as confident as they once were. Eyesight, hearing, relflexes all going bad. Does not mix in a car.

[Guest]

I'm totally on board with a retest every couple of years, and although I , too, see many poor elderly drivers (as well as many many young ones), I dont know if I should be nodding along here, or cry that I'm amongst the "elders" that you all refer too, haha!

It is a serious thing. I am very confident in my driving, but I do know that it becomes more difficult with time. Its really nothing to be ashamed of. Its part of old age...dont you worry Gents, you'll get there too some day! As I once heard, "Getting old isnt a problem, its a priviledge!"

[Danger 160]

http://emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopic=19...amp;#entry98773

Elderly driver, no seatbelt, everyone else stopped, "apparently wasn't paying attention". I'm glad the MOS weren't seriously hurt.

[OnTheWheel 43]

I actually put in two people for review, one elderly and one plain stupid. The form states right on it that age cannot be the only factor for putting them in for review. The one who wasnt elderly didnt show up and they suspended his license. The system works, I think we need to use it more.

[ajsbear 11]

We just took my mother-in-laws car away. She gets lost going to the store, she just forgets. It was scarry to watch her. It took several arguments after I convinvced my wife. She finally took the car away then she spoke to her mothers doctor who wrote to DMV. She just turned in her license. It was a big deal. They just don't want to give up their independance.

[bob803 1]

News 12 covering story of elderly man killed today on CPA in Yonkers.

[Bababoosky 24]

Here is the story about the car accident in Yonkers

Fatal accident blocks a northbound lane on Central Park Avenue in Yonkers

By WILL DAVID

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original Publication: August 1, 2007)

YONKERS - A Mount Vernon man is dead after a two car accident at a Central Park Avenue intersection this morning.

The small gold Honda he was driving and a green Chevrolet GMC SUV collided in the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Melrose Avenue at 10:50 a.m.

The 84-year-old driver of the Honda was taken to Lawrence Hospital, where he died. He had been very seriously injured, Yonkers police Detective Lt. Timothy Hodges said. His identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The 44-year-old Bronx driver of the GMC, who sustained minor injuries, was also taken to Lawrence Hospital.

Hodges said police do not know just how the accident occurred. The Honda had been travelling south on Central Avenue, Hodges said. It ended up against the GMC driver-side front wheel facing south in the northbound lane of Central Avenue, he said.

Police do not know where the GMC came from. It ended up in the middle of the intersection facing east.

Northbound traffic on Central park Avenue continues to be diverted at this time, midday, due to the accident investigation. Southbound traffic is moving.

[irishfire2491 24]

all i have to say is old people should not drive and some young teenagers should not drive there are alot of stupid drivers

Remember LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING NOT DRIVING!!!

AND EMERGENCY VECHILE WITH RED LIGHTS AND SIREN MEANS PULL OVER AND STOP NOT PULL TO THE SIDE AND SPEED UP OR STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

[OnTheWheel 43]

Construction workers rescue man, 72, who drove into pond

By JORGE FITZ-GIBBON

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 2, 2007)

RYE - Two construction workers leapt into action and pulled a 72-year-old local man to safety yesterday after he accidentally drove his station wagon into a pond. Workers Danilo Villafuerte and Juliano Morales were finishing their lunch about 12:30 p.m. when architect Allan Anderson raced past them and into the pond behind his Mead Pond Lane home. "They came to my rescue," Anderson said. "I was not harmed a hair on my body, thanks to these two guys. What can I say? It was noble of them." Villafuerte and Morales, both of Peekskill, said they simply reacted as anyone else would. "When we saw what happened we just jumped in," said Villafuerte, an Ecuadorean immigrant. "We're not heroes. But you have to try to save the man's life." The workers were finishing their lunch of chicken cutlets when Anderson parked in his driveway. But then the car lunged forward, knocking down a wood fence and a foot-high wall. The silver Volvo then plunged into Mead Pond while a panicked Anderson yelled for help. Gary Furfaro, a foreman for Peekskill-based Four Men Construction, which was doing work at Anderson's house, witnessed the midday mishap. "It seemed like he got his foot stuck on the accelerator or something," Furfaro said. "And as he went off the wall, he was yelling for help. I turned to call 911, and my guys were shoes off and in the pond in no time." Villafuerte and Morales said they first had to reassure Anderson that they would get him to safety. "The water was starting to come in," said Morales, a native of Guatemala. "He was afraid to come out. I told him: 'Don't worry. You're going to be fine. We're good at this. We're the best there is at this.'" By the time police and firefighters arrived, Anderson was out of the water - rattled but safe. "I want to say they are first-class people," Anderson said of his rescuers, whom he said he's known for years. "I was just very grateful for their help." The car was not entirely submerged in the pond, with the water rising just above the windows. But Keith Greene, an architect at the firm Anderson LaRocca Anderson, said Anderson would have been unable to get out because of recent ailments that limited his movement. In fact, Four Men Construction was putting in a walkway so Anderson could bypass the front steps to the home he and his wife built in the early 1970s. "They saved his life," Greene said. "He was probably just very frightened and confused, probably in a state of shock. They saved his life because he could not have gotten out of there by himself." The Andersons are both partners in the firm. "They're a fixture in the community," Greene said. "He's volunteered his time and designed the Rye Y, among other things." But Anderson remains tough as nails: He asked to be let out of the ambulance down the road, got into his wife's car and drove to a doctor's appointment.

