GETTING AWAY WITH IT

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©

by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

GETTING AWAY WITH IT

ANDERSON, IN.: Hollis X, age 67, was arrested for driving on a suspended license and for public intoxication. The judge set bail at $10,000, then looked at the drunk's record and upped bail to $100,000. He had been arrested countless times since 1947 on drinking charges. His driver's license had been suspended 33 times and had been revoked for "life" since 1977.

There are situations like this in the news almost daily across our nation. Frequently such people are apprehended only after committing a violent crime using their vehicle as a weapon. Obviously, it is not always effective to just put the drunks in jail, fine them, revoke their license, and confiscate their vehicle. These are the hard core drinkers, so addicted that no threat of punishment seems to cause them to stop driving, to say nothing about their stopping using alcohol. Do you have some suggestions as to how we can be protected from people like this? Your replies will be used in future WRECK-LESS DRIVING columns.

Mature persons do not drink alcohol to excess. When on occasion they may have "one-too-many" they know the dangers to themselves and others if they attempt to drive. They let someone not under the influence do the driving.

Most states have accepted pressure by the Federal Govt. to lower the blood alcohol content (BAC) laws to a 0.08% limit. It is the law in most states now.

It is reported that at a BAC of 0.05% driving ability is impaired for many and that all drivers are impaired at readings over 0.05%. For a 180 pound driver, after 3 beers in one hour, the BAC is 0.06%. The probability of a crash doubles for such a person. At 0.10%, the limit still in some states, the probability is six times greater.

During 1996 about 22% of persons killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes involved drivers with BAC levels below 0.10%. That is over 3,700 persons who might have lived except for some driver's over consumption, whether lawful or not.
GHD103 all rights reserved

READING ON THE INTERSTATE

WRECK-LESS DRIVING FOR SENIORS

by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

READING ON THE INTERSTATE

MARSHALL, LA.: Writes Gloria, M., " One recent night I was driving East on I-20 towards Shreveport, and passed a late model sedan with its interior lights ablaze. Curious, I took a long look into the vehicle and saw the hairy faced driver reading a book and paying scant attention to me or anything else about the highway. I stepped on the gas, momentarily speeded, to get quickly to a safer location".

It is absolutely amazing the dumb things drivers of any age will do at 70 mph, or at any other speed. Especially for older drivers, inattention is a major cause of highway disasters. They just don't get it - that not only their life and limb is threatened but also that of innocent persons driving safely and sanely. There is not any better reason for the remainder of us to be wary and at full attention whenever we drive.

Actively search for trouble spots in the traffic and roadway you are traveling. Here are some special driving situations where we need to be totally in control by taking extra care, getting help, or letting someone else drive:

Conditions where contrast is low offer potential trouble. Beware in snow, rain, fog, and at dusk and twilight. In these situations the sight of all drivers is diminished.

Headlights (not just parking lights) should be turned on 30 minutes before sunset, until 30 minutes after sunrise. The most modern autos have light sensors which turn on front and rear lights whenever there is insufficient natural light.

Soiled or scratched windshields, eyeglasses, and headlights break light beams into scatter patterns which make seeing the road very difficult. Older persons eyes frequently have nighttime conditions making it difficult to see clearly and to drive with safety to self and others.

Once more, alcohol and many drugs make otherwise safe drivers into very bad drivers. Eighty-five million Americans have been either a designated driver or have been smart enough to use a designated driver. Join that group when necessary.

GHD102 all rights reserved

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

ABOUT THOSE OLD PEOPLE
SUN CITY, AZ.: Bobby R., age 38, asks, "Just how many of you old people are there?". A lot, Bobby, and a lot more on the way. Most of them do not think of themselves as old and some are in better physical shape than many of your peers. And they do not just sit in the rocking chair all-day-long. Many give a lot of their daily hours to volunteer work which otherwise would cost society a big bundle to get done.

