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Licensing for elderly drivers | |||||||||||||||||
Just as intoxicated drivers frequently overestimate their ability to drive, elderly people tend to keep driving long after they are able to be safe on the road. Their vision may have deteriorated, their reaction times slowed, even their ability to remember where to go can become a problem. I recommend that after a certain age (say, 65), we be required to retake the driving and vision tests every five years, decreasing to every two years after age 75 or 80. Perhaps an alternative could be offered, a standardized test that your doctor administers, testing your vision, reaction time, and general memory and lucidity - passing that test could excuse you from the road test at the DMV. I know that people are likely to argue that this is an insult or a violation of their rights, but just as we limit the rights of new drivers, I think this is justifiable.
jcameron76, May 22 2007
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In Finland drivers over 65 are retested every five years as you recommended. It seems to work.
What about the cell phone users, putting on makeup, paper/map readers, turning head to talk to passanger, and all the other idiot things people do while driving, they are as bad if not worse than the elderly and drunk drivers.
See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070719115903.htm
Try this
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6409566
Actually I don't know why we should always pick on the elderly drivers as much as we do except that the stupid press just love to sensationalize the rare stories about the occational mishaps that seniors have. The real threat is new(i.e. teenage) drivers, actually. I've heard that they do more damage than ANY other age group-including the elderly! Why not put the blame where it belongs!
This is an urgent necessity. Another benefit of this aside from public safety is it removes a burden from the children of an aging parent. No one likes to narc on their folks - if the state would just step up, the kids won't feel like they have to play parent to their parent.
I wonder, though, if there would become a preferred doctor for the elderly in each city. Someone who'll just approve anybody because he hates the new law or gets tips or something... If this would be a real problem, then I think the renewing elderly can wait at the DMV like everybody else...