With a rise in fatal accidents caused by elderly drivers; does the nation need stricter rules on licenses?

whats wrong with requiring them to take the test when they reach the age of 65? and every year after? the older drivers that are around here, for the most part, are an accident waiting to happen

Thats my whole point. If they are physically OK and mentally OK, they can pass the test with no worries. The only people crying "age discrimination" are the ones who know they have no chance in hell at passing the test.

But i believe more likely, that most of the really old people know that they probably shouldn't drive, and know they would be up the creek if their state starting making them do a driving test over a certain age.

My great grandma shouldnt have driven....and in her senile brain somewhere she knew that...but she was putting her "independance" above peoples' safety, and possibly lives. She was the kind of person who wouldnt have understood what they had done...and my dad did the right thing.

Your numbers are correct, firstdown. The link a few posts above to that iii.org page shows that the number of fatal accidents caused by old drivers are on par with new, young drivers.

The Josh accident was personal to me, but it started way before. In 2007, my dad had to make the decision to put his grandmother, who was then 88 or 89, in a nursing home. She had lived with us for the past year, after having an accident in her apartment building where she fell out of an elevator shaft and broke both hips and fractured her skull.

Right before that, she still drove semi-weekly. She was in bad shape physically. She could barely walk, or turn her head side to side. In January of 2007, she slammed her car into a concrete near her apartment building, injuring herself and 4 other people. A pedestrian was nearby who would have been killed if the car was 1 foot to the right.

The police charged her, but never did she lose her license or face any other kind of penalty. Thank goodness my dad mercifully stepped in when he did. I think most people feel shame to take away their parents licenses, or maybe to the point where they know they would have to drive them around, etc.

I know in Winchester, nearby to here, there is a bus service that takes elderly people around....its non profit and it is aimed at making the streets safer by keeping them off the road.

You have to remember that when an older person gives up their lic. its alot more to them then just a lic. Its their freedom to come and go when they want, they now have to depend on other for thing like going to the store, doctors, church, etc... and that why so many have a problem handing them over. Plus alot of time when they have an accident they blame it on the other person when its clearly their fault. Its not that they are trying to pull a fast one but thing happen so quick they get confused.

While we're at it how about more restrictions on drivers under 20? Seems that whenever I see someone on the road pulling a dick move, it's usually some kid who doesn't even look old enough to be driving.

They did raise the age here. It used to be you got your learner's at 15...the way it was with me in 1999. But now it's 15 and 6 months....making the age of driver's license 16 and 6 months.

Also now if you are under 21 and you get any kind of ticket, you have to go to a DMV driver improvement course or you lose your license. I think that was made a law in like 2003 or 04'

They have been trying to raise it to 18 for a long time around here. I dont know if it would be good or bad. The roads would probably be safer no doubt, but the schools would have to buy more buses, driver, etc....to accomodate all the kids who normally wouldnt be riding the bus....

Thats my whole point. If they are physically OK and mentally OK, they can pass the test with no worries. The only people crying "age discrimination" are the ones who know they have no chance in hell at passing the test.

But i believe more likely, that most of the really old people know that they probably shouldn't drive, and know they would be up the creek if their state starting making them do a driving test over a certain age.

My great grandma shouldnt have driven....and in her senile brain somewhere she knew that...but she was putting her "independance" above peoples' safety, and possibly lives. She was the kind of person who wouldnt have understood what they had done...and my dad did the right thing.

I don't think thats true and most think they are just fine to drive. The ones I have seen it takes 3 or 4 things or something really bad happening before they start to get that maybe they should not be driving.

They did raise the age here. It used to be you got your learner's at 15...the way it was with me in 1999. But now it's 15 and 6 months....making the age of driver's license 16 and 6 months.

Also now if you are under 21 and you get any kind of ticket, you have to go to a DMV driver improvement course or you lose your license. I think that was made a law in like 2003 or 04'

They have been trying to raise it to 18 for a long time around here. I dont know if it would be good or bad. The roads would probably be safer no doubt, but the schools would have to buy more buses, driver, etc....to accomodate all the kids who normally wouldnt be riding the bus....

They also limited when they can drive and how many passengers they can have in the car.

I don't think thats true and most think they are just fine to drive. The ones I have seen it takes 3 or 4 things or something really bad happening before they start to get that maybe they should not be driving.

What i meant was, its not so much that they are thinking "Screw You, I'm driving no matter what", they start to think about it when they start having trouble getting around, getting short of breath, etc....they start to realize it.

They offset the risk in their minds probably by thinking "oh i only go out once a week, or they think the trip is short enough to home that they wont be dangerous. They are banking on something not happening.

Charles Clevenger would have probably been fine that may evening had nobody been coming down the road. But Josh was....

While we're at it how about more restrictions on drivers under 20? Seems that whenever I see someone on the road pulling a dick move, it's usually some kid who doesn't even look old enough to be driving.
Totally.........if you want to protect society from the oldsters.......then the youngsters cannot be allowed to menace the roadways either.

i got rear ended then side swiped by a real old lady once. she was swerving all over the road then smacked into me. it was dark, kinda icy and she said she couldnt see b/c of her defrosters.

we exchange info then her daughter calls asking me to not report the accident to her insurance and that she would pay for the repair. she said her mom was on a fixed budget, needed the car and the insurance would drop her.

i told the daughter that your mom really shouldnt be on the road. when i talked with her while were pulled over she was confused, britle and just not thinking right nor had the physical ability and reaction time to safely operate a vehicle.

long story short, i dont call her insurance and never called her daughter back so i ended up with a messed up bumper and a long streak down the driver side of my car. oe of those times i was being too good for my own good.

See i would be the exact opposite in that situation. I would always report a crash or something of that nature because at some point, some how, people have to be protected from themselves. OTM, if it hadn't been you, it would be someone else that she would have hit.

It would have caught up to her eventually. My great grandma's accident, there was no way for her to try and hide it or get away...she was too messed up, and there were too many witnesses. But my dad still had a tough decision to make....

i got rear ended then side swiped by a real old lady once. she was swerving all over the road then smacked into me. it was dark, kinda icy and she said she couldnt see b/c of her defrosters.

we exchange info then her daughter calls asking me to not report the accident to her insurance and that she would pay for the repair. she said her mom was on a fixed budget, needed the car and the insurance would drop her.

i told the daughter that your mom really shouldnt be on the road. when i talked with her while were pulled over she was confused, britle and just not thinking right nor had the physical ability and reaction time to safely operate a vehicle.

long story short, i dont call her insurance and never called her daughter back so i ended up with a messed up bumper and a long streak down the driver side of my car. oe of those times i was being too good for my own good.
Maybe she was just drunk.