"I was in the ambulance," Anderson said. "I got out. So be it."And although Villafuerte and Morales said they never did finish their lunch - and Villafuerte's paycheck was soaked - they said they had no regrets. "Any time, anywhere," a soggy Morales said. "If we can do it again, we will."

Now doesnt this just sum up the whole topic!!!

[mfc442 3]

It shouldn't just be the elderly that are required to retake a road test. There are many middle aged drivers out there that don't know how to drive properly. While our older population are the ones that may most need it, how many times have we all seen someone driving and thought to ourself that they shouldn't be on the road, only to see that its a middle aged person. Personally I think that we all should have to retake a road test of something of the sort every 5 or 10 years. Maybe more often for certain age groups or those who have certain offenses(tickets) and accident numbers.

And just another thought, we have so many people driving these BIG SUV's that have no clue how to drive something of that size. They learned how to drive on a little Honda Civic, and now drive a monster truck. How about we start requiring different class drivers licenses for different vehicles as well. Its not that much different as what we currently have in requiring a commercial licenses for some other vehicles. Lets face it, a ford excursion is a very different thing than a Saturn. Wider turning radius, bigger blind spot, and every thing else. How can the states say that the 2 things are the same and the licenses that are needed to operate them is no different. I know this is a little off topic, but was wondering what others thought. b

[SgtGumby311 0]

My parents used to say that driving is not a Right, it's a luxury. "Seniors" feel that they're entitled to drive and most know that even though they have medical conditions they have to be on the road. Dateline did a story on this subject a few years ago and rode around with some older drivers. It was amazing at the disregard some of these people had for the rules of the road. Insurance companies should be able to require medical checks when a driver reaches a certain age. If you can't see over the wheel, you shouldn't be behind it.

[DOC22 1]

My parents used to say that driving is not a Right, it's a luxury. "Seniors" feel that they're entitled to drive and most know that even though they have medical conditions they have to be on the road. Dateline did a story on this subject a few years ago and rode around with some older drivers. It was amazing at the disregard some of these people had for the rules of the road. Insurance companies should be able to require medical checks when a driver reaches a certain age. If you can't see over the wheel, you shouldn't be behind it.

Good post, Sarge,

Do you think some of these older seniors even have the comprehension to realize that they aren't the only ones out there? I've seen how some of them are in a grocery store near a senior citizen developement. If you're on line at the register, or are looking in a certain area, they act like you aren't even there, they simply push you out of their way. So put one of these behind the wheel of a car, it becomes an accident looking for a place to happen

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

I started this out as an ELDERLY Topic because of an accident. I agree there are some really clueless drivers no matter what age you are. I can't STAND WOMEN who DRIVE SUV'S and CAN"T SEE A THING. They can't park, they drive in the left lane. I can't stand it.

There is nothing that we can do but since I started this topic an 84yo man died and another drove into a pond. That is only what was reported.

[jd783 64]

Let me add to this that the 84 yr old man was my uncle and his car was hit, I am not saying he was right or wrong lets just leave this alone

[Oswegowind 17]

His car may have been hit and it is sad as to the injuries he received, however this is a public forum website and discussions are made here because others may see it as an important subject. Being hit by another vehicle does not exclude a person from fault. Just the other night I left work and was traveling on Nepperhan Ave a 6 lane roadway (3 each way), next to my co-worker who was also going home, when a taxi driver made the u-turn at Maple St and I had to use my E-brake with down shift and reg brakes to avoid a collision. Being, what I believe, an excellent driver who pays attention all the time and am observant, I avoided colliding with this vehicle, truth is in 15-20 years I may hit him...but would it be my fault...I don't think so.

Now back to the subject: Closer to home, I had to take the keys away from both of my grandparents, whom are my neighbors. Needless to say this has caused me to have to drive them everywhere, but I think it is better than them killing someone. After a family review of my Grandmother's driving we have since given her permission to drive to church and to seniors, none more than a 2 minute drive. She is banned from night driving altogether, emergency or not. So, yes the Police have to take action, but families' should also do their part to save their loved ones and the lives of others that they may affect!