I am talking about the 80+ or over drivers who just won't give up their keys. Yesterday, my parked car was hit by an 85 yr old man. He was trying to parallel park and obviously misjudged the distance he had and slammed right into the entire side of my car causing damage.
After he hit my car he realized he couldn't squeeze into the spot so pulled off and drove down the street. I witnessed the whole thing. He got out of his car and started to go into his house. He had no intention of owning up to what he just did. I told him I had called the cops and he seemed totally shocked that I would do this! Needless to say I filed my claim against his insurance.
Don't you think elderly people shouldn't be allowed on the road? Had I been standing by my car he would have plowed right into me!
2007-09-13 06:20:50 · 39 answers · asked by Kimmy 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Senior Citizens
TO LOIS WHO RESPONDED BELOW:
No, I don't still live at home....I am a 38 yr old married woman! And I never called anyone stupid. Sounds like you're just generalizing.
2007-09-13 06:43:51 · update #1
The same reason that you are. They took the test when young and renewed their licenses every two to four years according to their year of birth, either even or odd number. There are way too many young people who are having the accidents because they are the ones who are still in their learning years, wet behind the ears or they are on drugs and alcohol or they have anger management problems and they take it out on every one else. Many times the young want the older people off the road because they drive sloooow in their opinion; but the young are driving waaaaay to fast in my opinion. They drive so fast that they don't know what they just whizzed by. But then there is the BIG crash because they weren't able to whiz right on by. Oops. But that's alright because of the YOUNG age. There are many young people who did what that older man did to your car but I am guessing that is OK in your opinion. Just because of his age it is a little oops. The most evil, cunning manipulative drivers on the road are the young who are killing us right and left.
It ISN'T the age of the person but the ability and cautionary measures taken. Dingbats of any age are dangerous.
2007-09-13 07:08:09 · answer #1 · answered by Pepsi 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I know what you mean, but bad driving comes in all ages.
However, I see some elderly people get out of their cars and they can barely walk and it is apparent that their vision is much better either.
On the other hand, I have a neighbor that is 82 and she drives extremely well -- probably even better than I do!
I don't think you select a specific age and say OK no more driving for you. I think that when you reach a certain age, and you have to renew your license, you should be given a road test. After all it would be for your own safety as well as the safety of everyone else on the road or as pedestrians.
I am 48 and I would be the first to step in line for it. I am already thinking ahead to the time when I will have to turn my car keys over to my daughter - oh the perils of aging!
2007-09-13 06:50:12 · answer #2 · answered by Vera C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Last winter I am driving in the downtown area, in the right lane, there is a big SUV in the left lane next to me. This driver decides she is going to make a RIGHT turn into a store and does so - drives ACROSS the front of my car, totally does in my left fender, my hood, all the whole front of me car.
I turn into the same parking lot and so does the car behind me. She stops, I get out of my car, she rolls down her window and say "what the f*** is your problem?" I said "you drove right across the front of my car, are you crazy?"
She says "oh whatever get over yourself you stunned b**ch" and takes off -
She was 23 according to the police and was charged and found guilty of driving without due care and attention, failure to stay in her own lane, failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
Why are young people allowed to drive? This afteroon driving home I saw THREE people run red lights, and ALL were in their 20's.
This summer a 24 year old lost control of her car, traveling way too fast through the downtown area and drove RIGHT into the movie theatre, her passenger was killed.
Two weeks ago a young man in his 20's driving way too fast, ran a red light, hit a car and drove right into the side of a store, the car ended up inside the store. Luckily no one was hurt in that accident.
I dont know why "they" let 20 somethings drive, they should be tested at least every year, and lose their licenses for the rest of their lives if they have even one accident.
WHY do seniors pay lower insurance costs? Because they have fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
2007-09-13 13:56:00 · answer #3 · answered by isotope2007 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make a deal with you, when you get all the drunks and angry, aggressive young people off the streets I will stop driving. So one older person hit your car, sorry about that. It could just as well be a drunk of angry young person. The last time I got hit ( am 79 and have never had an at fault accident) I was headed north when an angry young man came charging out of a parking lot, turned south right into me. He then jumped out of his car shouting, "I'm a christian, I'm a christian," like that had anything to do with it. It turned out he had no insurance and a suspended license. Just because this youngster was a jerk is no reason to stop all young people from driving is it? By youngster I mean a man in his 30s.
