Older drivers

[LexiaFira]

every so often i hear hubs rant on this.
throwing my two cents in. yes i believe SOME elderly drivers are bad and dangerous not just on the road but in the car and should either have their license restricted or at WORST suspended or taken away.
HOWEVER, alot of them it is a right and a privelege and as bad as a driver they can be its a hard thing to just take it away. I say this because i owe my grandmother respect of which i show however we all had the talk with her about how her kids are concerned with her driving and that we only want her to stay in town and that if she has to take the freeways TRY to get someone to take her. After some thought she agreed ONLY because when driving the onramp to the freeway she would SLOW DOWN instead of speed up

i admit to sitting on the fence with this only because i put myself in their shoes if i lost my driving rights i would be sad and upset but i wouldn't want to hurt anyone...oh wait i AM in their shoes. I don't have a license anymore. however it was by choice before i HAD to have it taken. before i get off topic i guess my point is this.

as the OP pointed out the death rate from car accidents is because they are more frail but it is also because of slower reactions and response times. however not ALL senior citizens/elderly are bad drivers and license/driving right issues should be per person...and this is coming from a person in Louisiana where we have ALOT of elderly drivers who are not the safest

[radiocerk]

Personally, I tend to believe that ALL drivers should have to pass a written test every ten years or so. It isn't just old people who are dangerous behind the wheel. I'm also inclined to think that anyone caught texting, applying makeup, reading a newspaper, or other blatantly dangerous things (read as: things that take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road for more than a few seconds) should have to retake a written test as part of traffic school.

I hate irresponsible drivers.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I would think that a practical test coupled with a sight test would be better. I loathe the written driving test with the fury of a thousand suns. There are plenty of people who are good at cramming for written tests, who are completely hopeless behind the wheel and who take ages to pass their driving test cuz they keep failing the practical.

[Glados]

It is not just older drivers who are a danger but SOME older drivers certainly add to the problems of road safety. Overconfident drivers and angry drivers also tend to do dangerous things on the road. With all the various types of people who cause dangerous conditions I would argue that everyone should have to take the driving test more than just once as a teenager (or whenever they may get their license).

Of course, This would be prohibitively expensive on the states if they had to pay for all those extra exams.

[fireheart17]

Personally, I tend to believe that ALL drivers should have to pass a written test every ten years or so. It isn't just old people who are dangerous behind the wheel. I'm also inclined to think that anyone caught texting, applying makeup, reading a newspaper, or other blatantly dangerous things (read as: things that take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road for more than a few seconds) should have to retake a written test as part of traffic school.

I hate irresponsible drivers.

Same here. And down here they fall into the following categories:

-People who seem to think that the speed limit is an arbritrary number and then get pissy when I refuse to budge from the speed limit.
-People who fail to use the pretty blinking light called an INDICATOR, to indicate that they are turning left or right.
-People who suddenly pull out with no warning, or change lanes with zero warning, forcing me to pull an emergency lane change to avoid getting beaned.
-People who actually go below the speed limit...(at least 20km/h under) in the overtaking lane.

Oh and those aren't people on their probationary licence, those are all fully-licenced drivers.

I would think that a practical test coupled with a sight test would be better. I loathe the written driving test with the fury of a thousand suns. There are plenty of people who are good at cramming for written tests, who are completely hopeless behind the wheel and who take ages to pass their driving test cuz they keep failing the practical.

Yes, yes, yes.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I used to ride a motorbike and believe me, I'm an expert on bad drivers. XD I always found that the worst were elderly drivers, men driving Jaguars or sports cars and mombies driving SUVs and four by fours.

[telecom_goddess]

I used to ride a motorbike and believe me, I'm an expert on bad drivers. XD I always found that the worst were elderly drivers, men driving Jaguars or sports cars and mombies driving SUVs and four by fours.

Mombies? is that a combo of zombies and moms?

Years ago my ex boyfriend and I lived in an apartment complex managed by his step mother and her ...um...male friend. He admitted to being blind as a bat all the time, then would go off and drive her van or his car

I never rode with him, I wouldn't have anyway cause that scares me.

