Does the DMV blackball the elderly? (dangerous, move to, drivers license)

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by marino760

That's awesome but i don't see how that has anything to do with driving a car when you can barely walk and move your legs. I mean you sometimes need to have some fast leg/foot responses and coordination to prevent an accident from happening whether it's your fault or not, like moving your foot from accelerator to brake in a split second.
I don't see how people that have trouble walking and can't move their legs quickly can drive a normal car and not eventually get into an accident.

You are referring to one issue that does not impact the vast majority of the elderly. To drive you need to be able to simply press the gas or brake and that takes minimal leg movement and can be done fairly easily even for the elderly. Those with the inability to do so usually do not drive in any event. The few that do usually drive the city streets fairly slow so an accident they get in is not too bad and usually leads to their losing their incense. Young self centered drivers who ignore laws, use the cell phone and generally want others to drive faster or get out of the way are a far worse problem. Take their licenses away.

1. Distracted Driving

The number one cause of car accidents is not a criminal that drove drunk, sped or ran a red light. Distracted drivers are the top cause of car accidents in the U.S. today. A distracted driver is a motorist that diverts his or her attention from the road, usually to talk on a cell phone, send a text message or eat food.
More on how distracted driving causes accidents

2. Speeding

You’ve seen them on the highway. Many drivers ignore the speed limit and drive 10, 20 and sometimes 30 mph over the limit. Speed kills, and traveling above the speed limit is an easy way to cause a car accident. The faster you drive, the slower your reaction time will be if you need to prevent an auto accident.


https://seriousaccidents.com/legal-a...car-accidents/

[JGC97]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Sadly other the the last, which can apply to any age group, the others are most commonly found in the 20-36 age group. Look who the vast majority of the people driving way above the speed limit are; not the older ones.

Yeah, I suppose being a dumb driver has no age restriction.

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Now you are comparing apples and oranges. We can all agree that drunk and reckless driving is wrong. That crash was totally preventable. But DUI is not limited to young people. 14% of drunk drivers are over age 65, 5% are over age 75. DUI is preventable, and those responsible should be punished accordingly regardless of their age. Incompetent driving due to advanced age, is not preventable. That group should not be punished. They simply should not be allowed to drive. We have laws that require all drivers to be able to demonstrate that they have the skills needed to drive on public roads. If you can't demonstrate those skills, for whatever reason, you can not have a driver's license. It's that simple.

Not comparing anything to anything. I was merely referencing a recent story in response to expat's statistical statement. As for those stats you mention, 14% and 5% are pretty low when you calculate how many drivers are on the road but I do agree that people should stop driving when they can't handle maneuvering a vehicle properly.

Part of the trouble is that older drivers feel they're losing their independence when they lose their license. And to a point, they are. They have to rely on someone else to drive them someplace or use public transportation. Nothing wrong with using public transportation except there are smaller towns where there is none to use. It can be very confining. But, equating older drivers as bad drivers isn't right either as some here have stated. A lot of those old codgers are driving huge RVs and handling them far better than I could.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by expatCA

You are referring to one issue that does not impact the vast majority of the elderly. To drive you need to be able to simply press the gas or brake and that takes minimal leg movement and can be done fairly easily even for the elderly. Those with the inability to do so usually do not drive in any event. The few that do usually drive the city streets fairly slow so an accident they get in is not too bad and usually leads to their losing their incense. Young self centered drivers who ignore laws, use the cell phone and generally want others to drive faster or get out of the way are a far worse problem. Take their licenses away.

1. Distracted Driving

The number one cause of car accidents is not a criminal that drove drunk, sped or ran a red light. Distracted drivers are the top cause of car accidents in the U.S. today. A distracted driver is a motorist that diverts his or her attention from the road, usually to talk on a cell phone, send a text message or eat food.
More on how distracted driving causes accidents

2. Speeding

You’ve seen them on the highway. Many drivers ignore the speed limit and drive 10, 20 and sometimes 30 mph over the limit. Speed kills, and traveling above the speed limit is an easy way to cause a car accident. The faster you drive, the slower your reaction time will be if you need to prevent an auto accident.


https://seriousaccidents.com/legal-a...car-accidents/

Thanks, for that link, but that list is 100% BS and is not backed up by any data. Distracted driving is absolutely not the #1 cause of crashes, speeding is. And you have to keep in perspective that speed limits are artificially low to raise revenue, so virtually every car on the road speeds. So speeding can be applied to most accidents, that don't have any other obvious cause.

Here is a list that has actual numbers to back it up.



Top Causes of Pennsylvania Auto Crashes (2014 Data), by a Philly auto accident lawyer

[JGC97]

Interesting information Cloudy Dayz but why are you giving stats for Pennsylvania? Don't they have stats for this state?

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by HereOnMars

Interesting information Cloudy Dayz but why are you giving stats for Pennsylvania? Don't they have stats for this state?

