Deval Vs. Grandpa

[Tricky Mike]

Deval admitting something needs to be done about incompetent elderly drivers...
This is likely to cost him his Cadillac endorsement...


Patrick says he supports road tests for older drivers - Boston.com

[mzdagrl]

Deval admitting something needs to be done about incompetent elderly drivers...
This is likely to cost him his Cadillac endorsement...


Patrick says he supports road tests for older drivers - Boston.com

It's about time someone stands up about this. Though many would argue it is a form of age discrimination, the obvious fact is that there are way more elderly drivers hitting the wrong pedal and running into storefronts, or hitting kids or animals that they don't see, or other things of that nature, than younger people driving in the same places. I am all for people to be independent as long as possible, and those who can be so, should be so. But, if they refuse to admit they are having problems, testing has to be mandated. I have heard plenty of times that people think they don't need glasses, when in fact they do. This is no different. If you are used to something, because it is a slow decline, you don't notice when things (like reaction time, attentiveness, vision etc) go away.

[Pittenger5]

I would love to see a study of who hurts others more, young drivers or elderly. It seems that young drivers seem to get in 1 car accidents from speed or inability, wheras elderly seem to hurt others, like you said, hitting the wrong pedal, or just not seeing things and things of that nature. I could be way off, but that seems to be my perception of the matter.

[mzdagrl]

I would love to see a study of who hurts others more, young drivers or elderly. It seems that young drivers seem to get in 1 car accidents from speed or inability, wheras elderly seem to hurt others, like you said, hitting the wrong pedal, or just not seeing things and things of that nature. I could be way off, but that seems to be my perception of the matter.

That's my perception as well. It also seems that, in the aftermath of said accidents, young drivers (of the 25 and under set, typically) were knowingly driving like asshats, whereas elderly drivers really didn't have a clue that they were doing anything wrong until after. Though it is a scary thought that "kids" drive around endangering themselves and others, they are doing it knowing what they are doing and that it is wrong, and unfortunately they (most) can easily prove that they know the rules, and pass a driving test. The elderly, if they don't know they are making mistakes, are far more dangerous, as they want the control, but don't have it.

That being said, when I made my original comparison, I was referring to youngER drivers, as in younger than elderly, but not new drivers. In my head I was thinking like age 25ish-sixties.