Too Old to Drive?

[Wayne55]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/wedding_accident

Read this and tell me why old people are still allowed to drive?
Iknow this can be a emotional topic for some people but please be nice to everyone who has an opinion remember not every one will have the same opinion as you. For example mine is they should be tested after 60 once a year and after 70 twice a year. I'm sorry but it's a scientific fact that the older you get your eyesight, reflexes and just plan common sense gets worse, and thats a bad combination to put behind the wheel of a 2000 lbs + veichle traviling @ 50 + kmh......bad medicine my friend

[ceg]

In the last 6 months every time I've nearly been hit while driving it has been by someone who looked to be 60 and up.

I also believe that there should be yearly tests after the age of 60. I knew someone that when their dad [I think he was 65 - 70] went for an eye exam [only because his doctor told him he wanted everything checked, if not he wouldn't have had it done] they found out he was half blind in one eye and completely blind in another and still driving.

[cuddles2007]

. i agree. my grandmother who is in her 60's doesnt drive that much because of her "old age" . i think they should get tested at least twice a year .

[oasis]

After the last couple of days I think it should be expanded. EVERYONE should be made to take a road test every year! I have watched some of the worst driving in my life the last 2 or 3 days. People cutting in and out of traffic. Running red lights. You name it!

Yesterday on Consumers Drive I was in the left turn lane and a guy stopped in the strait lane cut out in front of me. I hit him. (My first accident in 20 plus years of driving!) Luckily I saw him fast enough and was able to turn the van. We still connected, but there was no damage to speak of. Just a bit of scraping.

No one was hurt and the damage wasn't worth any hassles. The guy was very apologetic. And seemed like a very nice guy that did something stupid. So we shook hands and drove away glad that no one was hurt.

But with what I've seen lately. I think every one should be tested. There are a lot of people that would be busing it right now! They seem to have forgotten everything they learned. Most in this city don't even seem to realize that there is a turn indicator throw in for free with every vehicle purchase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kaj27]

Driving has become a right and it shouldn't be. It isn't something everyone can do. Some people, Old and young should NOT be allowed to drive.

Forgive me if this sounds mean but you see some people who are not in control of all their facilities get behind a wheel. If you can't walk correctly because of a bad hip or a bum hand....why should be you allowed to operate a 1400kg machine?

Some changes are needed everywhere on the driving issue.

[sarahnb]

I have a neighbor who isn't capable of walking straight yet she drives daily. Actually she barely walks, she shuffles. What does her family do when she has an accident? they get her car fixed? Take it away!!!!

[richunclepennywise]

After the last couple of days I think it should be expanded. EVERYONE should be made to take a road test every year!

But with what I've seen lately. I think every one should be tested. There are a lot of people that would be busing it right now! They seem to have forgotten everything they learned. Most in this city don't even seem to realize that there is a turn indicator throw in for free with every vehicle purchase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've always thought that there should be a retest with license renewal, but every year wouldn't be practical. You'd have to get your new license and drive to the end of the renewal line to start waiting for next year's.

[NoseToTheGrind]

My mother is 73 and she still drives, I will not be in a car with her driving, scares the hell outta me....LOL.

[Wayne55]

I totally agree with the whole right not a privlege statement, and there are also a lot of bad drivers of all ages out there and everyone should be tested everytime they have to renew there liscene, but that being said Young adult males get the label of "bad impatience driver" or "dangerous", and yes there are a lot of young males(and women a fastly growing stat.) that go too fast and drive cariously, but Stats Canda's figures show that Women over the age of 62 and men over the age of 64 are the most dangerous drivers on the road. Now that does not mean they have the most accidents what happens is they are usually the catalyst for accidents. I'll give you a prime example from my own experience just tonight. I'm driving with a friend down Rothesay Ave and we get stuck behind an older Gentelman in the right lane going 40 kmh (in between 38 nad 46 acutully) and as we pass him he gives us a look like we did something wrong and then as were a little ahead of him I look back in the rear view and literally see him pull across 3 lanes of traffic with no signal into the Tim Hortons then honk his horn at the person who slammed on there brakes to avoid hitting him. That is a prime example of what is meant by not always being in the accident but being the cause of it. I know anyone can have an accident and I'm no law makker or polatician but a line has to be drawn somewhere. Is it the responsability of the goverment? the people or is it the responsability of the persons family friends and or loved ones. I personly think it should be a goverment and family/friends responsability. My grandfather was a 60 + year old man who was not fit to drive, so we took him around once a week to do all his shopping and bill paying, and more important then that we spent time with him as much as we could and whenever any of us was going somewhere like a mall or post office or something we would call and ask him if he needed anything or wanted to go anywhere, and it kept him off the road for the rest of his days and made the roads that much saffer. Think about people are parents and aunts and uncles (the baby boomers) are all starting to get up there and there are going to be more....a lot more elder drivers on the roads in the next 10 years, and I for one shiver every time I think of that situation. Where the goverment should step in is with public transportation, they should make it more frequent and a lot more accesible(I'm young and I hate waiting in a heavy snow fall or walking to a bus stop in snow or waiting at a stick in the ground in a pooring rain,bus shelters would be nice, can't imagine doing it as an old man) and a lot more transportation to rural and outlying communities. Give the elderly good tax breaks on taxi cabs or do what they do with bus passes let them buy a taxi pass with so many rides at a reduced rate something, I mean its gonna get a whole lot worse in the next few years and some of you younger people in your 20's and 30's may not be around in the future because someones grandmother decided she needed some more yarn right away...think about it

[t-bone]

Holy frig Wayne! Buy a "TAB' key and start a new paragraph once in a while. These old eyes aren't what they used to be!