Community Chat

[Q4u]

I think driving licenses should be "retested" every five years regardless of age.  When we lived in California, they'd automatically send out new driver's licenses and all you had to do was fill out the forms sent to you.  I think they did this with DH and myself time afer time and I wondered about it.  It isn't just the elderly (although generally they are prime for criticism) but aything can happen to people's abilities and often does.  

Where we are living now is rife with the very elderly who don't drive often. Maybe once or twice a month when they are paid they'll come to town from their country houses or farms and create havoc on the streets totally unaware....  very concerning, and frightening!  But it is isn't just the elderly.  

So yes, I think that retesting should occur at reasonable intervals..... for everyone!

[Sooner]

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@Brooklynny wrote:

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@Sooner wrote:

Ageist much?  How about keeping drunk drivers off the streets first?  Take away licenses for DUI.  Road rage?  I think the fear of old drivers should come way down on the list.

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@Sooner, not ageist at all, but I'm afraid it's necessary.  Just this past Mother's Day in the NYC area, a 56-year-old woman and her teen daughter were walking home after church.  An 80-year-old female driver hit her accelerator instead of the break, crashed onto the sidewalk.  The mother pushed her daughter out of the way, but she herself was hit and pinned under the car.  Tragically, she died at the hospital.  

Ageism?  Not at all.  It was an unnecessary tragedy that could have been avoided.  Perhaps the driver is no longer as sharp as she used to be, her reflexes have slowed, or so many other possibilities.  If the driver should not have been behind the wheel for any reason, that poor girl would still have her mother today.  There was another accident here just a couple of weeks ago with an elderly man at the wheel, and several people were hurt when he, too, hit the accelerator instead of the brake.  

I don't drive because I live in NYC and really don't need to.  But if I did drive and I were older, I would want to retest just for my own peace of mind.  I think we should stop being so sensitive about age and get real.  There is no shame in being retested.

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@Brooklynny  A very young woman did the same thing at homecoming for Oklahoma State University a couple of years ago.  Age doesn't have to determine how you drive, WHERE you drive, at what speed or anything else.  

We ASSUME people won't drive drunk.  Why do we not assume we will get off the road when we are old, having a heart attack, sleepy, drugged or anything else??????  Why is age a different factor?  Because you are 85 doesn't mean you can't drive safely.  Or 90 for that matter. 

[software]

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@Brooklynny wrote:

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@Sooner wrote:

Ageist much?  How about keeping drunk drivers off the streets first?  Take away licenses for DUI.  Road rage?  I think the fear of old drivers should come way down on the list.

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@Sooner, not ageist at all, but I'm afraid it's necessary.  Just this past Mother's Day in the NYC area, a 56-year-old woman and her teen daughter were walking home after church.  An 80-year-old female driver hit her accelerator instead of the break, crashed onto the sidewalk.  The mother pushed her daughter out of the way, but she herself was hit and pinned under the car.  Tragically, she died at the hospital.  

Ageism?  Not at all.  It was an unnecessary tragedy that could have been avoided.  Perhaps the driver is no longer as sharp as she used to be, her reflexes have slowed, or so many other possibilities.  If the driver should not have been behind the wheel for any reason, that poor girl would still have her mother today.  There was another accident here just a couple of weeks ago with an elderly man at the wheel, and several people were hurt when he, too, hit the accelerator instead of the brake.  

I don't drive because I live in NYC and really don't need to.  But if I did drive and I were older, I would want to retest just for my own peace of mind.  I think we should stop being so sensitive about age and get real.  There is no shame in being retested.

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To require re-testing across the board for one demographic is what offends me.

For every one elderly driver who has an accident, there are 1,000s of others who know their limits and act responsibly with no accidents.

Maybe all teens should be re-tested regularly.   See how silly that looks?

[Sooner]

The problem is that punishment is not severe enough to deter people from driving while impaired or TEXTING.

I am far more fearful of people on their phones talking and texting than I am drivers of any certain age.  

