How old is too old to drive?

Philippines
February 6, 2007 8:08pm CST
After an 84-year-old driver plowed through an elementary school lunchroom this week, killing an 8-year-old boy, his mother pressed lawmakers to bar the elderly from getting behind the wheel. "We very much support a mandatory limit on the driving age for seniors," Amanda Wesling wrote in a missive directed at driver Grace Keim, who authorities say was en route to a driving class at a senior citizen's center Monday when she struck and killed 8-year-old Ryan Wesling. The grieving mother's plea raises new questions about how old is too old to drive, an issue states continue to grapple with in the wake of similar tragedies in recent years. Driver's licenses are issued at the state level, with each state having its own rules. While many states have enacted or are considering tougher testing for older drivers, they are weighing those changes against the rights of millions of older people to have the independence a license allows. MY GRANDFATHER IS 83 HIS A SAFE DRIVER. ITS CASE TO CASE BASIS. I THINK IT GOES TO ALL DRIVERS TO GO ON SAFETY MEASURES OF DRIVING. THE LICENSE SHOULD BE GIVEN AFTER A DRIVING TEST.
9 people like this
72 responses
@crazy1 (479)
• New Zealand
7 Feb 07
I've seen both very competant and incompetant drivers of this age. I think it should be a case bt case thing, why take a licence off a perfectly competent driver.? Regular testing is a good idea at this age I think though.
2 people like this
@ktroth (378)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I think people need to be have an annual drivers test once they turn 70. When they turn 80, they should be tested every 6 months. I don't think there's a magic age when the elderly should stop driving. It all depends on the person. My 81 year old grandmother is sharp as a tack, healthy and smart. If it weren't for her macular degeneration, she would be driving still and I would not feel unsafe riding with her. But with the m.d., she can't drive and doesn't. My other grandmother, on the other hand, at the age of 74, was a horrible driver. She had been pretty bad all of her driving life, but as she got older it just got worse. We took her license, but she still drove. Thank God nothing bad ever happened (unless you ask the mailbox!), but it sure could have. It's one of those things...there ought to be a law....
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Feb 07
I agree with you, it's not exactly about the age. Because there are alot of elderly people on the roads and driving very responsibly. But there are far more younger drivers on the roads and driving like maniacs, cutting people off, talking on cell phones and not watching what is going on around them and speeding all at the same time. They cause more accidents than most elderly people.My mother is 80 and have cataracts and she knew she couldn't see well enough to continue driving and not possibly cause an accident so she stop driving at all. that's responsible driving, and that's what the elderly do to keep us safe. Though we have some who refuse to accept the fact that they need to give up driving.......
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
7 Feb 07
In my area they don't have to be tested at all. You can actually renew your drivers license by mail. You don't have to get an eye test done then or anything else. Many seniors do that so that way no one checks them out. Personally I think it should be required every ten years to go in and have a driving test, no matter what the age of the person. That way no one can scream age discrimination. Also prehaps if they did it would also make sure younger generations are remembering the rules of the road.
• United States
7 Feb 07
I think when people to get to age 60 or so hey should have reflex test done when they go to renew their licesne. That way the DMV can see if they have sharp enough reflexes to be driving.
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I think perhaps rather than saying that after a certain age one cannot have a license, it would be better to institute a driving test. Many elderly are far safer than younger drivers! Perhaps having a physician notify the DMV when elderly are placed on certain meds would work? The DMV could then request that they come for a driver's test. Of course, I can hear everyone screaming that this is a violation of the elderly's privacy. I have always wondered why more driving tests weren't done for older people. Many do have vision problems and are on numerous medications that make them unsafe to drive.
@crickethear (1417)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I personally don't think it matters how old a person is. As long as they have all their faculties, and have good reflexes, why shouldn't they be allowed to drive. To me there are a lot of people driving around who aren't even close to being old, and they shouldn't be driving.
1 person likes this
@skivveez (38)
• United States
7 Feb 07
It's a very complicated issue we have here, because, especially in southern california where I grew up, losing a license is almost crippling. There's not really a great public transportation infrastructure, and without a relative or caretaker to depend on for rides, taking a license from an elderly person can make it basically impossible for them to even get groceries or medication. Still, cases like the one above are not as uncommon as we would hope, so it's really tough to find a workable solution. My money goes with the camp that says that the elderly should have to take their driving tests much more often than younger drivers, since their health and mental conditions can be susceptible to very rapid and unforeseen deterioration. The tests should also be more stringent, I recall my test being simply a short (5-10 min) drive around the area near the DMV, I think an eye and reflex test at least would be in order. I'd like to think that the majority of people are smart enough to realize if/when they are no longer fit to drive, unfortunately, it's easy to see how a need to resist the loss of independence and the loss of one's own physical/mental faculties could easily make somebody deny the reality that they are no longer safe on the roads, so we need more frequent, more stringent testing.
