by Carol Shaw-Sutton

Created on: January 16, 2008

I do not want to seem rude or condescending towards the elderly, but I do think that very elderly people should be re-tested to maintain their license.

I guess I'm biased because of what I've seen and heard, as well as my own experience. I was once going through an intersection when an older man kept going (he had a red light) and almost plowed through my vehicle. I had to swerve quickly to avoid him. If I hadn't, I would have been in a serious accident and my husband may have been seriously injured or killed.

To me knowledge, I have also seen older people driving who could no longer see in one eye, and some people drive who have serious issues like strokes. My husband's father has a degenerative muscle disease and still insists on driving. He can't even walk anymore but he still drives. Surprisingly, the country where he drives doesn't seem to do much about it either. Many times, the elderly don't want to admit to these problems because it's admitting to their own frailty and mortality.

I also have heard of many incidents where older people cause terrible accidents. I heard about an older man who ran through about twenty or more people at a street fair of sorts, killing many of them. He didn't know at the time that he had accelerated his car instead of using the brakes.

What I don't understand is why the United States does not do more to insure safety on the road by testing elderly drivers. I know that in Germany, for instance, some elderly are only allowed to drive on back roads. Maybe this seems mean, but if someone is too mentally or physically incapacitated to drive, why are they allowed on the road? I once knew a co-worker who had what appeared to be Alzheimer's who got on the road every morning after a night-shift. He could barely think or act coherently, and it's a wonder he made it safely home every morning. Another co-workers was once told to follow him on the road once to make sure that he got home safe.

Mental impairment caused by drunk driving is considered illegal, so why are we allowing mentally impaired elderly drivers to drive then?

I find it very scary to drive as it is. I know that many elderly people must also find it scary to drive, seeing as to how there are other reckless drivers out there who speed and try to swerve in and out between traffic, but the truth is, the road needs to be safe, and if one cannot drive safely, then they shouldn't drive.

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