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homes, or on a closed street at a Santa Monica farmer's market are not even safe from disoriented elderly drivers.

Elderly drivers are deadly drivers. Although drivers age 16 to 19 have the highest fatal crash rate per 10,000 licensed drivers, according to 2003 study by the Senior Journal, elderly drivers aged 75 and above have equal if not higher fatal crash rates per 100 million miles driven. It is natural that teenagers and young adults will have more accidents per driver because their lifestyles are such that require a lot of driving. On the other hand, most elderly drivers are retired, do not attend school, and only use a car to run minimal errands. Yet for the short period of time that seniors spend on the road, they run an appallingly high risk of car accidents, especially multi-vehicle crashes. It needs to also be noted that, unlike younger drivers, elderly drivers have a much lower chance of recovering from injuries received in accidents, or of even surviving at all.

Something must be done. Twenty-two states have already adopted some regulations on elderly drivers, mostly required road tests when renewing licenses after the age of sixty-five. But in the remaining states, all one must do is resubmit a form every eight years and take a basic eye exam. This is not enough to keep our roadways safe. Every senior citizen should be retested every two years, as health can deteriorate dramatically even in that short span of time. A basic eye exam and written test are not sufficed. Elderly drivers need to be reexamined on the road as well. Medical examinations are also a necessity, and doctors must be required to report any prescriptions, regardless of their personal beliefs or fears of ruining relationships with their paying patients. One pill may not, but when combined with three others, a dangerous situation can be formed. It is understood that for many elderly drivers, their car is their last source of freedom. Even so, according to The Capital Times, a popular newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin, a move toward these strict regulations is a must to ensure the safety of every driver, young and old. As Tina Depko questions in her article for The Centretown News, a newspaper produced by Calgary's Carleton University, "How many people need to die before something is done about unsafe elderly drivers?" The next time you drive, ask yourself that. Ask if you want to be next.

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