from the NYTIMES:

[emily_in_nc]

AMEN!

I can't think of anything else to say...

Emily

[SadieKate]

Absolutely. Dealing with this issue in my family now. Unfortunately, it is my MIL and I can only do so much. I haven't yet personally called the DMV but that is next on my list after this week's visit by one of the daughters. I think they finally got it when I convinced them that she had no ability to deal with the unexpected, that planning trips with right hand turns only and the inability to back out of her driveway in a straight line was a signal.

[Geonz]

An Illinois cyclist was killed by an elderly driver - who wasn't even fined a red cent or even given a ticket. I understand he's not driving any more. Still, fact is that he killed a mom.
I find it hard to believe that the driver was so utterly fragile that it would do him more harm to at least acknowledge that HE DID SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG. If he does, in fact, recognize that, then I find it hard to believe that he shouldn't be willing to at least pay a ticket or do community service - hey, go out and walk along the road and pick up some litter! Sweep off a bike path! I wasn't there so I can't assume this is so, but somehow I suspect that the reasoning was that well, he didn't *mean* to do anything, so we shouldn't do anything either. Or, he's from X family, and we don't want to make them mad.
My momma didn't let that be an excuse for me, any more than "she made me do it" would be. My momma shoulda been a judge.

[KnottedYet]

A friend's grandma hit a 10 year old girl on a bike and didn't stop. She drove home, and then called a daughter all upset because she thought something had happened when she was driving but couldn't figure out what.

The daughter did a court appearance and took guardianship of her mom and the whole works. Took away the car. Moved her into a nursing home shortly after.

She took the whole thing very seriously.

[DDH]

First let me say to you how sorry I am this happened to you. I am so glad that you are slowly recovering. This must be a very hard thing to have to go through.
I don't mean to open a can of worms here but I have to say, I agree to an extent with what you say, however there are always exceptions.
New drivers, teenagers cause more accidents than any group, however we do not intend or even suggest that we take away their priveledge to drive.
I agree with your statment that all should be recertified or some kind of re-testing every 10 years or so.
I wonder if we will all feel the same way as we get older though. A lot of time that is the last of the independance that the elderly have and when we take that away from them, they sit in their houses with nothing to do.
It's really a very touchy thing and should be looked at on an individual basis and not just a broad range of age be given the boot on when they have to stop driving. I know that is not what you had said, but a lot of the times when this gets brought up, that is the general consenses, "just take it away from all, say, 65 year olds" and I just don't think that is the answer.

I think the main thing I see these days is that people in general seem to think that they have some right to drive. The fact of the matter is, is that driving is a priviledge not a right. People seem to think that they own the rode when they are on it and by God everyone else better get out of their way.
I live in an overcrowded military town, and we don't have the big city traffic so to speak, but we have a problem with the roads not being able to handle the amount of traffic we have and it is causing major impatience problems and people being discourtious, rude and just plain taking way to many chances. No one knows what speed limits signs are for, or at least it doesn't pertain to them. Everytime I go to town, I see people do the rolling stops at stop signs, run red ligths because they just aren't going to wait through one more light cycle. I mean it is just down right scarry to drive. I try always to do all my running during non peak hours, and rarely go into town after dark, and I am only 42.
Okay, sorry, I didn't mean to get on a tangent. I'm done. I apologize really. I don't want to offend anyone or get any dander up it's just a sensetive subject with me. I have a mother and MIL that I have to do all running for because neither can or will drive and it takes a tole on me at times. I guess the good side is at least we didn't have to fight for the keys from them before they did hurt someone.

[Deborajen]

Regarding the article - well said!

But yes, as DDH says, there's more to it than just the elderly. I just went through getting my teenage son started driving. Personally, I'm really not in favor of unrestricted driving until at least age 18. Teach them, supervise them, and give them priviledges gradually - don't make it about convenience. Unfortunately, that seems to be the main concern about driving priviledges - at any age. It should be about getting there, but safely.

Driving is a huge responsibility. Cycling carries responsibility, too. The laws need to be enforced and everyone needs to take responsibility for the damage they can do, period.

Deb

[xeney]

New drivers, teenagers cause more accidents than any group, however we do not intend or even suggest that we take away their priveledge to drive.

Sure we do. Well, it depends on the state, but California keeps imposing more and more restrictions on teenage driving in response to the number of traffic fatalities in that age group. These days there are limitations on when kids can drive, how many other kids can be in the car, when they can drive without an adult present ... it's a long way from when I was 16 and suddenly had all the rights and privileges of someone who'd been driving for thirty years.

But laws won't do everything. Even if states restricted licenses for seniors, it might not help, because the same factors that make some people unsafe to drive could also make them unwilling to respect the fact that they no longer were legally permitted to do so. Families have to take responsibility, and that is much easier said than done. Elderly people have been known to actually steal cars. (Not that anyone I'm related to ever did that, ahem.)

I think the answer is probably for people to be aware of this issue when they are younger. Talk about it with your spouse, with your kids, with your doctor, so that you have more objective people around to let you know when it's time to give up the keys. And, from an advocacy standpoint, it is much easier for seniors to stop driving if they have other options ... which means public transportation.