Pressure mounts to test elder drivers(MA)

boston.com ^ | June 8, 2009 | Peter Schworm

[GQuagmire]

Pressure is building on state lawmakers to monitor elderly drivers more closely, renewing the heated, politically sensitive debate over whether seniors should have to prove their continued fitness to drive. Massachusetts, like many states, does not have testing for older drivers, other than universally administered eye tests. Advocates for the elderly have sharply opposed age-based oversight as discriminatory, and noted that the state prohibits age discrimination in licensing.

[devane617]

And the 35 million member AARP goes wild!!!!!

[pnh102]

Testing for old drivers will never happen. They are too reliable of a voting bloc.

[gieriscm]

Then do away with the age discrimination, and retest everyone.

[Dominnae]

Advocates for the elderly have sharply opposed age-based oversight as discriminatory, and noted that the state prohibits age discrimination in licensing.

*Most* older drivers lack the vision and response time for driving int traffic. My Dad was one of them.

We tried to get his license revoked, and couldn't. His eye doctor said Dad's vision had deteriorated and that he'd have to send a letter to the state, but he never did.

His driving was so erratic, I can't even tell you how many fender scrapes he had, or curbs he hit. The damage would show up on his Outback, and he'd shrug and say "I don't know when that happened." or ask me what *I* did to his car.

My daughter and I moved in with him when he was 80 years old, soon after my mother passed away, because my other sisters would have put him in a nursing home: I drove him everywhere he wanted to go, and got him to all his doctor appointments, but he would sneak out as often as he could on his own.

It was his last semblance of independence (in his eyes- I could understand that much) but he had macular degeneration and funky blood sugar from his diabetes - and his mind wandered a lot.

In 2007, a month after being diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, he decided to "make the rounds", I knew he couldn't see, he was depressed, he didn't just care if anything happened to him anymore.

I went to the police department in my town, and had the Sgt at the desk put a "stop & hold" on him.. we called the state police in case he went farther afield, but luckily we found him a town away sitting in a diner flirting wit his favorite waitress.

I took his keys away, (including any spares) and he was SO angry. It hurt me to have the roles switched and have to be the hard-ass parent to him, but he was a danger to his own and other lives on the road. He said "I'm going to be dead in six months anyway."

The argument that finally got to him was: "It's bad enough you don't care if your own daughter has to go and identify you in a morgue - what about some other family or small children you hit because you can't see.. do they deserve that, because you don't care?"

His driver's license wasn't set to expire until 2008. Six months after he passed away. He wouldn't have even had to have another eye test, he could have had it renewed online if he knew that was an option.

The states have to do something about the older drivers, not just to protect them from themselves, but the other families out there that face a tragedy because they refuse to surrender their "rights" to drive as long as they have a valid license.

[RexBeach]

My grandfather gave up license in MA when he was 91.

But, in nearly 70 years of driving in the Bay State, he NEVER had an accident! Nothing. Zippo. Nada.

I couldn’t say that. I couldn’t even lie about it well.

[mewzilla]

The states have to do something about the older drivers, not just to protect them from themselves, but the other families out there that face a tragedy because they refuse to surrender their "rights" to drive as long as they have a valid license.

You're right, but here's the rub: taking away the licenses is the easy part. What happens after the licenses start being revoked? Who takes these folks to the docs, pharmecies, laundromat, grocery store, church? There aren't the programs in place to take care of the transpo needs of all the elderly people who'd suddenly become homebound. And it seems to me, anyway, that governments will have to plan on that aspect before they start revoking licenses on a broader scale.

In the short term, seems to me like insurance companies would have a role to play. And if states were to get rid of no-fault, I think that would help here as well.

[stentorian conservative]

I am so sorry that you had to go through that. It must have been heart-wrenching.

And I agree with you that there needs to be a process in place for our elderly drivers. I see nothing wrong with annual eye exams.

But then again, it would do no good for some, like my grandparents, who are ornery and cantankerous and would drive anyway!

[stentorian conservative]

As the Mother of three (almost four) teenage drivers, I can get on board with that.

[svcw]

It is interesting but hardly ever brought up, during these conversations, that most accidents are caused by people under 25.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I’ll match my driving skills with any teenager you can find.

[FatherofFive]

The states have to do something about the older drivers

Only if they are wards of the state. Children and grandchildren should be the primary source of safety for elders.

[svcw]

I am very sorry you had to go through this, but I do not believe it to be typical.

[keepitreal]

I hear of by far more fatalities caused by illegal aliens on the nation’s roads than by the elderly.

[hunter112]

Then do away with the age discrimination, and retest everyone.

Not the world's worst idea. When my family moved from Indiana to Washington State in 1969, my folks had to be retested to get driver's licenses. And my dad, although in his early 40's and of sound health, hearing and vision, had accumulated enough bad habits to actually fail the test the first time. (Mom passed, and lords it over him occasionally to this day!)

While they're at it, rather than a blanket prohibition on cell phone usage, you could develop a test for people who are able to actually use one and drive intelligently, and separate out those (who for some stupid reason feel the need to look at the damned thing) who cannot. A mark on one's license plate would distinguish the two classes of driver.

[JenB987]

I think they should retest everyone every 10 years.

It’s ridiculous to think that once you get your license at 16 years old, you’re set for life.

Too many traffic laws change, people move to other areas, changes in health...

[mewzilla]

It is interesting but hardly ever brought up, during these conversations, that most accidents are caused by people under 25.

But is that because elderly drivers drive fewer miles?

On that question and this topic, from 2008 and Texas...

Crashes involving elderly drivers fall; year-old Katie's law may change

Research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows seniors drive fewer miles than people in other age groups and are involved in relatively lower rates of police-reported crashes per capita.

But older drivers are involved in a relatively high number of crashes per mile. What's more, seniors will probably account for one out of every four American drivers by 2030, a considerable jump from the current tally of about one in seven.

FWIW, graduated licensing is a good idea for teens, and I think it would also be a good idea for seniors.

[Gay State Conservative]

It’ll never happen.Not here,at least.Seniors vote.And they vote RAT.And Massachusetts RAT office holders have to be dragged out of their offices feet first.And that’s *exactly* the way they want it.

[ex91B10]

(Mom passed, and lords it over him occasionally to this day!)

Moms are like elephants; they never forget.

[TornadoAlley3]

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