Should the DMV stop giving out licenses to elderly drivers in their 80's ?

Question

Especially the ones who can't see over the wheel and decide to stop short when the light turns green and cause accidents.

This co-worker of mine caused an accident by stopping short at the green light,she made out like a bandit because she got rear ended.

Answer 1

Only if the eighty year old shows signs of dementia and they are to feeble and fragile to drive. If they are healthy and strong then I say let them drive. Get these fools that are talking on the phone and either driving to slow or to fast because they are distracted by the phone. They are the ones who are causing more accidents than the elderly drivers.

Answer 2

There are good and bad drivers in EVERY age bracket.Taking away someones license just because they turn 80 isn't fair.Teens cause far more accidents than the elderly,but just don't make the news as much.
My dad is 87 and still drives.While his driving isn't what it used to be,he knows his limits.He will no longer drive at night or during rush hour.He also won't drive anywhere over half an hour a way unless it is an emergency.
Funny thing,my Dad hadn't had a car accident in over 40 years until two years ago when a young girl on a cell phone ran a stop sign and hit him.
I would rather be on the road with an elderly person driving a little slower than with a lunatic that thinks the speed limit doesn't apply to him.To me,those drivers are more of a danger.

Answer 3

Only if they also pull the licenses from anyone under the age of twenty as well. Possibly for different reasons, they also are involved in many accidents. It is not without cause that "unmarried male under 25" carries the highest insurance premium on the books.

Blanket age restrictions don’t work for the same reasons blanket racial or gender or regional restrictions don’t work. They are patently false.

As pointed out earlier, many 80 year olds can still drive quite well, while many 50 year olds are already impaired by vision or hearing loss, arthritis (you have to turn your head to look both ways), and obesity (again, hard to turn and look behind you).

The best (but not the likeliest) thing that could happen is to require physical examinations (including heart and respiratory) exams with each renewal for ALL drivers (like pilots already do.)

Problems with that idea include even longer waits at the DMV, increased expenses leading to high cost for a license, and determining what constitutes proof of fitness. If the DMV had physicians on staff, there’s more waiting and more expense. If they required a physicians release as proof, there would always be some handful of doctors signing off on unfit patients for the money. If they registered specific (trusted?) doctors to do the exams, there’s more backlog and more expense, as well as other doctors vying to get on the “preferred” list. (It’s been happening in insurance for years!)

The next best choice, in one man’s opinion, is to offer licenses to anyone who can pass a written test and skill demonstration and pays the fee, which is what we do know. Then let driving records and insurance rates eliminate the serious threats to public safety.

Answer 4

No, descrimination based on age is wrong. There are many 80 year old drivers that can handle a car better than most people on the road. There are also bad 80 year old drivers. It may be a good idea to require driving tests for drivers after they reach a certain age. However, to say that you are no longer fit to drive just because you had a birthday is wrong, discouraging to the elderly driver, and would inhibit many people's lifestyles.

Answer 5

I don't support the idea of a blanket ban on elderly drivers. However, I do support the idea of more thorough testing of physical ability to drive and understanding of the laws to drive after a certain age. If a person cannot see, then that person should not drive. If a person is too afraid to drive then that person should not drive. If a person has no idea what the current laws are then that person should not drive.

I am also for making driving licenses hard to obtain but easy to lose for all drivers.

Answer 6

Umm..

Let's see, can they pass the drivers written or oral exam?
Can they pass the drivers test?

Think about this,
Alot of teens are on the road because they can demonstrate the skills needed and have the smarts for the test.

Does that really mean we should let them drive?

Teens cause more accidents that elderly people.

Seems to me you should respect your elders and let them go in peace, for they may be a veteran!

Also, if it weren't for them, we probably wouldn't be where we are today..

Answer 7

Age shouldn't matter. I think the dmv should focus on what the individuals mental capacity is, and how well a driver they are, instead of oppressing a perfectly normal age group.

Answer 8

Yes, I think they should. I feel bad saying it because it must just plain suck to get your license taken away after driving your whole life but elderly people cause so many accidents. Most of the accidents I see on the news have elderly people involved in them. It's dangerous for them as well as others.

Answer 9

Yes after a certain age i think they should have to do a behind the wheel test every year and get the licenses renewed if they fail they are done.

Answer 10

No, but they should be tested yearly.

If you would learn to follow at a safe distance, you would NEVER bump into anyone's rear.