[Winifred]

Do not know what to say except out here - in California - once you hit 70, you are tested every 5 years. That is a written test and depending on what you do there, depends on whether you will be road tested again. I have lucked out as so far have had to do that more than once and aced the test each time. What can I say. I agree with the cell phone usage while driving but also must add, the young people scare me these days - also some middle agers. Do not think many people remember the rules of backing out of a parking place - am always afraid I will hit someone sooner or later although I look and look but people will still drive or walk right behind you when you are already backing out. Did not use to have that problem - guess the world has gotten too busy and some obviously have no time to follow the rules of the road!!  Scary!!!

[Rockycoast]

Definitely!! The elderly should be tested starting around 75 years of age.  There are restriction on the young and new drivers. There certainly should be on the old. Don't want to be accused of age discrimination now would you. The elderly reflexes are diminished, along with their eye sight and hearing. Not to mention what drugs they may be under the influence of. I could care less about their not wanting to give up their license or car. I care about the innocent people they may injure or kill. There are so many other ways to get around. Family, friends, churches, buses, hospitals, provide free or reduced cost for rides. There is no reason in the world that the elderly should not be tested. Every two to three years should be about right. 

[ROMARY]

'I don't know'......... Teen drivrs are acting very strange lately.  Must be because of their texting.  Probably similar to driving intoxicated.  I'd say that the elderly (who I find to be very careful) and teens should be more or less on the same level, testing-wise.   Actually, moms in general are always in a hurry, too, texting while driving.........Gosh, from my observations around here,  I guess that just about everyone needs to be tested every few years.   All of this texting now-a-days is the culprit.  imo

[kelsey17]

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@dex wrote:

I think there should be retesting for anyone who has had more than one at fault accident in a certain time period.My mom passed the written test and eye exam but she still had too many fender benders.I think she needed a road test of her abilities...thankfully she decided that there were too many dangerous drivers on the road and quit driving..LOL

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I think that is a good idea.........it is such a debateable issue.....I also think many children of seniors try to avoid taking their car away because they know then THEY will have to drive their elderly parent......and i also think many seniors may know they should quit driving but don't want to give up the independence instead of thinking of others who are on the road..................we had to take away my grandfathers car years back......i felt bad for him...but even he knew it was "time".........................

[ROMARY]

Several seniors have asked my opinion re: purchasing a new car (their old cars were too old; too many problems, etc.).  I always suggested/suggest just taking a cab or Uber type services.  There are also various senior services to and from doctors' offices, I believe.  But, all in all, taking a cab for weekly grocery shopping, med. appts., or outings is much less expensive than purchasing a new car and insurance.   Let alone the price of gasoline.  The thousands of dollars add up.  Easier and less expensive to just call a cab, in most cases. 

[Yardlie]

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@Bri36 wrote:

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@Yardlie wrote:

The same thing that happened to the OP happened to me a couple years ago in a Walmart parking lot. I was behind a lady. She was backing out of a parking space. She hit the front of my car. I got out of the car, looked at my car, and started walking toward her. She took off. I was running after her, but she kept going.

Fortunately, another customer who was parked saw the entire thing and took a cell phone photo of her license plate. I called the police. The other customer waited for the police to come. We described what happened. The woman who hit my car lived in another small town about 30 miles away. The officer said he would be going to her house.

The next day the officer called with her insurance information and said that he did not give the lady a citation because she was in her 80's and had hearing problems. I said: "Hearing problems? She could certainly have felt the collision!" The officer said, "I didn't think of that."

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That's a hit and run or leaving the scene, isn't it?

She should have been given a citation for that...

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That was my opinion also. My insurance company said that they could have an insisted that a citation be issued if her insurance company argued the case, but they did not.

I personally think that it is a good idea to re-test seniors at some point. I learned to drive in a small town and had to teach myself how to drive on freeways when I moved to a larger city.

I think at least a written test should be required for seniors at some point and possibly a road test depending on the person's physical condition.