Too Old To Drive!

[BigFish]

Story on the today show about instituing laws about people getting too old to drive. I agree that they should have such laws. Yesterday afternoon I could very easily have driven my truck in the left ear and out the right of an elderly couple who did not take a moment to look left before they turned right onto a main street with a 45 mile an hour speed limit.... I slammed on my brakes and lucky for them I was able to stop....but ya know what????? They never even saw me even after the screeching brakes and missing them by 2 feet.......a split secod further along and those 2 old folks would have been dead....or worse....this 40 year old father of two young sons would be dead.....missing the opportunity to grow as old as the two in the car due to their lethargic driving habits! Take the weapon out of the elderlies hands......test them by law after a certain age every 6 months for cryin' out loud....and if they can't cut the mustard on the road then get them the hell off it!

[tynan19]

I agree, I think that they have to be tested every five years after a certain age but it should really be sooner. There are plenty of eldercare services for the elderly to get around. There comes a point when families have to realize that their parents are having trouble also.

[BigFish]

Tyan...think about it....every 5 years??? After what age? Say for example after 60 years old.....you want to test them every 5 years? Do you realize how quickly you break down physically and mentally after the age of 60? They really need to be tested at the very least once a year!

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally posted by BigFish
Do you realize how quickly you break down physically and mentally after the age of 60?

After 60.....#^&#^&#^&#^& I started the downward spiral after 30.

I think they definitely should be tested annually at the very least. just to be safe

[tynan19]

I don't want to test them, I think that is the law now. Every five years after I think after 60 they have to re-take a road test. This state is f'ed up though. I know people who are legally blind in one eye and they just renew their license on-line so they don't have to test.

I was suggesting that better measures be in place to ensure the safety of other drivers.

[fishaholic18]

I agree , but the only problem I have is, I want to be able to drive myself to go rock-hoppin' when I'm 100. LOL
Do you think the elderly bus can handle my 10' surf rod? And what about the Korkers?

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally posted by fishaholic18
I agree , but the only problem I have is, I want to be able to drive myself to go rock-hoppin' when I'm 100. LOL
Do you think the elderly bus can handle my 10' surf rod? And what about the Korkers?

You can put some machine screws on the bottom of your walker. Then attach a sand spike to it to carry your rod.....

and you can finally NOT be embarassed because you wear Depends under your waders.

[chris L]

test them 2 times a year is a good time frame . you ever notice older drivers cause more accidents then they are directly involved in .

[Jimbo]

I guess it's a good idea, but it seems like suggesting people over a certain age be routinely tested is going to be somehow discriminatory, why not test everyone regularly and weed out all the crappy drivers. I think alot of the time you can spot an older "driving impaired" person by their driving habits; just be patient, give them their space. Maybe they've earned the right to some exception in life and it's not like most travel over 15 miles an hour. Anyway, take away the licenses of the older people and half the gas stations on Cape Cod will be forced to close and prices will skyrocket at the one left.
If you ask me, 99% of my recent close calls are the result of tinted glass (not being able to see the driver to possibly anticipate their next move) coupled with cell phone use and thus the inability to use the turn signal or pay proper attention to the road since they're driving with one hand. If you don't believe me make a game of it and see how many people on phones you can spot driving from point A to point B. I can drive from my house to the supermarket and when I get there I ask what's the score and from the back seat my kids will respond with numbers like, "I got 15," "I got 22, I win." And that's only about a two mile drive. That scares me more than grampaw.

[Mike P]

Never happen--AARP is one of the strongest political lobbies going, and it's getting stronger every day now that the "Boomers" are all over 50.

Larry--60 isn't that old, man.

I think periodic "driving reviews" are a good idea generally. Private pilots have to do it every 2 years to keep their licenses current, commercial and flight instructor pilots have to do it every year, and Airline Transport Pilots have to do it every 6 months.

[Gloucester2]

Mike's right it's never going to happen for two 4 letter reasons:

1) AARP

2) old people VOTE

[BigFish]

Cell phones do suck! MikeP....not knocking folks over 60, just think its a good time to start a more regimented testing system.....its the senial blue hairs in the 75-90 range that are the biggest problem!

I am coming back up rt. 58 this morning...(made a little buying run to Red Top)... and I am behind a few cars who are behind a boat hauling truck slowly making its way through Wareham with a heavy and wide load carrying a beautiful lobster type fishing boat....really big one. Anyway....its a crawl as it should be due to the size of this boat and this woman....gray hair approx. 55 years of age driving one of those transport vans for the elderly decides that she needs to cut this rig off cold by taking a left from a sidestreet right in front of it and what happens????? Boat hauling rig must slam on brakes and doesn't the boat slide off the cradle in the trailer and almost roll right off the trailer completely! I am screaming at this woman as she drives by me without a care in the world that she just caused this accident and she acts like it was not her fault and keeps on going...... ....the vehicle that was trailing the rig turned around to go after her, (I tried to get a license plate number but the sun was blinding me) I think he caught her though....I gave my name to the people hauling the boat in case they need a witness! Kicker is she is driving these elderly folks around like that???? She almost killed them all!

[t.orlando]

Bigfish, as a truck driver for the last 8-9 years I could really tell you how bad it is. Gotta test-em

[Van]

As the son of a 83 YO driving mother, I can't tell you how many arguments I have with her to STOP driving.

The main issue is their freedom. To go where they wnat when they want. SHe drives so little, that selling the car and dropping the insurance will pay ten times for the cabs rides she would need.

BUT,,,"Then I have to wait for a cab, and they charge too much money" SO I argue some more.

Problem with the law is if they can pass the eye test they renew.
and Jimbo is right it is discriminatory, the courts would be tied up for years.

