Old People and the Farmer's Market

DJ_ProcSwitch · #1 07-20-2003, 02:30 PM

With the recent trajedy at that farmer's market in California, I got to thinkin. Have you ever been driving anywhere and have noticed extremely poor driving skills only to find out that the driver is at least 70 years old? Ok, don't hate me for picking on old people here, cuz teenagers who just get their licenses are no better, but shouldn't older people have to take the drivers skills test again? I mean, when you *think* you're hitting the brake and you hit the gas, that's just wrong. Comments? Or am I alone on this one?

**Phil** · #2 07-20-2003, 02:33 PM

I agree. I think once you hit 60 years old you should have top retake your exam every few years.

oramonster · #3 07-20-2003, 02:42 PM

Maybe I'm being a geek here, but I recall an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in which the Enterprise visited a planet where they would voluntarily commit suicide at age 60 to keep from being a burden to their children and society as they got older. Kinda makes the notion of revoking their drivers license seem tame in comparison.

I think that EVERYONE should retake their driver's exam every 5 years, regardless of age. I know some 40 year olds that are terrible terrible drivers that are clueless about following traffic laws, etc. Making EVERYONE take the test would level the playing field and no one could claim age discrimination.

-seth

Alex T · #4 07-20-2003, 02:57 PM

I was at my grandmother's house earlier this year, and she had a funny story to tell. She's 87, and always eats KFC. She goes there, hits a parked car, doesn't bother to stop, just drives on by and says there was no damage to the car, but the front of her's is dented and paint is missing lol. I feel bad for the person she hit.

BimmerZ3 · #5 07-20-2003, 04:55 PM

I think that everyone should have to retake their driving exam every 10 years. I think 5 years seems alittle excessive. It's not all old people though. My grandpa is actually a very good driver.

jimmycoasterman · #6 07-20-2003, 04:57 PM

I definately agree. Many old people lose their eyesight, and have physical disabilities that make them a threat to road safety. I know before my grandmother passed away, she would drive off and forget how to drive home and we had to take away her keys.

**Andrew P** · #7 07-20-2003, 05:07 PM

You guys are missing one other thing. The older people also take a lot of medication, some of which does interfere with your driving. At that age reflexes do slow down which adds to this, so at 70+ is when they should be checked. I went to renew my license last year. Workign with some things in close proximity to my eyes and spending a lot of time online, my eyes are slow to adjust to some things, even though I am quite young. I have a restriction on my license that says I can only operate it when I have my glasses on which is almost every waking moment.

Chris L · #8 07-20-2003, 08:56 PM

There will always be a battle between law makers and those groups opposing age descrimination. But 10 people killed (including a 7 year old girl) and 30+ injured from the Santa Monica incident? It wasn't even the first time something like that happened; and law makers had already tried passing a restriction on older drivers but it wasn't passed because of those old people organizations.

***Steven*** · #9 07-20-2003, 09:50 PM

Just as I was in favor of graduated licensing, I am in favor of some sort of system that keep older drivers in check. I had a relative who was close to 80 still drive like a 20-30 year old would, but today I saw an old woman, in an old car, driving very slow while talking on a cell phone (yes, you heard me right). A half mile later, there was a two car accident between a minivan and a Chevy Cavalier. There was another old woman driving the Cavalier. She looked alright, but she looked very dazed and confused. Everyone else seemed alright.

Just as they test teenagers, they should retest people say every 10-16 years (here in MI they renew licenses every 4 years), and given the statisitics, increase that frequency to 5 years after age 65 or something. After all, driving is a privilege, not a right, so such lobbies shouldn't really have much to yell and scream about, especially when the safety of everyone else is at risk.

Going back to the Graduated Licensing, we managed to cut the # of accidents with teenagers since it was implemented in this state in 1997, so imagine what a law to keep our older drivers in check would do.

Rebel2000 · #10 07-20-2003, 11:54 PM

As much as I think some people need to retake their driver's tests later in life, there's just no simple way to carry it out. Our local MVA, where the majority of driver's test takers are teenagers, is already crowded and packed with long lines. I can't even imagine how it would be able to function with not only teenagers taking their driver's test, but adults of every single age. Hopefully other MVA's aren't like this one, but it would still be a major problem.

TopGun77 · #11 07-21-2003, 12:30 AM

Oh come on.
Who the hell invented old people, anyway?

SFGadvKing · #12 07-21-2003, 12:30 AM

i say they just take the liscense away after 70. its just like young teens. some 14 year olds could probably drive just as good as a 30 year old but they dont get to have their liscence. if they let old people retake their test then why cant they test kids every 5 years to see if they can drive, if they can give them their liscence, if they cant, wait another 5 years. yeah it sounds stupid but its fair.

intamin101 · #13 07-21-2003, 01:06 AM

The only problem with that idea is that the DMV is already incredibly crowded, and it takes long enough to get an appointment as it is. When taking my test, I noticed that it was very abbriviated (only took 10min), and there wasn't really a chance for me to make a mistake. You really have to suck at driving not to pass. If you had to retake the test every 5years, then the tests would have to be even shorter, and there would be even less of a chance that you would make a mistake, therefore there would be more dumbass drivers on the road. So really, that idea would backfire in the end.

BimmerZ3 · #14 07-21-2003, 01:19 AM

Steven, what exactly is Graduated Licensing? I don't think I've ever heard the term before.

**Andrew P** · #15 07-21-2003, 02:23 AM

[url]http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=10&u=/ap/20030720/ap_on_re_us/market_accident_67[/url]

"Police have said Weller told them he didn't realize until too late that Arizona Avenue was closed to traffic. They also said Weller believes he might have hit the gas instead of the brake as he tried to stop."

I have noticed this with some of my older relatives, that they use one foot on the gas and one on the brake. Driving that way, you can become confused as to which pedal is which.