Community Chat

[september]

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@occasionalrain wrote:

Every day people are in accidents, less than 1% are the elderly. Most are distracted drivers, on their cell phones, dealing with their misbehaving children, putting on makeup, or over tired and falling asleep. My guess is that your mother isn't out on the highway but just short drives around town during the day. Any accident will be minor not the doom imagined by some.

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I don't know where you get your statistics.  Elderly people drive less, so perhaps get in fewer accidents statistically but we still need to keep them safe.  Their reaction times slow down, their vision isn't so good anymore, they have stiff joints that restrict them from using their necks to look all around them, they don't hear as well, and there are moments of confusion...

[JaneMarple]

My next door neighbor is 80 years old, totaled one car less than a year ago, bought another car anhad another accident within three months. It's been two weeks since she got the car back and her left rear bumper is smashed in. 

The neighbors and I are afraid that she will seriously hurt someone. 

[twinny70]

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@Nuttmeg wrote:

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@Shanus wrote:

@occasionalrain  We've been pointing this bad driving and ultimately selling the car for 2 yrs. Not getting anywhere. Hoping it doesn't take an accident to get message across.

@Shanus 

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Please deal with problem ASAP. There comes a time when you should stop talking, and take action.

I have a friend who had a hip replacement. Her doctor stopped her from driving until she got better, by restricting her license.

Your family will suffer a lot, if your mother kills herself or someone with her car.

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You are so right.  We only lived a block from my mom, but I  was born & raised in this town & couldn't have lived with her killing somebody with her car.  She sold her car by herself, so that was good.  I have 2 siblings.  One helped a little bit & the other one hadn't seen mom for 14 years when mom passed away.  

[occasionalrain]

Not one poster, no one, has mentioned that their relative injured anyone. If keeping everyone safe, preventing a driver killing someone is the ultimate then raise the age one can get a driver's license to 30 since most accidents are caused by those in their teens and 20s.

[MyGirlsMom]

@occasionalrain, I suggest you read (at least) the Florida newspapers with numerous car accidents, injuries, fatalities and property damages done by elderly drivers.

No one is stating that ALL elderly drivers are bad but just like young drivers (teenagers), they should have conditions and limits with their licenses.

[Catiele]

Do it ASAP.  She is endangering other people. I had to do it for my father. My Mom never drove. They were still in their house. Lived over 1/2 hour away. My life became very busy. Had husband and three kids. I do not know how I did it. Would do it again.

[makeup addict]

From AAA last year:

Seniors are safe drivers compared to other age groups, since they often reduce risk of injury by wearing safety belts, observing speed limits, and not drinking and driving. However, they are more likely to be injured or killed in traffic crashes due to age-related vulnerabilities, such as more fragile bones. Medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses also make it more difficult for older drivers to recover from any injuries. With the exception of teen drivers, seniors have the highest crash death rate per mile driven, even though they drive fewer miles than younger people.

Although Americans are healthier and living longer than ever before, seniors are outliving their ability to drive safely by an average of 7 to 10 years. Most older drivers recognize and avoid situations where their limitations put them at risk. They drive less after dark, during rush hour or in bad weather, and avoid difficult roads such as highways and intersections.

Here are more key facts about senior drivers:

Fifty percent of the middle-aged population and 80 percent of people in their 70s suffer from arthritis, crippling inflammation of the joints, which makes turning, flexing and twisting painful.1
Weaker muscles, reduced flexibility and limited range of motion restrict senior drivers’ ability to grip and turn the steering wheel, press the accelerator or brake, or reach to open doors and windows.1
More than 75 percent of drivers age 65 or older report using one or more medications, but less than one-third acknowledged awareness of the potential impact of the medications on driving performance.2
Per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase beginning at age 75 and rise sharply after age 80. This is mainly due to increased risk of injury and medical complications, rather than an increased tendency to get into crashes.3
Since older drivers are more fragile, their fatality rates are 17 times higher than those of 25- to 64-year-olds.1
In 2009, 33 million licensed drivers were over age 65 – a 20 percent increase from 1999. And by the year 2030, 70 million Americans in the U.S. will be over age 65 – and 85 to 90 percent of them will be licensed to drive.4
In 2014, nearly 5,709 senior drivers were killed and 221,000 were injured in traffic crashes.5

[makeup addict]

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@occasionalrain wrote:

Not one poster, no one, has mentioned that their relative injured anyone. If keeping everyone safe, preventing a driver killing someone is the ultimate then raise the age one can get a driver's license to 30 since most accidents are caused by those in their teens and 20s.

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Well my dad is a recovering alcoholic who drove drunk. He never killed anyone, but we all know it wasn't the smartest decision he made. 

[september]

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@occasionalrain wrote:

Not one poster, no one, has mentioned that their relative injured anyone. If keeping everyone safe, preventing a driver killing someone is the ultimate then raise the age one can get a driver's license to 30 since most accidents are caused by those in their teens and 20s.

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There are stories in the news, every day, of older drivers smashing through buildings or driving up on sidewalks (they confuse the accelerator and brake pedals). 

if those of us who post on this board haven't had an older relative do that...good for us!  We're being vigilant and proactive 

[JaneMarple]

My poor BIL had to not only take the keys from his father but the car also, what a fight that was but his Dad's life was spared, I'm sure of it. His father was driving down the middle of the road oblivious to the cars around him. He also did some serious damaged at a drive thru bank .