When Is "Too Old" To Drive????

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: CKN
His grandmother has memory loss-the chances that she is "sharp as a tack" is about zero. Sometimes, if "the system" fails or doesn't take action it's up to the relatives closest to her to do so. As far as judging health over the Internet-I think that statement is pretty funny coming from someone or was seeking medical/drug advice a few weeks ago on your own thread.


I have memory loss too, but I still consider myself sharp as a tack when it comes to driving. For the life of me, I can't remember to look up the price and availability of Bermuda grass seed. Hopefully I can remember before Summer's over!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I don't think failing the DMV driving test is bad enough to warrant taking a license away permanently. I consider myself an excellent driver, but I'd probably fail the test too because I don't like driving with both hands on the wheel. How is your Grandmother's short term memory ? Has she ever been out driving her car and had forgotten where she's at ? If not, I'd say she's good to go. I'm a strong opponent to taking people's drivers licenses away, so I may be biassed. For some old people, their car is their livelihood. Take away their car and they can't take care of themselves. That's a terrible thing to do to somebody.



Disagree here. No matter what kind of health your in-if you can't pass your states DMV test-IMHO you have no business driving. A a matter of fact-if I was king of the DMV I would institute a "Reflex test" and if you don't pass- no license. If your over 80 or 90 in poor health your a disaster waiting to happen behind the wheel.


So...could my grandmother have used an 85% hit rate on the skeet range on her 80th birthday in lieu of the reflex test?

 

[Prune_Juice]

When is too old to drive? .. If talking about elderly, it is when the person is no longer capable of driving in a car in a way that gives any semblance to the surrounding traffic or otherwise normal or safe operation of a car, or when the reaction times endanger everyone, say, coming to a T in the road, etc etc etc (driver would misjudge oncoming traffic and cause horrible accident and etc.)

If we are talking about age.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I don't think failing the DMV driving test is bad enough to warrant taking a license away permanently. I consider myself an excellent driver, but I'd probably fail the test too because I don't like driving with both hands on the wheel. How is your Grandmother's short term memory ? Has she ever been out driving her car and had forgotten where she's at ? If not, I'd say she's good to go. I'm a strong opponent to taking people's drivers licenses away, so I may be biassed. For some old people, their car is their livelihood. Take away their car and they can't take care of themselves. That's a terrible thing to do to somebody.



Disagree here. No matter what kind of health your in-if you can't pass your states DMV test-IMHO you have no business driving. A a matter of fact-if I was king of the DMV I would institute a "Reflex test" and if you don't pass- no license. If your over 80 or 90 in poor health your a disaster waiting to happen behind the wheel.


So...could my grandmother have used an 85% hit rate on the skeet range on her 80th birthday in lieu of the reflex test?

That would be good enough for me!

 

[Cujet]

I wish you luck. We are dealing with this same thing, without success. She is 88, has good and bad days. Passed the vision and driving test with ease, on a good day. Other days, she's far less capable and there is risk.

On the other hand, my boss' mom is 97, still drives a 4x4 and does so perfectly. Drives the entire family around! She is amazing!

 

[jeepman3071]

There are many people on the roads who are too old to drive. Age isn't really the problem itself, but deteriorating hearing, vision, and response times are. My neighbor down the street is approaching 90 years old, and is still a good driver. He even drives stick with his Toyota Tacoma. While working in the insurance industry I saw many elderly people who had no business being behind the wheel.

I worked for a company that insured primarily AARP customers. We had "frequent flyers" as we called them. Elderly folks who got in accidents on a weekly basis. It got pretty complicated when they wrecked multiple rental vehicles while their vehicle was in the body shop. Dementia adds a whole new factor. I had 4 cracked up cars, 3 people saying this elderly woman hit them, and the lady claims she was never in an accident. The only saving grace during these times were parking lot video cameras that caught the accident.

My grandma drove until she was 85. She was a fairly decent driver, but my dad took the keys away when she hit a mailbox and didn't even know it.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: Chris Meutsch
I have said for years: Mandatory yearly eyesight and cognitive tests. Perhaps every 2 years, a mandatory road test. If you're OK and pass at 90, great. Fail at 70? Sorry.

Unaffordable.. you have to test/retest everyone the same 22 y.o. or 82 y.o. Where have you been?


That's my bad. I meant to say STARTING AT AGE 70.

 

[Ducked]

[censored]. I just reversed over my own bicycle.

How old does that make me?

If it's too old to have a bicycle, I can live with that (for a while, which is all we get).

If its too old to have a car, that'll be inconvenient, because my bicycles broken.

 

[cjcride]

When are drivers too old to drive? When they are becoming dangerous to others and themselves.

Many drivers are deliberately dangerous.