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While eating lunch today, I remembered a case from a few months ago of a couple in their 80s caught driving the wrong way on the interstate at a high rate of speed. It is clear they are not mentally and probably not physically fit to continue driving at this age. I also hear fairly frequent reports of accidents or property damage caused by mentally or physically impaired seniors.
How's driving coming for you? Do you feel like your driving abilities are slipping as you age? How do you feel about increased testing for elderly drivers to determine road fitness?
"I'm past the age of raisin' kids, I'm raising Hell just like I did." The Valentine One on my dash is not just a relic of my younger days, it earns it's keep even now.
I have known guys in their 80's that still ride sport bikes, "The way God intended them to be ridden."
I would be in favor of performance based testing for drivers, and not just older ones. In the nuclear world operators train and test on simulators, this is one of the factors that has driven down the operating incident rate and has prevented minor upsets from becoming real problems many times.
I look at this from a couple of perspectives..........
I was an Ambulance officer in Toronto for a number of years, so I attended many car accidents, and on my days off I was a driver trainer for a school bus company. Some of the trainee bus drivers were age 60 or older, retired men and women. There abilities varied widely, as some had never driven anything bigger than a Honda passenger car. Some others had previous experience with trucks and or large delivery vehicles.
The common denominator was hesitation, and being too careful. Now I know that being "too careful " sounds like an oxymoronic statement, but here is what I am getting at........Knowing how and when to make that turn, across oncoming traffic, safely, is a learned thing. Hesitation, at the wrong time , can result in a snafu, with other drivers not knowing what you are going to do.
I failed quite a few of the potential school bus drivers, for being too timid, and for poor judgement in traffic situations. My standard was that the driver had to be able to back up in a straight line, between a set of cones 14 feet apart, then back around a blind corner, and make a three point turn, with out touching a cone. That was the exercise that most of them failed on. With a 48 seat school bus, you can't see through the bus, you HAVE to be able to use the outside mirrors properly.
Now for the part about senior drivers( full disclosure I am 69 years old ) . I would like to see the use of driver testing simulators increased greatly. It is an accurate way to assess the physical and mental status of a driver, with out them being on the road. The simulators have wide screens that cover 190 degrees of the driver's vision, and the testing system can simulate all types of day and night conditions, plus rain, fog, snow or ice on the road. The reaction times for seeing a oncoming hazard, for moving from the throttle pedal to the brake, and the ability to steer out of a skid are all programmable.
In my experience as an Ambulance officer, I saw many examples of drivers who were unable to explain how they got into the situation, because they were not fully aware of where they were, or where they were trying to go. The typical statement was " I didn't see him coming " or "he came out of nowhere ". Situational awareness is the key to much of the problem.
Here in Ontario, there is a legal requirement for all Medical Doctors to report patients that are suspected of being unsafe as a driver. That impairment may be a medical condition such as epilepsy, or a uncontrolled diabetes. It is not based on age, but in reality many of those that are sent to be tested are elderly. The testing involves a eye test including night time simulations, and a driver's written test, and a road test with a Provincial examiner. At that point many are told that their ability to drive is too poor and their license is suspended. The family is also told, and cautioned that Mum or Dad can be charged and convicted in a court of law, if they are caught driving . Sell the car and get a taxi charge account. Its cheaper than paying for somebodies death, caused by Gramps. Way cheaper.
Personally, I don't think my skills are slipping. In fact, my eye sight even improved enough for me to pass my vision test after TWENTY years of having to wear glasses to drive! I did receive two speeding tickets along with failure to obey license restrictions because I refused to wear the glasses. Now I don't have to, but I got used to them. Learned my lesson.
Anyway, after all that - I DON"T want to drive! I need a chauffer!
Maybe I've just done too much driving in my life - I'm over that too.
I would wager that more accidents are caused by idiots texting and talking on their cell phones than by people of any specific age.
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