Road test for driver's license....

[DizBelle]

Why don't "we" require folks "of a certain age" to take a road test to renew their driver's license? Is it a bad thing to demonstrate that you still have the reflexes and skills necessary to safely operate a car?

There is an elderly couple in my family (in their eighties I would guess) that got to a point where they had to do "team driving". Neither of them had enough mobility to look around to be able to drive on their own. They needed another pair of eyes in the car. Fortunately, they don't drive anymore but jeez did I wonder how they didn't manage to plow into someone.

 

[NikitaZee]

Why don't "we" require folks "of a certain age" to take a road test to renew their driver's license? Is it a bad thing to demonstrate that you still have the reflexes and skills necessary to safely operate a car?

There is an elderly couple in my family (in their eighties I would guess) that got to a point where they had to do "team driving". Neither of them had enough mobility to look around to be able to drive on their own. They needed another pair of eyes in the car. Fortunately, they don't drive anymore but jeez did I wonder how they didn't manage to plow into someone.

Boy, am I with you on that one! We had that problem with my grandma when she lived with us - she was 90 and still driving, and had no business being on the road. We couldn't get her to give it up - we even visited our local police station for advice and they said there wasn't anything they could do, either. Finally, my husband pulled some plugs out from somewhere under the hood of her car and that was it for the driving hazard. I wish they would require a mandatory re-test of driving skills after a certain age, but I really don't see that happening.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I agree. I remember a few years ago I was sitting at a stop light and an elderly guy ran into me (not hard, like he just took his foot off the brake). I scooted up (as I couldn't pull over at that moment) and he hit me again. The light turned green and I pulled over to assess the damage (if any) and he just drove away completely oblivious. I was so in shock I didn't even get his license plate number.

I've often thought about why they don't test, even if it was like every 5 years after the age of 65 or something. Heck, I think a lot of people (elderly or not) could learn something from testing considering 80% of the cars on my way to work think the appropriate distance from being behind you is 6 inches .

 

[jlewisinsyr]

My grandmother had arthritis so bad she couldn't grip the steering wheel, so she used her palms of her hands to steer...it was scary. She decided to stop driving herself, but it was very scary.

Unfortunately it comes to cost, it costs too much, would require too much labor power to handle these types of tests.

 

[mom2travel]

our 90+ year-old grandmother was saying that herself a few years ago when FL renewed her license at the age of like 88 for 5 years! She voluntarily stopped driving a year or so after that

 

[cheermom1]

My gma's doctor told her she couldn't drive anymore..I don't know if legally he can do that but he did...I agree something should be done b/c it is very scary, I remember one time my gma was taking me somewhere and she turned on her turn signal to get in another lane and just went for it without looking and she said "If I turn on my signal they HAVE to let me over" I was never so scared in my life

 

[AnnaS]

My next door neighbor is almost ninety. She lives with her daughter. Her daughter recently told me that she is not allowed to drive anymore but I still see her getting in her van at least twice a week. I don't know why the daughter is not taking the van away.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I agree with regular testing below and above a certain age. Not sure what they should be, though...

 

[AKL_Megs]

Gosh, I don't know, but it terrifies me!

I was in a Burger King parking lot the other day.

First, I almost got schmucked when these two ladies almost backed into me, then they stopped, and then had to forward reverse, forward reverse about ten times to finish backing out of the spot! From there it was a 1MPH cruise out of the parking lot! I think the light at the corner changed twice before they made it through the intersection!

 

[NikitaZee]

My gma's doctor told her she couldn't drive anymore..I don't know if legally he can do that but he did...I agree something should be done b/c it is very scary, I remember one time my gma was taking me somewhere and she turned on her turn signal to get in another lane and just went for it without looking and she said "If I turn on my signal they HAVE to let me over" I was never so scared in my life

I bet a lot of us have stories like that one! My grandma had just gotten her license renewed - at 89 - for 10 years! On the way home from DMV, DH and DGM stopped at 7-11 for a cup of coffee and grandma didn't put the car in park or turn the key off - she put it in reverse and started getting out of the car. It started rolling away - downhill - into the main road, with her still in it. My husband ran into the road and jumped in and got the car stopped just before it entered the main intersection. She just stepped out and casually said - "I wonder how that happened". DH called me from his cell phone and told me that if I didn't do something to get her off the road - he would. (And he eventually did).

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

I'll be honest...