2007-09-13 10:57:00 · answer #4 · answered by Ray T 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lois, there is no set rule here as to when people should give up their licenses..teens do the same thing you have described, only about 100 times more often (literally) . You do not see elderly drivers street drag racing and causing fatalities as we do here. You do not see elderly driving 100 mph (well, I have to exclude myself from that one), and in general, elderly tend to drive very slowly (annoying at best, but dangerous..only on freeways) In general, the accidents caused by the elderly are few and far between. Most seniors recognize the time to give up the keys...very few who cannot drive still attempt to do so. This is NOT the problem it is made out to be. Just look at statisitics from insuranace companies..you will find teens and 20's to have the highest costs ..and that is because they cause the most damage. Elderly drivers have very low insurance rates, and there is a reason for that..they get in very few accidents...statistics don't lie. I am sorry you have had a bad experience, but your experience is rare. Good luck and peace, goldwing
2007-09-13 07:50:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I believe that all drivers over the age of 65 should be required to retest every few years. Some insurance companies offer this now and give you a discount. It can be required if your doctor says you have to take it. Problem with a blanket law is that it might be considered age discrimination under the ADEA. I don't think its discrimination, I think its just the reality of our bodies aging.
I drive a ton for work and I agree that bad drivers come in all ages. But when you get an elderly person driving on the Washington Beltway at 30 miles per hour, you have a serious road hazard. Often time older drivers are unwilling to voluntairly give up their keys and their children have to hide them. I guess they don't realize they can't drive anymore. So something needs to be in place to take the licenses away of those drivers whose reflexes render them unsafe on the road. Personally I only hope that someone would take my license from me if I were too old to safely be on the road.
I
2007-09-13 07:48:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why dont they make the legal driving age start at 21? We all know that the majority of accidents are caused by males under the age of 25. The insurance companies have proved that time and time again. I'll be 70 in January and voluntarily gave up my driver's license because I had a brain anuerism and didnt feel safe behind the wheel anymore. I'm totally in favor of giving both written and driving tests to everyone as soon as they reach 65. I'm fully aware of the accidents caused by older people who will not give up the keys. If elderly people were the only problem, it would make things a lot easier. We know it isnt only the elderly, dont we?
2007-09-13 07:47:32 · answer #7 · answered by phlada64 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Ok when you turn elderly are you going to just say ok that's it I turn my keys over and drive no more?? No you won't . If you are still able to drive with caution, and you can still see as you always have and are able to get in and out of a car with no problems, I guarantee you will still be driving.
I have had 3 close accidents in the last month. It was me who was alert knowing what was happening to avoid the accident. It was the young college students that were to busy on the phone or yakking with there friend, to pay attention to the traffic ahead of them and not knowing that the red light means STOP.
2007-09-13 07:42:19 · answer #8 · answered by lynda 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
While I support retesting after a certain age I don't think we can just say elderly people can't drive anymore because some of them cause accidents. If we did that we'd not only have to cut driveing off at about 80 but we'd also have to not let people drive until they were at least 18.
While some of you are judging the elderly you maight want to look at the statistical data which shows young drivers (as a class of driver) are far more likely to cause accidents.
2007-09-13 06:28:38 · answer #9 · answered by toff 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No for nursing properties. specific for assisted living. there's a brilliant distinction between the two centers. Assisted living skill that they basically choose some help. Nursing properties grant entire care. It looks like he could have lost his license. it is too undesirable that he did no longer have kinfolk to make the determination for him. My mom and her sisters made the determination for their dad. He become no longer pleased with it. yet he had a pair of fender benders - no longer something important and it become in comparison to him in any respect. My mom and them desperate to take the vehicle away in the previous he have been given into something greater severe. They did it out of love. They have been waiting to transport my grandparents for the flaws they choose and to get them out of the living house. I choose all human beings had that - those that cared that lots and have been stable sufficient to place the regulation down in a fashion. all people would reason a severe automobile twist of destiny. it is no longer basically the elderly. youthful, green drivers, distracted drivers, inebriated drivers, drivers having a medical emergency, etc. it is unlucky that it got here about. it is going to have been prevented. Older drivers are on the way out. it is existence. i'm hoping that I even have sufficient experience to appreciate while to assert sufficient is sufficient. Older drivers are slowing down. yet one problem is that no longer all human beings matures on the comparable fee. yet nonetheless all drivers previous a definite age could be retested. What age do you think of? How in many cases?
2016-10-20 00:35:14 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