Because I couldn't find data specifically for California. I think most people would agree that California drivers, drive pretty fast. So the numbers for California are probably not substantially different.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Thanks, for that link, but that list is 100% BS and is not backed up by any data. Distracted driving is absolutely not the #1 cause of crashes, speeding is. And you have to keep in perspective that speed limits are artificially low to raise revenue, so virtually every car on the road speeds. So speeding can be applied to most accidents, that don't have any other obvious cause.

Here is a list that has actual numbers to back it up.



Top Causes of Pennsylvania Auto Crashes (2014 Data), by a Philly auto accident lawyer

You did not actually refute what I posted, just in effect substantiated it.


OK, flip the two around in PA. I also agree CA is probably the same. Thus the same age group, not the elderly, is the problem. Ban them and let the old keep driving as they cause fewer accidents.


Now I also agree that at any age when a physical condition truly endangers others the license should be removed. For the elderly who feel an independence loss, there is generally help available.



But taking a license away should be based on poor driving at any age. Imagine if all the speeders, the major cause of accidents in your view, had their license taken away, how less crowded and safer the roads and freeways would be.

[JGC97]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Because I couldn't find data specifically for California. I think most people would agree that California drivers, drive pretty fast. So the numbers for California are probably not substantially different.

Maybe this is more accurate for our state. While people are still people, driving habits differ from state to state. I'd say we have some of the fastest drivers in the country and I noticed this personally when traveling from California through Oregon. Drivers in Oregon drive much slower. The upside is better gas mileage but here's some information about our state and distracted driving seems to be more prevalent than any other cause.

The most common causes of car accidents in California are distracted driving, speeding, and drunk driving. Despite laws prohibiting using handheld cell phones behind the wheel, 80% of car accidents involve some form of distracted driving. Over 3,000 people in the U.S. lose their lives in distracted driving crashes every year. Hundreds of thousands of drivers receive tickets for handheld cell phone use in California annually. Distracted driving is a major hazard to California road users.

https://kitaylaw.com/california-car-...atistics-2018/

Bottom line is expat's comment about the age group that cause more accidents is correct. Elderly drivers have other issues, such as sight, cognitive response and things related to age. However, revoking someone's license because of their age is wrong. There are still some sharp-minded elderly out there who can drive circles around many of the younger ones. It should be on a case by case basis.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

I agree that there is no age discrimination at the DMV. They want the revenue from CDL renewals. I would definitely pay attention when a renewal is declined for an older person. And yes, it puts a burden on others when a parent is no longer able to drive. But that burden is a lot better than having one's elderly parent cause a fatal accident.

Agree too. All my grandparents, 2 uncles, 1 aunt, and godparents all drove in CA into their 80s or until they voluntarily stopped on their own. My dad kept getting his license renewed until 84, even after several fender benders that his age-related physical condition probably contributed to (poor vision, deaf, loss of motor control in one arm and hand). His local friends were about to write a letter to the DMV recommending that he shouldn't be driving. They wouldn't ride with him and found excuses to drive him places instead. One of these friends is still driving today at 90, though she is very conservative about it. My dad finally pulled a grand haywagon turn across 4 lanes of traffic, was stopped by police, cited, car impounded, license pulled, and sent home in a cab. Everyone who knew him thought of that as a blessing.

[Social Democrat]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

How 75 year olds drive. This type of thing doesn't usually happen to younger drivers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4r5hGzzPVg

Really? All 75 year olds drive like this? Ok, using your logic, all 23 year olds drive like the vermin that killed 7 motorcyclists. Ban all of them too.

https://abcnews-go-com.cdn.ampprojec...Fid%3D63915836

[Vic Romano]

Originally Posted by witsendman

My 86 year old mother is very depressed today.
She got a notice from the DMV that she has had her driving privilages permanently revoked.

For over 70 years, she had a perfect driving record. Then about one and half years ago, a driver on her right intruded into her lane and pushed her onto a center island, where she ran into a small sign. If that sign had not been there, she would have backed up and gone on her way, but no such luck. It could not be proven it was not her fault.

Her quest to drive again was delayed a few months due to a stress fracture in her back, but she finally got a temporary permit, and she has practiced with me in the car, along with my 87 year old father who has dementia, and cannot be left alone.

She finally took her driving test a couple weeks ago, and she failed.She is certain she did not make the mistakes that were in her report, and they were not mistakes she made when she drove with me.

She was expecting to receive a new date to try again, but instead learned there will be no 2nd chance.

The notice said her privilages were revoked due to "lack of skill".

Not being able to drive again puts a great burden on both of us.

She did not get good vibes from the instructor, and is convinced he lied in the report and planned her failure in advance.

Is this a strong possibility?

Does the DMV sometimes blackball the elderly?

They do not.

She took the driving test and failed. Most seniors are not happy about not being able to renew their license, my mother wasn't, my father-in-law wasn't.

We also don't know if your mother could have avoided the accident by noticing the other driver intruding and doing an avoidance maneuver.

This happens. You will have to deal with the new reality.