3 of 17

Yes

Write now Article Tools

Hell yeah!

I have just gotten out of a car which my 79 year old mother-in- law was driving; a 10 minute journey which endangered the lives of many, including our own. She knows what a curb is, but lacks the ability to stay away from them. Clip, clip...scrape...and every time it happens a hushed silence follows.

She dropped me off at my house, pulling into the driveway only to then have to ask me if I could, please reverse her car out of it again as the fence running on one side has it in for her car.

Again, we both pretend it's the most normal thing in the world but, not so deep down we both know she should consider giving up this last bit of independence; her car.

I understand the impact this would have and the reluctance with which many older drivers come to eventually do this. Yet we are talking about driving a potentially dangerous machine made more dangerous by the fact that it is driven by someone whose reactions have naturally slowed.

It is not ageism, and I am all for older people keeping their licenses if they are still competent. But recognizing a stop sign and knowing which side of the road to drive on is not enough. In the end safety comes largely with the ability to react quickly and correctly and for the brain to process a lot of information all at once.

A driver driving well at age 30 will probably be a good driver a year later. The same cannot be said for an 80 year old! Eyesight fades more quickly, reaction time slows and the ensuing lack of confidence adds to older drivers becoming a danger or at least a nuisance on the road, perhaps by driving in an overly cautious way.

When my father's driving deteriorated and he had found himself on the wrong side of the road a few times too many, he ' covered ' up by driving like a cocky, overconfident maniac, just to prove that he was still the excellent driver he had always been. This backfired with a couple of minor accidents and one write-off which finally gave my mother enough ammunition to persuade him to hand in his license.

So the answer to the question is a most definite, vehement, 'Yes, it is an absolute necessity for older drivers to be tested before renewing a license", and even then it should only be done for a year at a time.

'What's that coming down the road, Mrs. S.'?

'It's a bicycle.'

'No, it's a truck!'

Learn more about this author, Colette Duval.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Should elderly drivers have to undergo road tests to renew licenses??
We want to hear your view. Write now!