OLDER DRIVERS SHOULD QUIT?
WRECK-LESS DRIVING©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist
OLDER DRIVERS SHOULD QUIT?
CHASSAHOWITZKA, FL: From the retirement heart of West coast Florida comes a letter from Howie D, age 23. He complains that Route 19 is impossible to drive because of the thousands of creeping older white haired drivers, especially during the Winter season. Howie would like to give them reasons to quit driving. His first suggestion is retesting of all drivers age 60 and over.
What Howie fails to understand is that there are poor drivers and good drivers at all ages. Yes, many of the older ones drive too slowly and dangerously for those others who are in a hurry to arrive somewhere. But those in a hurry may drive dangerously fast and the youngest among them (those under age 26) have the least driving experience, the most collisions and lack full brain maturity. Also, Howie, most taxpayers refuse to authorize and support massive retesting because it costs a lot of money, even if it were fair to single out any one age group alone for such observation.
There is a time at which most drivers should give up their license and the keys. This is when that person has become a real danger to self, others in the vehicle, and to nearby pedestrians and motorists. We Americans are married to our cars, so much so that previously available public transportation has been cancelled for lack of use. Thus it is near impossible to exist without a motor vehicle. Self-limiting trips to the vital ones such as grocery, pharmacy, hardware medical, worship, and similar works for some half-way competent drivers. But most of us are unwilling to be restricted, especially when everybody but ourselves know that we are a deadly menace. Moving into costly residential or assisted living is .beyond the financial ability of most elders
Stopping driving is among the most traumatic issues we must face. Forcing the driver to quit can produce life-long bitterness, often splits apart families and may cause a change of heirs. This columnist wants to hear from those readers who been on either side of this.
GHD 198 all rights reserved
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist
OLDER DRIVERS SHOULD QUIT?
CHASSAHOWITZKA, FL: From the retirement heart of West coast Florida comes a letter from Howie D, age 23. He complains that Route 19 is impossible to drive because of the thousands of creeping older white haired drivers, especially during the Winter season. Howie would like to give them reasons to quit driving. His first suggestion is retesting of all drivers age 60 and over.
What Howie fails to understand is that there are poor drivers and good drivers at all ages. Yes, many of the older ones drive too slowly and dangerously for those others who are in a hurry to arrive somewhere. But those in a hurry may drive dangerously fast and the youngest among them (those under age 26) have the least driving experience, the most collisions and lack full brain maturity. Also, Howie, most taxpayers refuse to authorize and support massive retesting because it costs a lot of money, even if it were fair to single out any one age group alone for such observation.
There is a time at which most drivers should give up their license and the keys. This is when that person has become a real danger to self, others in the vehicle, and to nearby pedestrians and motorists. We Americans are married to our cars, so much so that previously available public transportation has been cancelled for lack of use. Thus it is near impossible to exist without a motor vehicle. Self-limiting trips to the vital ones such as grocery, pharmacy, hardware medical, worship, and similar works for some half-way competent drivers. But most of us are unwilling to be restricted, especially when everybody but ourselves know that we are a deadly menace. Moving into costly residential or assisted living is .beyond the financial ability of most elders
Stopping driving is among the most traumatic issues we must face. Forcing the driver to quit can produce life-long bitterness, often splits apart families and may cause a change of heirs. This columnist wants to hear from those readers who been on either side of this.
GHD 198 all rights reserved
posted by WRECK-LESS at Saturday, February 02, 2008
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