For example, AARP has tens of thousands of volunteers. They provide free services to millions of others. In addition, many of them volunteer also at Senior Centers, Meals on Wheels, the American Red Cross and church or temple, to name just a few such unselfish activities. So they help hold down your costs and taxes. It is bad thinking to treat the retired as unproductive and thus worth less to our country than those still working.

They ask no reward. Perhaps volunteers of all ages should receive an income tax credit based upon their annual hours of service to others!

It is expected that the over age 65 population will increase from one in eight to one in five in the next 50 or so years. By the year 2020, our older persons population will be 53.3 million. Today it is 33 million. That is a 60+% increase.

Brace yourself, the Boomers Are Coming! Over the next 17 years about 75 million more persons, including Bobby R, will turn age 50. At what age will they become truly useless old people?

GHD101 all rights reserved

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©

WRECK-LESS DRIVING]©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

HAD A CRASH LATELY?
LOS ANGLES, CA.: Isabel X. sent a postcard stating that at the young age of 75 her California auto insurance premiums jumped unacceptably high. She wants to know what she can do about this now.

Completing a defensive driving class can lead to lower premiums. The California legislators have given its drivers a no tax cost benefit of an additional premium reduction for completing an approved safe driving program. In recent years hundreds of thousands of CA seniors have done this and became safer drivers, too. Over 6,100,000 CA older drivers are eligible for this insurance incentive program.
Insurance companies say they have statistics which show that once an older person has a crash, their fault or not, they probably will have more. And others say that an older driver with a clean record will probably have a crash and the higher premiums merely anticipate this.

On the average, older driver's crashes happen in good weather, dry pavement, straight roads, and at intersections within 15 miles of home. Almost all of these are at lesser speeds than similar collisions of younger drivers. More than one vehicle is involved and there is less serious property damage than for younger drivers. However, older persons are more fragile, more seriously injured, and much slower to heal (if ever). These more costly results lead to higher insurance premiums. Interestingly, those older drivers with the most crashes do a lot of nighttime and bad weather driving. Also they have more medical/physical infirmities.
GHD100 all rights reserved

DON'T TAKE MY LICENSE!

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

DON'T TAKE MY LICENSE!
INDEPENDENCE, MO.: "They are trying to take away my driver's license", cries Harry T., age 87. We asked him who "they" are. Trembling, he said that there is a conspiracy among his wife, children, friends and neighbors to get him to quit driving. He has been threatened with being reported to the department of motor vehicles. In his anger, he goes on to say that he is going to change his will if they succeed.

We asked Harry how many fender-benders or other crashes he has had in the past 2 years, how many near misses, and how many traffic citations? His evasive answer was, "only a couple". Harry appears to be coping by using denial where he may not admit even to himself that he has many powerful indications that he is a danger to himself. And a danger to innocent persons, including his close family. They may be reading his Will sooner than he wants.

Research surveys show that drivers over age 50 have a very wrong idea of the terrible risks in crashes of all severity. This false belief gets larger as they get older. Also the older drivers are unable to relate fully their declining skills to the increasing probability of one or more collisions. Many older drivers claim that they do not make serious driving errors. Yet we know from country-wide records that the most frequent problems of the older person are failure to yield, dangerous left turns, careless changing of lanes, failure to read signs, hasty backing, too slow driving, ignoring signals, and improper crossing at intersections.

How can they deny any and all of these? It is because giving up the license to independence is traumatic. It denotes that s/he is no longer young. And in most communities there is inadequate alternative transportation. In America we are truly married to our cars and the divorce is unbearable. It is an addiction where the cure, quitting, is unthinkable.

There is some help available for Harry and others to keep them independent longer. First are good health practices and preventative medical checkups. Also, safe driving classes where other similar-aged drivers and trained facilitators share experiences and ways to cope safely. Self-restriction to the safest hours and routes helps, too.

But, of course the time will come for all of us when there are no more viable answers and we must stop driving. Prepare for it. Delay it safely. And eventually accept the inevitable as being the “smart” thing to do.
GHD99 all rights reserved