Sunday, February 20, 2005
How Old Is Too Old (To Drive)
There's been a couple of views in recent years on retesting of drivers over a certain age (generally age 80). Some view it as a must, since motor skills, vision and reaction times tend to wane at a certain point in life. Others, notable AARP and elder advocacy groups think it is a right and it's up to the individual and their family to make that decision.
Guess what, they've never had to drive in South Florida. We've got tons of over 80 (and over 90) residents who still drive (both day and night) and really create a menace on the road. How can you tell? Well, they're driving below the speed limit in the center or left lane. At a traffic light, they stop 40 or 50 feet behind the car ahead. When they have to turn, they are hesitant and appear confused about where the lane goes from the turn.
There was a case this week of a local man (well over 80) who failed to pick his wife up after a medical appointment. The first article in the paper quoted "sometimes he gets confused with directions". Well they found him, almost 300 miles away in Georgia. Bad directions? I don't think so. Just someone who shouldn't be on the road.
Riding around in Palm Beach County, which is required by my job, I see incidents every day which could have been fatal, but weren't because someone was paying attention. I've seen these seniors turn up the wrong side of a divided highway, just stop in a travel lane full of traffic becasue they suddenly realized they had to turn right or left, or in one case last Thursday, drive out of a gas station, over the curbing of the street directly into 3 lanes of westbound traffic.
As someone over 60, I hope when my turn comes, someone takes my car keys and says,"Hey Fred, take the bus>"
Guess what, they've never had to drive in South Florida. We've got tons of over 80 (and over 90) residents who still drive (both day and night) and really create a menace on the road. How can you tell? Well, they're driving below the speed limit in the center or left lane. At a traffic light, they stop 40 or 50 feet behind the car ahead. When they have to turn, they are hesitant and appear confused about where the lane goes from the turn.
There was a case this week of a local man (well over 80) who failed to pick his wife up after a medical appointment. The first article in the paper quoted "sometimes he gets confused with directions". Well they found him, almost 300 miles away in Georgia. Bad directions? I don't think so. Just someone who shouldn't be on the road.
Riding around in Palm Beach County, which is required by my job, I see incidents every day which could have been fatal, but weren't because someone was paying attention. I've seen these seniors turn up the wrong side of a divided highway, just stop in a travel lane full of traffic becasue they suddenly realized they had to turn right or left, or in one case last Thursday, drive out of a gas station, over the curbing of the street directly into 3 lanes of westbound traffic.
As someone over 60, I hope when my turn comes, someone takes my car keys and says,"Hey Fred, take the bus>"
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