[bara]

True Story:

A few years ago a much younger Bara had to get his license renewed. In fact, it was my 21st B-day!!

So, Im standing in line at the BMV with an elderly man in front of me. Man cant be older than early 50s, unless he was a very well preserved 60.

He was trying to take his eye test. I say trying because he most certainly was not passing it. After three failed attempts he put his glasses on and HARK! he passed it. The poor girl behind the counter explained to him that he had to have his glasses on when he was driving.

Moron: 'No, I only need them when I am reading.'

Cute BMV Girl: "Sir, you couldn't pass the eye exam without them, legally you must wear your corrective lenses while you are driving."

OM: "I do not. Only need them when I am reading."

CBG: "Sir, I am required by law to tell you that you could have your license revoked if you are caught driving without your glasses."

He pays, and I step up to the counter.

Me: "Now, you know he isnt about to wear his glasses while driving."

"Yes, but I cant not issue his license per policy. It scares the bejeezus out of me every time I have a customer like him and have to issue a license."

"Thats a messed up policy."

"Yeah, but the way the laws are written we have to issue the license if they pass even if we have a customer like him."

[Glados]

"-People who seem to think that the speed limit is an arbritrary number and then get pissy when I refuse to budge from the speed limit."

I didn't want to get too far off topic and onto another rant but this is exactly what I meant by overconfident drivers. I am constantly irritated by some jerk driving practically on my bumper and a few even honk and flash their lights at me because I refuse to drive 20+ over the speed limit and actually yield when necessary.

[Boozy]

So, Im standing in line at the BMV with an elderly man in front of me. Man cant be older than early 50s, unless he was a very well preserved 60.

My god. Early 50's is what's considered "elderly" these days? I guess I'd better start saving up now so I can afford a spot in the good old folks home.

[telecom_goddess]

My god. Early 50's is what's considered "elderly" these days? I guess I'd better start saving up now so I can afford a spot in the good old folks home.

LOL me too I ain't that far behind!

damn young whippersnappers anyway....

[bara]

Hell, Im going on 32. But from my 21 year old memory yes 50 something was old.

[Andara Bledin]

To a 20-something, 50-something is old. It's around twice their age, after all.

But back OT, while I do wish there were better restrictions in place for unsafe drivers, I'm not sure there's a practical way to implement such a thing, or that it would really do much good, as the only impediment not having a license puts forth is the legality of the driving, not the ability.

^-.-^

[Lace Neil Singer]

Mombies? is that a combo of zombies and moms?

Think so; it's a STFU Parents-ism. XD Refers to the mothers who seem to lose their brainpower once they reproduce. There's a lot of them where I live, and they always seem to drive enormous cars the size of a Sherman tank, with one small child in the back, and they can rarely drive them properly either.

I once saw one of these mombies in her battle wagon shoot out of a side turning without a) looking first to see if anything was coming the other way and b) indicating. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting the guy in front of me, who similarly had to brake to avoid hitting the SUV. He also wound down his window and shouted some very choice words at the mombie; she responded by screaming back, rather than you know, getting the fuck out the way. And all in front of her school age kid.

[bara]

To a 20-something, 50-something is old. It's around twice their age, after all.

But back OT, while I do wish there were better restrictions in place for unsafe drivers, I'm not sure there's a practical way to implement such a thing, or that it would really do much good, as the only impediment not having a license puts forth is the legality of the driving, not the ability.

^-.-^

Other than requiring driver testing after a certain age I cant think of any. It might be seen as ageist, but its not. When humans get older our bodies simply dont do what we want them to and they dont do it as well or as quickly.

The process is faster in some and slower than others but if you live long enough its going to happen. My neighbor lady, got out of Poland just in time, should have stopped driving at least 2 years before she did. It was her own choice and she relied on us neighbors to get her to the store and my mom even had to balance her checkbook for her. Loved her like an aunt so was happy to help her.