The elderly should be tested for driving skills more often

[FC]

Yet another example that the fact that you could drive 60 years ago does not prove you still can.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/15/dealership.accident.ap/index.html

[SteveM]

Wow, it shot off in reverse, AND the airbags deployed. Must have been quite an impact.

[FC]

Wow, it shot off in reverse, AND the airbags deployed. Must have been quite an impact.

Well, it did hit 2 people, a car, a tree and a wall. It was also written off.

[Roadstergal]

The salesman was released after treatment and is expected to be out of work for about a week, Sica said.

And is probably looking for another line of work. :P

Ja, like I said in The Other Thread, there's a bell curve, and driving skills take a big ol' plunge (on average) in the elderly.

More often? Is there any kind of test at the moment after the initial one?

[FC]

The salesman was released after treatment and is expected to be out of work for about a week, Sica said.

And is probably looking for another line of work. :P

Ja, like I said in The Other Thread, there's a bell curve, and driving skills take a big ol' plunge (on average) in the elderly.

More often? Is there any kind of test at the moment after the initial one?

I don't think so, but before someone jupms all over me with some obscure exception (something bonoboy loves to do), I figured I'll it the benefit of the doubt.

And I am 100% with you on the bell curve thing. I've always had issues with unfit elderly driving. Particularly since I got into a minor fender bender with some old lady and on a technicality I was found resposnible. It was probably $200 of damage and it has probably cost me $3000 in premiums over the years.

What worries me is an old person running over a child, or anyone else for that matter. And it sure has happened. The kicker, seniors get insurance DISCOUNTS. :banghead: :rant:

[clyde]

Particularly since I got into a minor fender bender with some old lady and on a technicality I was found resposnible.

Details, please...

[Doug]

Don't get me started on this topic, I'm all for yearly mandatory after 55.

[FC]

Particularly since I got into a minor fender bender with some old lady and on a technicality I was found resposnible.

Details, please...

You asked...

I had my license for only a couple of months. I was trying to make a left turn. I was completely stopped. I should have just gone since I had so much room, but I hessitated and decided to wait. The front left corner of my car was less than a foot over the yellow line. The lady keeps driving, keeps driving (I see she is awfully close to the yellow line but I have no chance of backing up because there is a car on my ass trying to make the same turn), she gets closer until she finally decides to hit the brakes when it is much to late and skids on the wet road (it was a light drizzle). My POS chevy cavalier gets a minimal crack on the fender and her POS Accord cracks its headlight.

She got out of the car (with a ton of effort since she seems to be 154 years old) and does not stop apologizing for being so careless. Says she was just trying to go to the bank. It took her 10 minutes just to get her license out of her purse that was in her pocket.

A cop showed up (because some low-life, living-off taxpayers' dollars had nothing to do and called them) and said I was over the yellow line (by about 5 inches at this point due to the collision). Case closed. My word means nothing vs a cop's police report. I also had no chance of offering to fix her car since a police report was issued.

That's it. I learned my lesson very quickly that you cannot assume people will use common sense. BTW, it was 30mph zone and she was doing about 20mph, which honestly made the accident seem like the scene from Austin powers where the guy is screaming "NO!" and he has all the time in the wolrd to get out of the way. There was also an empty parking lot to her right that was 100% to the street (I know this because it was my dad's store parking lot).

My only accident of any sort in my 10 years of driving. At age 16.

[Plaz]

Don't get me started on this topic, I'm all for yearly mandatory after 55.

I'm all for yearly mandatory for everyone.

[Rob]

Don't get me started on this topic, I'm all for yearly mandatory after 55.

I'm all for yearly mandatory for everyone.

Me too. It would keep everyone more on their toes and thinking about driving properly.

Stuka, didn't that guy have a seizure of some sort that was from an undiagnosed illness? There's a difference between a tragedy caused by an illness that came up for the first time and a seizure that the driver knew might happen at any time.

But we could be thinking about different events b/c the one I am thinking about (that I think you witnessed a part of) happened after I moved to Cali and that was less than 3 years ago. Or I could be wrong about the cause.

[Mathew]

I doubt a politician would dare propose anything that prohibits the elderly from doing something because they all vote.

[rumatt]

Well, it did hit 2 people, a car, a tree and a wall. It was also written off.

:lol:

[kognito]

looks like you have to watch out for the young, too.

16 year old runs over, and kills mom.

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-9/11136271786490.xml

[lip277]

Yeah - I just heard of that one too.

Damn..... Too bad.