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Should the elderly be allowed to continue to drive?


Should the elderly be allowed to continue to drive?  

37 members have voted

  1. 1.

    • Yes, they have as much right to keep driving as the rest of us
      5
    • Yes, but only after stringent and repeated vision testing
      23
    • Yes, but only with exemptions
      8
    • No, they're a danger to everyone else on the road.
      1


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"They" would be the from the ages of 16-21, and from 65-? But again at the same time, you have quite a few responsible teen drivers & elderly drivers (never had an accident nor involved) that would fall under this catagory. Now speaking somewhat of the same coin for "ALL" Drivers, the "Zero Tolerence" Effect for DUIs should be 0.00 across the board. Cellphones (Some States are in the process of banning Teen Drivers from using them while driving) should be banned across the board for all drivers too. Plain & Simple, if it is going to be done for 1 group,,might as well include EVERYONE in it.

Who is "they"? Where do you draw the line between "them" and "us?" And what objective criteria do you use to come up with that standard? Does your criteria have a scientifically valid basis, or is it arbitrary, and therefore ripe for appeal?

It ain't cut and dried.

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While I agree that elderly drivers can be rather annoying at times... teenagers are at times just as dangerous, if not more so.

Think about it, the elderly get into accidents, etc. because the downright can't see/hear/whatever...but teens get into accidents because they blatantly disregard the rules. They have the 'it can never happen to me' mentality. (I know, I lost 4 friends in 2 years in high school...)

I think yearly vision tests are a good idea for drivers of all ages (I'm not elderly, but my eyes aren't 20/20...). Maybe drivers could be required to retest every few years, especially if licensing requirements change (I mean, was parallel parking required when grandma got her license 40 years ago?)...

Bottom line, we can't single out the elderly in a discussion of bad drivers. We all know, from experience as well as our jobs, that people of all ages can be hazardous on the road...

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I feel that after someone has reached the age of 70 they should only be allow to drive only in the day time hours and also have to take a eye test every year.. I also feel that they should raise the driving age from 16 to 19..There is no reason for someone at the age of 16 to have a drivers licenses..Way too young.... :roll:

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Very true! Teens do have (or most) the "It can never happen to me" type attitude & the next thing is they find themselves wrapped around a tree or telephone pole.

but teens get into accidents because they blatantly disregard the rules. They have the 'it can never happen to me' mentality. (I know, I lost 4 friends in 2 years in high school...)

Bottom line, we can't single out the elderly in a discussion of bad drivers. We all know, from experience as well as our jobs, that people of all ages can be hazardous on the road...

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A standard eye exam should be a requirement of ALL drivers at least every 3 yrs. As we age, typically our eyes, ears etc tend to deteriorate. therefore, perhaps a sliding scale could be put in place decreasing the 3 yr eye exam to 2yrs at 60, 1yr at 70. Also a mandatory retest (written and driving) test SHOULD be required of everyone every 3yrs. I know we have to do this to maintain a CDL license, so why not for everyone? Perhaps a reading test as well. A friend of mine on the local police force here told me he clocked a woman doing 70 mph in a school zone! She said she didn't (couldn't?) read the sign.

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Here's an interesting point- why is that we are so concerned about the loss of some punk 17 y/o who wrapped his supped up Mazda Miata around a tree while doing 110 mph trying act like he's something out of the fast and the furious and we hear the cries to stop teens from driving, but the loss of a 40 y/o who was driving unsafely (although not necessarily to the same degree, but since when did the small things like degree of the offense ever stop from me from pointing out hypocrisy) doesn't provoke the same outcry to put speed limiters on cars or mandate other safety features that could potentially save lives? I do agree that 18 is a suitable driving age, but I don't view the loss of a teenager or even of a carload of them as being any more of loss than the death of a 35 or 40 y/o who has a family, a job and contributes in some meaningful manner to society.

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It's a typical liberal ploy. They always use a false concern for "the children" as justification for any governmental power grab. And since nobody wants to risk the appearance of not caring about "the children," they get away with it.

Pretty sickening, actually.

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  • 4 years later...

Personally Elderly and Teenagers scare the hell out of me driving. However, the norm is yearly vision tests. I would think that when someone visits an optometrist the Doctor should have the right to say yes or no to driving. (Not the eye Dr ONLY however) The eye Dr should have the authority to send any recommendations to the DMV in the area and request (they can't demand of course) that the patient have a current prescription and WEAR the contacts or eyeglasses. It can be as simple as a form or as complex as examination by an optometrist FOR the dmv. The DMV/Eye Dr is unlikely to happen tho.

If this is not done by the pt yearly then the DMV can suspend or revoke a license. It would be a simple check yes or no type box and turned into the DMV. The Optometrist is not the only one who should be able to do this.

A pt who has the onset of dementia, slower reaction times due to medication, an uncontrolled seizure disorder and any conditioned deemed unsafe and uncontrolled that can put someone else in danger (as well as the person with the "condition") should also have a form to fill out and fax to the DMV. Filled out and signed approved or Denied from the pts primary Dr. I personally believe this SHOULD be the responsibility of the Dr as well as the pt.

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Personally Elderly and Teenagers scare the hell out of me driving. However, the norm is yearly vision tests. I would think that when someone visits an optometrist the Doctor should have the right to say yes or no to driving. (Not the eye Dr ONLY however) The eye Dr should have the authority to send any recommendations to the DMV in the area and request (they can't demand of course) that the patient have a current prescription and WEAR the contacts or eyeglasses. It can be as simple as a form or as complex as examination by an optometrist FOR the dmv. The DMV/Eye Dr is unlikely to happen tho.

If this is not done by the pt yearly then the DMV can suspend or revoke a license. It would be a simple check yes or no type box and turned into the DMV. The Optometrist is not the only one who should be able to do this.

A pt who has the onset of dementia, slower reaction times due to medication, an uncontrolled seizure disorder and any conditioned deemed unsafe and uncontrolled that can put someone else in danger (as well as the person with the "condition") should also have a form to fill out and fax to the DMV. Filled out and signed approved or Denied from the pts primary Dr. I personally believe this SHOULD be the responsibility of the Dr as well as the pt.

I GIVE UP!!! You win!!!! A 5 year resurrection...you are the Queen of saves!!!! :) :)

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