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
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
posted by WRECK-LESS at Sunday, January 01, 2006
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