Am I totally for a operating test, not eyesight only. She would fail in a heartbeat. I've even seen her pull out on to the main road without hardly a glance at traffic. Even though her sight is 20-20, that does not mean she actually LOOKS !!
Luckily she only goes out weekdays, but it is still dangerous. Her legs are so bad, I dont think she could hit the brakes hard if she had to.

Think of this BF, your 60-70 and you still want to go to the backside on a weekday morning for some easy fishing. How you gonna feel if they pulled your license and your stuck in the house. Believe me I feel the same way about older drivers.
BUt I also think when I hit that age I would still want my freedom.

I just hope and pray that us "younger" drivers notice them and yield to them so everyone gets home safe.

How many hotheads you seen on the road gun it and blow the horn as they zoom around them, because they are going too slow!!!! Geez how do you think they'll drive at that age. Our seniors do deserve respect too.

[Jenn]

I think EVRYONE should be retested every couple of years. there a lot lot of bad drivers out there and they are NOT all old!!!!

[KLMulder]

I am with you on that Jenn, I see alot more 16 to 25 year olds who should not be in a car less enough behind the wheel of one. Doing 60 in a school zone is my bis pet peave, at least most older folks drive slow and give who ever they hit a fighting chance to live where as the kids leave some one splattered over several hundred feet of road,

As a side note of this we have had alot of kids killed in Middletown RI over the past few years in the same area and the parents keep saying the road is not safe and to many people speed in that area, well I have almost hit some of YOUR kids on my way to work in the AM and on my way home in the PM because they run across 4 lanes of trafic without looking. I also witnessed a wreck caused by YOUR kids because they ran across 4 lanes without looking that resulted in injury's to the drivers of both cars who DID NOTHING WRONG. Teach you kids to cross at the light when trafic has stoped, It is YOUR KID'S AND YOUR LACK OF TEACHING THEM ANYTHING that are the problem NOT the way the road or trafic is

Sorry for the hijack, I feel much better now.

KL

[Raider Ronnie]

I don't know whats worse,
The elderly driving,
The young kids driving
or driving through Quincy Ma. with it's VERY high Asian population

[Swede]

or driving through Quincy Ma. with it's VERY high Asian population

.. Its downright scary at times!!

[cheferson]

Im sure there are just as many #^&#^&#^&#^&e asian drivers as there are #^&#^&#^&#^&e caucasians drivers.

[chris L]

cherson your right but there are more asian vacation photographers in Ny city

[Redsoxticket]

If you were at the age of these elderly drivers you would want to be treated equally like all other ages of people.

Life is at times a risk, live it or isolate yourself.

I'm still far far to young from that age.

[ThrowingTimber]

buddy drives a tow truck, he got called in 76 yr old lady was dui at like 2 in the afternoon....

[kevin d]

I was in Yuma, Az for 2 years. In the winter the population increases by more than 80,000 mostly senior citizens. Cheap medicine right across the border and cheap booze too. Nothing like a 70 year old, medicated and happy houred man driving a 40 foot motor home to put the fear of God in you.
I was at the DMV there and watched a 72 year old woman write out the check for her MOTHER'S drivers license. The mother had her picture taken with her walker.

[BigFish]

Crap! Think I will stay away from Arizona!

[tynan19]

Big article in the Worcester Telegram today on elderly drivers. Mass has the most lenient laws on renewing a license. General population length of renewal 5 yrs., Provisions for elderly none.

RI has a renewal for elderly every 2 years for drivers 70 and older.
Maine Renewal every 4 years for drivers 65 and older: vision test required for first renewal after 40 and at every 2nd renewal untill 62; vision test at every renewal for those 62 and older.

This is scary Tennessee; Licenses issued to people 65 and older do not expire.

[Van]

I'm hearing that NH actually raod tests elderly drivers.

ANy confirmation on this ???

I may mom move up there so they take hers away !!!!!
I can't get it from her...

[FishermanTim]

They had another incident of an alderly driver driving right through the front of a store, just missing a delivery man who was wheeling a couple of cases in.
I hate to see anyone lose their mobility, but what I find sadly humorous is that most elderly drivers drive "boats", thus ensuring that they will probably survive an accident. (The victim is usually screwed.)

[outfished]

DWA = Driving While Asian. You think they're bad? Been to Framingham lately to witness the uninsured, unlicensed, unregistered Brazillian population driving around town? Just read the police beat in the papers every day. I'll take an old blue hair that has insurance any day!

[jugstah]

I don't think it is fair to categorize all drivers.

I was in a really bad rollover accident going down 28 out of Wareham back in May, and it was the direct result of a 17yo young girl speeding across 4 lanes of traffic (what traffic?) just to get to McDonald's from Wendys. Unfortunately, the driver and passengers of the other vehicle were badly damaged from the accident, and will probably spend years recuperating.

Also, I do a lot of driving, and more often than not, it's not the elderly I'm worried about... its the goddamn young kids or young adults chirping away on the cellphone, and swerving in and out of traffic as well as cutting across traffic and running red lights and slowing down and stopping at the very last minute just to make a right or a left without using signals from an appropriate distance.

[Notaro]

Originally posted by Raider Ronnie
I don't know whats worse,
The elderly driving,
The young kids driving
or driving through Quincy Ma. with it's VERY high Asian population

yo, AZN pride here... and i drive like one and that nearly caused me to have two accidents yesterday. i fell asleep while driving on 495 to school. i almost rammed into the hill. and i slipped while tryign to park on my school's lot. i went over the grass lane and banged three cars at the same time... and the falling sleep aprt occurs ten times this semester for me!