AutoSaver.com by Kimberly Ann
Not too awfully long ago, I wrote an article on Teen
Drivers. It’s interesting, because
although the spotlight, in today’s society, is on youth drivers and distracted
drivers, we tend to overlook another dangerous driver…the old folks. Now, I want to know, at what age are we
considered a senior, old and then elderly?
Is there an exact age OR is it a state of mind? I even dove into Wiki and they can’t even
clearly define old age…so perhaps it’s a state of mind and body combined. After all, we all age differently. Senior Citizens are defined by being 65+, in
the United States. Now, my Mom is senior
citizen…barely, and is by no means old or elderly for that matter. The definition of old, as defined by a group
of baby boomers (age 50-64) is 72 years old and above. I’m not going to go into why, but the link to
the article is at the bottom of the page, if you’re curious. Personally,
I define elderly to be somebody who is old AND weak… they can’t really function
day to day without help.
Statistics provided by autos.com show that people between
the ages of 15 and 24 and then those over the age of 75, are the most likely
affected by car accidents. So if you
look at our scale, those are Old(er) Folks.
So the Seniors are cleared.
I believe the teen drivers top the list due to inexperience
and distractions. It’s their first taste
of freedom, so to speak, and many just don’t think ahead to the possible
outcomes of their actions. Now, why are
the Old(er) Folks in second? I would say
their reaction time may be slower, their vision isn’t top notch…just the facts
of getting older. The question I’m going
to ask is, do you feel there is an age at which driver’s should be re-tested to
maintain their driving privileges?
It’s a hot topic and one that needs to be addressed. Many states have what they consider ‘accelerated
renewal procedures’ where, depending on the state and your age, you may be
required to re-test vision, you’re not allowed to file electronically, etc. However, very few states require a re-take of
the road test and this is where my issue lies.
People shouldn’t be offended because they need to re-take a
road test. If the true concern is public safety, and you feel you are a good driver, the test should be no
problem. I certainly wouldn’t have a
problem re-testing…whether I pass or fail, it’s for safety’s sake. The list of states and their requirements
can be found here: http://www.iihs.org/laws/olderdrivers.aspx
I have been saying that there needs to be re-testing policies in place for older drivers for years. Not only do we forget some of the laws over time; things also change - constantly. Those who've been driving for 30+ years may not be aware of all the changes and a re-test would do much to help that.
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world, the test would comprise of written, vision, and reaction time components, as well as a practical exam of an actual drive with an evaluator. This may not be palatable at first but once established, we'd all get used to it like everything else.