It will NEVER happen...

AARP is against it b/c of age discrimination, and it is a slippery slope. Politicians don't want to touch this with a 10 ft pole.

I think the fairest thing would be to have mandatory re-testing for all ages...I mean, there are people my age (mid 30's) who shouldn't be driving either. But that would never happen due to the expense.

My grandmother has Alzheimer's. She didn't quit driving until she got disoriented at the mall and couldn't find her car...and was still quite confused when security got there. She is now in a nursing home, and my dad has her car.

Do I think there is a risk? Yes. But like I said...it will never happen.

 

[DizBelle]

I'll be honest...

It will NEVER happen...

AARP is against it b/c of age discrimination, and it is a slippery slope. Politicians don't want to touch this with a 10 ft pole.

I think the fairest thing would be to have mandatory re-testing for all ages...I mean, there are people my age (mid 30's) who shouldn't be driving either. But that would never happen due to the expense.

My grandmother has Alzheimer's. She didn't quit driving until she got disoriented at the mall and couldn't find her car...and was still quite confused when security got there. She is now in a nursing home, and my dad has her car.

Do I think there is a risk? Yes. But like I said...it will never happen.

Well, that is just a ridiculous reason. Does anybody have a 5 year old that can complain of age discrimination and get a driver's license? Couldn't a 5 year old make the same claim?

 

[DizBelle]

How many 85 year olds have to plow into a group of bystanders or drive the wrong way on the highway before people realize it just makes sense.

Maybe EVERYBODY should re-take a road test to renew. But maybe only once every fourth time or so until you are 60 (or something) when it becomes more frequent.

Isn't there enough evidence that elderly folks are less likely to be safe behind the wheel.

This isn't age discrimination. This is discrimination against those that are un-safe drivers and they SHOULD be discriminated against when it comes to gettting a driver's license.

Only those that know they would fail would have a problem with this.

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

Well, that is just a ridiculous reason. Does anybody have a 5 year old that can complain of age discrimination and get a driver's license? Couldn't a 5 year old make the same claim?

I promise...I don't disagree with you in the least! I have read my dad's AARP mag (out of shear boredom)...and just know that they are against it and have lots of pull with politicians.

(and my comment about retesting, was retesting every 5 yrs after getting your license...not that I think that is a good ideal, either.)

I personally have witnessed two fatal accidents, both within the past two weeks involving an elderly driver who shouldn't have been on the road. A small child died in one accident, the elderly driver in the other.

I just have doubts that any laws like that would pass.

ETA...I can't spell...

 

[NotUrsula]

You're right, it is mostly because the AARP lobby is tremendously powerful. Pretty much no law they oppose gets passed.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

You're right, it is mostly because the AARP lobby is tremendously powerful. Pretty much no law they oppose gets passed.

Agreed...

 

[seashoreCM]

1. A re-test list for everyone who causes an accident or has more than so many moving violations.

2. If you have a large or luxurious home and are held liable for an accident, being forced to rent it out and downsize your own living quarters.

3. Health insurance surcharges for causing injuries aka placing unnecessary demands on the health care system.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

1. A re-test list for everyone who causes an accident or has more than so many moving violations.

2. If you have a large or luxurious home and are held liable for an accident, being forced to rent it out and downsize your own living quarters.

3. Health insurance surcharges for causing injuries aka placing unnecessary demands on the health care system.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

I agree that it is unlikely that they would make re-testing after a certain age a law, due to age discrimination. I think the only way around it is to re-test EVERYONE after x years. There are quite a few folks under 65 who shouldn't be driving either! The biggest issues wit it though, would be time and cost. It takes long enough to renew your license as it is. BUT, if it makes the roads safer, i'm definately for it.

 

[scrapquitler]

There is no road test required because AARP is a powerful lobby and would never agree to it. They would call it discrimination, I imagine, and really, it would be...who is going to decide when peoples eyesight and reflexes might go, would it be 50? 55? 65? 75?

Secondly, imagine how much it would cost the state, and how much of an aggravation it would be...my 16 year old nephew had to wait almost 8 weeks for an appointment to take his drivers license test. And only new drivers and people moving to the state have to take the test now. Add in all those people over whatever age (50? 60? 70?) who need to take tests in a retesting scenario and either the wait time for a test would be ridiculous or they would have to hire a lot more people to administer all those tests.

I just don't see this happening.