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Personally, I wish they would do the same for everyone. At least your eyesight has to be checked in most states at renewal time.

I think I was pretty clear on that....I don't think anyone should be singled out.

Poor eyesight and you can't drive. If blind you can hunt....go figure

My Mother, (born in 1925), died in 2002. The state of Florida DMV last month sent her a renewal notice for her FL Driver's License...

She had voluntarily stopped driving two years before her death.

My Dad voluntarily stopped driving after his hip replacement surgery, at age 83.

John McCain's mother Roberta, age 95, and her twin sister Rowena, spent many weeks touring Europe last summer. Roberta and Rowena had planned to rent a car but they were refused a rental because of their age.

So Roberta McCain purchased a used Mercedes and continued with their trip as planned, driving all over Europe.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1400642.ece

I wonder if I'll still be driving at 95 - around Europe, on strange roads no less.

Gotta love our feisty seniors!

Rick

....I'm not sure I'll recognize a car at 95....so need younger chicks to drive me around...huummmm better start the draft soon for those....most are stoned out of their minds by 19 and have a kid or two.....geofkaye

http://www.luhs.org/depts/injprev/Transprt/tran3.htm#Older%20Drivers

Perhaps a read of the above article will shine some light on why older drivers have begun to attract the notice of state legislatures and insurance companies.

It isn't a matter of "picking on" old people, the concern is driven by information and statistics. As stated in the above article:

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there's cause for concern when elderly people do drive because they have higher rates of fatal crashes per mile driven, per 100,000 people, and per licensed driver than any other group except young drivers.

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except young drivers.

I'm assuming you believe that young drivers don't face any consequences for that behavior.
Younger drivers still have the capacity to improve with training and experience as well as consequences from bad behaviors and choices.

No one is "picking on" older drivers, they are simply responding to an increasing problem of safety. Especially in today's urban areas and dangerous complex roadways. Driving is simply more complicated and difficult on today's roads.
If older drivers are experiencing reduced vision, increased reaction times, coupled with an absolute refusal to acknowledge these changes then we need ways to officially identify those who need to face facts and deal with waning abilities.

My father scared the living daylights out of all of us not too far into his 70's. He would merge into highways and simply not see oncoming cars.....lots of honking and swerving. His peripheral vision was diminishing. My mother hung up her keys herself as she said traffic in Maryland was just too frightening and fast anymore.

It's a reasonable response to an increasing safety issue.

All old people are not like your father

How many people will be killed are injusred while your young persons is improving thier skills if they really are

their

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

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Originally posted by KATHY ROSE:

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Originally posted by cruzgal:
I agree with Jack...driving is a privilege, not a right. And anyone who is a danger on the roads to themselves and/or others should not be driving--lack of ability and reflexes in some elderly people is the same as a drunk driver, and I don't think anyone thinks someone who is drunk should be on the roads. This obviously doesn't apply to all, but those who are still
Brenda

I still wonder why you people think the elderly should be singled out, they have the same privledges as others

Because the elderly (meaning someone older than me ) do not always know when their reflexes and eyesight have diminished to the point where they are not longer able to respond IN TIME to changing situations. Last year we were at a rally and saw two people using walkers to get to their big DP, pull themselves up into the unit (40+ feet), start up and pull out onto the road. If you need a walker to get around, how quickly can you get the foot over onto the brake in a panic situation? A lot of people develop arthritis in joints as they get older - including the neck and shoulder area. It becomes harder and harder to turn - and since most of the time you can get away with it, people begin to JUST use the mirrors, not turning the head to check. The eyes SLOWLY develop problems and you learn to adjust. Yes, it may be a little blurry, but it is good enough to see the main road - just not that stop sign off to the side.

I hope I'm still going strong at 80 and can drive - but it sure won't bother me to demonstrate it to someone. And I'm with Jack, I think everyone that drives a big rig should have to demonstrate that they can handle that much weight - the laws of physics take over with big rigs - all of that weight can make a little error into a big problem.

Barb

There are special features for the disabled and those with missing limbs. I have seen quite a few disabled folks who could drive fine, as opposed to some older people who shouldn't be on the road.

Can't count the number of times we had close calls with the "cataract dark glasses" people....usually from the grim reaper state of AZ.

How did we get from older people being signaled out for renewal every two years to people driving big rigs who use walkers?

There are a lot of peole who should not be on the road and they are not old.