There was a woman who worked with me before. She said her husband was in his 70s. He couldn't see well, but he'd roll down the windows when he drove so that he could hear when he was driving. She was worried his driver's license would be taken away... it was a big inconvenience, but she said he was good at navigating by hearing. :\ Now, this man obviously shouldn't be driving, but...
it makes me think
Is it discrimination to test for driving capability after a certain age? If it were to be tested, what kind of test should it be?
Some states just do vision tests. Should it be more thorough? Or, no test at all?
With the Baby Boomers retiring and entering their senior years, hopefully self-driving cars will take up the slack, and even make it unnecessary to own your own car..just use an app to summon an e-drone taxi.
One could type in or speak the desired destination, then sit back and read a magazine.
I've never understood why we don't have mandatory retests after every 10 years. It would generate a huge amount of money and employ a lot more driving instructors etc. Drivers would think much harder about their driving and try not to let their skills slip between tests too.
I'd also support a mandatory higher-level test 1 year after passing your initial test, to try to get the standards higher once a driver has a bit of experience under their belt.
I renewed my license about a week ago, and I had to take a 30-second eye-test.
Just test everybody, whenever they renew, for whatever skills are necessary to drive safely: vision, hearing, reaction time, cognition, whatever. It doesn't have to be about age.
I will be 70yr old very soon. I agree that as we age the ability to drive a vehicle safely diminishes. The test should be more than a visual check. I know some in their 80's are just as capable as those in their 40's or 50's.
I would like a driving skill test having seen accidents caused by a lack therof.
Yes... I wanted to turn my dad in before he killed somebody... that asshole... he finally stopped driving when I told him whats mom going to do with out you...?
Funny but my grandmother was of an age when she had been given a license without passing any test. So when my grandfather died she could technically drive but she put herself through an Advanced Driver training course to just prove she was safe. Then 20 years on when she felt her skills weren't as sharp as she wanted them to be she just handed her license in and gave it up, all of her own volition. I really respected her for doing both those things because so many others wouldn't have done it.
My father is 85 and I keep a close eye on him. I think there should be something in place to make sure they are still capable of driving.
I've always been a firm believer in testing elderly drivers, but much like the phrase, "Thirty is old," I now say the word elderly is subjective. I just don't think we should should wait until the first accident to test. It may be too late for someone.
Yessss, especially for older folks. They may feel it's discrimination but the truth is a lot changes as we age. I'd be OK with having to be tested every decade though. I think that's fair. There most certainly are younger people who could use more lessons, or shouldn't be driving.
I think of the hot rodders with their blaring music so they cannot hear outside traffic and load mufflers plus the bumper huggers that I really hate along with the 35 miler on the highway!
Yes Silvereyes, there should be re testing for older folk. I have been quite happy to undergo this age test twice and found it to be relevant. Eye Tests, memory tests, heart condition and I guess a quick assessment to see if I am Ga Ga or not. Age brings many shortcomings and the road is dangerous enough without the problems brought on by age deterioration.
Sometimes it has nothing to do with there age how terrible they are
I think that people of all ages should be tested more often than we do now. Eyesight, mental capacity, etc. can change over a short amount of time. There is no reason people should risk other people's lives. Not for pride, not for convenience, not for any reason.
Absolutely yes they should be tested regularly after a certain age. My grandmother got cancer and gave hers up willingly when she became too sick to drive.
I was Tboned 15ish years ago by a 74 year old woman who did not see my hunter green at 9am and rammed me right behing my seat with an ancient pontiac. Destroyed my car and I have permanent issues with my neck
Last month a friend was side swiped by a 90 something old woman who never realized she had hit someone. Fell asleep while the cops were running her info.
I hear stories like the above time and time again. My insurance company told me years ago that the elderly are the cause of most claims. Texting and driving have replaced that now I'm told
people aged at different rates and lose their reaction time and yes they should be tested for their reaction time and the ability to cope with the world in real driving test I live in the state of Illinois and they do test older drivers more frequently. I believe it is 85 you have to take a test every year.
and some people are just crap always
It seems reasonable that when your reflexes and vision start to generally degrade that you should be retested on a regular basis (maybe every 2-3 years?). It should be done more frequent than regularly renewing a driver's license every 5 years. It's not discrimination. It's common sense and precautionary.
At 79 I hate to admit it but yes so should anyone who has more than 3 tickets in a year and the 2nd dui should have license taken away until they have successfully completed an AA course plus suspended period. I would also like to see bumper huggers loose their license! The test should be a driving skills test and eye test and I have been blind in one eye for 20 years but have 20/20 in other eye.