18 oct 04
While driving home from the gym tonight, I was nearly implicated in a vehicular accident. A ederly man pulled out of Walmart in a late model, blue, American-made car, and instead of staying in the closest lane, he promptly drifted into mine. I was then forced to myself drift into the next lane, which is particularly dangerous, because in that lane people generally drive in the opposite direction. I laid on my horn and rather unashamedly gave the man “the finger.” I cannot count the number of stereotypes we validated. I have had some minor lapses in concentration in my time as a driver, but I was clearly in the right on this one.
Americans and our respective insurance companies spend a lot of time worrying/complaining about us teenage drivers. (I say us because until I am 25, I am pretty much a teenager as far as driving goes.) I, however, would like to offer an alternate, possibly more dangerous problem: senior citizen drivers. (The following statements are based on Tennessee driving/licensing laws. If your state’s laws are stricter, congratulations.)
Unless you let your license expire, you never have to take another written, road, or vision test beyond your initial ones. You have to renew every so often, but this is little more than proving you are still alive. I suppose you can infer the potential problems here as a person gets older and inevitably deteriorates, both physically and mentally. In Tennessee, you only have to renew in person every 10 years. Then, at 60, you can choose to obtain a non-photo license, which you can get by mail. In a best-case scenario (or worst-case, depending how you look at it), that is potentially 15 years where you never have to come in contact with another person regarding your driver’s license. Tell me that is safe.
Brandon / 18 oct 2004 / 11:33 p.m.
No just kidding. It’s not safe. Old people should be thrown into the volcano. Or made into dog food.
Jaemie / 19 oct 2004 / 12:05 a.m.
So, after the age of 60, you don’t have to go to the DMV to get a new photo license? Is there some life-event that occurs after the age of 60 that renders you non-photographic that I don’t know about? That is wrong on so many levels. Everyone should have to go to the DMV to get a photo license. Period. It just proves that you can drive to the DMV (hopefully) accident free and that you are actually capable of finding the DMV.
And, don’t even get me started on elderly people driving in Pennsylvania or grocery shopping for that matter — that is a whole other issue.
And, yes, I know. I will be an old person one day.
Erika / 19 oct 2004 / 6:17 a.m.
I’m a good driver, but I’ll admit that I am easily distracted now-in my 30s! I fear for all of you when I get to be 70. Let’s just hope I’m fabulously wealthy by then so my driver can take me wherever I want to go.
Jeanna / 19 oct 2004 / 9:18 a.m.
Tennessee’s driving “test” is ridiculous. I got my license after driving only three times and nearly killed myself in an accident the following year. Then I moved to DC and got a license in Virginia with no questions asked.
Don’t worry, I don’t drive anymore. :)
stef / 19 oct 2004 / 9:22 a.m.
THANK YOU! I feel exactly the same way- old people NEED to have drivers’ tests after X number of years!
debi / 19 oct 2004 / 10:53 a.m.
I don’t know what CA state law is, but I have said SEVERAL times that nation-wide people who are 60 and over should have to get a physical driving test at LEAST every 5 years. I think anyone over 70 should get them yearly. They can make it free so it’s not “unfair” but some people (my grandpa for instance) think they can drive just fine but in reality they can’t see very well, move or think very quickly and they can’t judge distances and speeds as well. It’s just a fact of life.
People say it’s discriminating against old people. BUT, young people can’t drive until they are 16. That’s not discrimination, that’s good sense. Old people should have some sort of limits as well - as long as you can pass a driving and vision test, you can drive. Otherwise, you can’t!!
Cori / 19 oct 2004 / 5 p.m.
True story:
My grandfather is in his eighties and has dementia. A couple of years ago, he took their car on a little drive. He just kept driving and driving until he got to West Walworth (at least a 40 minute drive from our hometown) driving down 55mph roads at 30 miles an hour. He wound up driving the car into a ditch, and finally getting to a gas station.
They took him to the hospital to be evaluated, and my parents had to tell the doctor to revoke his license - even after hearing how he had come to wind up there in the first place. Nice, huh?
I’m all about the mandatory driving tests after age 60. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been cut off or nearly hit by an old person who couldn’t see over the damn steering wheel.
Melissa / 20 oct 2004 / 11:16 p.m.
I am a RN and I work for an ophthalmologist—if you knew how many elderly men and women we see with less than legal driving vision, you’d understand. People who “only wear glasses for reading” or blurred vision WITH their glasses or have cataracts. The vision cut-off for a driver’s license is 20/40; some of these people are driving with 20/80 or 20/200 vision. SCARY.
Brandon / 18 oct 2004 / 11:32 p.m.
That is safe.