[Dominnae]

Advocates for the elderly have sharply opposed age-based oversight as discriminatory, and noted that the state prohibits age discrimination in licensing.

*Most* older drivers lack the vision and response time for driving int traffic. My Dad was one of them.

We tried to get his license revoked, and couldn't. His eye doctor said Dad's vision had deteriorated and that he'd have to send a letter to the state, but he never did.

His driving was so erratic, I can't even tell you how many fender scrapes he had, or curbs he hit. The damage would show up on his Outback, and he'd shrug and say "I don't know when that happened." or ask me what *I* did to his car.

My daughter and I moved in with him when he was 80 years old, soon after my mother passed away, because my other sisters would have put him in a nursing home: I drove him everywhere he wanted to go, and got him to all his doctor appointments, but he would sneak out as often as he could on his own.

It was his last semblance of independence (in his eyes- I could understand that much) but he had macular degeneration and funky blood sugar from his diabetes - and his mind wandered a lot.

In 2007, a month after being diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, he decided to "make the rounds", I knew he couldn't see, he was depressed, he didn't just care if anything happened to him anymore.

I went to the police department in my town, and had the Sgt at the desk put a "stop & hold" on him.. we called the state police in case he went farther afield, but luckily we found him a town away sitting in a diner flirting wit his favorite waitress.

I took his keys away, (including any spares) and he was SO angry. It hurt me to have the roles switched and have to be the hard-ass parent to him, but he was a danger to his own and other lives on the road. He said "I'm going to be dead in six months anyway."

The argument that finally got to him was: "It's bad enough you don't care if your own daughter has to go and identify you in a morgue - what about some other family or small children you hit because you can't see.. do they deserve that, because you don't care?"

His driver's license wasn't set to expire until 2008. Six months after he passed away. He wouldn't have even had to have another eye test, he could have had it renewed online if he knew that was an option.

The states have to do something about the older drivers, not just to protect them from themselves, but the other families out there that face a tragedy because they refuse to surrender their "rights" to drive as long as they have a valid license.

[mewzilla]

The states have to do something about the older drivers, not just to protect them from themselves, but the other families out there that face a tragedy because they refuse to surrender their "rights" to drive as long as they have a valid license.

You're right, but here's the rub: taking away the licenses is the easy part. What happens after the licenses start being revoked? Who takes these folks to the docs, pharmecies, laundromat, grocery store, church? There aren't the programs in place to take care of the transpo needs of all the elderly people who'd suddenly become homebound. And it seems to me, anyway, that governments will have to plan on that aspect before they start revoking licenses on a broader scale.

In the short term, seems to me like insurance companies would have a role to play. And if states were to get rid of no-fault, I think that would help here as well.

[stentorian conservative]

I am so sorry that you had to go through that. It must have been heart-wrenching.

And I agree with you that there needs to be a process in place for our elderly drivers. I see nothing wrong with annual eye exams.

But then again, it would do no good for some, like my grandparents, who are ornery and cantankerous and would drive anyway!

[FatherofFive]

The states have to do something about the older drivers

Only if they are wards of the state. Children and grandchildren should be the primary source of safety for elders.

[svcw]

I am very sorry you had to go through this, but I do not believe it to be typical.

[Joann37]

My mom was the same way, and I felt as you did. Even if she didn’t hurt herself, what about others that may be in her way?