1 person likes this
• United States
8 Feb 07
Your age doesn't matter when you drive. By that I mean that you can be 80 and be in normal physical shape and drive normally while you can be 60 and you have deteriorating vision, and slower reflexes. So it all comes down to your physical condition. If you're in good physical condition and can see well, and have good reflexes you can drive a car no matter how old you are.
@ondo1015 (1884)
• Philippines
8 Feb 07
Yes old man drives carefully than youth. But accidents happen without warning.
• Philippines
8 Feb 07
Exactly, short but true and meaningful.
• India
7 Feb 07
how is that possible that a man in the age of 83 can be a safe driver at all..........
• Philippines
7 Feb 07
because he simply can. regardless of the age he can normally does things perfectly. his a doctor, a retired teacher and he used to work at a lumber company before. his driving for decades. his strong enough to handle it. bright eyes now u know.
@crazy1 (479)
• New Zealand
8 Feb 07
Here in NZ we have yearly testing of all people once they get to their 80th birthday. In some cases I think the age should be at a slightly lower age as some are terrible drivers. It is mainly the 80+ year olds that seem to be the main problem here though, mind you, there are also some terrible younger drivers.
• United States
7 Feb 07
I don't think there is an age that is too old. The question are how good is the eyesight and how good is the awareness?
• United States
7 Feb 07
I would agree to a mandatory driver's test and eye exam every year after age 70 or 75.
@LindaLou (483)
• Canada
7 Feb 07
I agree that it should be handled on a case by case basis. This is a sad story, but not all senior drivers are bad drivers. There are many bad drivers out there of ALL ages. Personally, I think that all drivers should be tested every 5 years to ensure that they have not forgotten the rules of the road and that the testing should include not only town/city driving but major highway/freeway driving as well.
@Jocelynk (130)
• Canada
11 Feb 07
I don't think there's a real age that can be given as a definitive answer. Each person ages differently. I'd like to see a driving test - sight, reaction time, etc administered every 20 years for a young/middle-aged driver and then once every 10 years for those 40 and over (so 16, 36, 50, 60, 70, 80). Nothing against the elderly, but aging is a biological thing. It can and it will deteriorate your health - for some, their minds go, for others, their eyes will lose their functionality, etc.
@Kate06 (123)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I agree that there should be a driving test. One of my aunts when she turned 80 let her license expire which was totally her own decision. I have one grandparent who is still driving at the age of 88 and another who is 90 still driving. Both insisted on a driving test before getting their licenses renewed. Neither of them drive at night or in poor weather. Of course, I think that everyone should have to take a driving test before they can have their license renewed. They are a lot of maniacal drivers on the road old and young.
@Caimsen (16)
• Austria
7 Feb 07
Hm, a very good question. I think your too old for driving, if you're a big risk on the road and you have forgotten the most of the drivingrols. Well, in that case, there are many of young people that never hed to get a drivingliscents. I realy want to know what they did, to get it. Ever never on the normal way ... O_o;
• Philippines
7 Feb 07
Hahaha Im 23 born November 17, 1983
@Devinarun (387)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Age is not a factor to be atken in here to see if aperson shd drive or not....it is the mental ability and the stabilty of the person who is behind the wheel that makes the differnce.
@killj0y (618)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I don't think people should have to stop driving after a certain age because everyone's bodies are different. I think license should be reevaluated based on motor skills and eyesight.
@mbarryton (1872)
• United States
7 Feb 07
i think that after a certain age you should have to start taking driving tests every time you renew your license and instead of it being as long as younger people i think tey should have to do it at least once ever year
@jbhull81 (53)
• United States
8 Feb 07
thats just hard to decide i mean i have seen 80 yr old drive better then some 20-30yr old and visa versa problem is tho you never really know untill its to late and some thing like that happends
@Chinese (55)
• Canada
7 Feb 07
I dont think it matters
• United States
7 Feb 07
I think it is safe to say some people become worse drivers as they reach into the "elderly" years, for numerous reasons, although a specific date is obviously impossible to point out on a whim. Personally, I think something more should be done to ensure the safety of all citizens on the road. Consider this anology: Obviously, not all people who turn 16 here in the US can effectively drive. That is exactly why we administer a test after reaching this age, to see if the person in question can drive reasonably safe. I think the same thing should be done with people when reaching "old age". What age? I don't know. That is something experts and research statistics will have to determine. But at a certain age, it would be reasonable and logical to assure the public that any said person that becomes this age can still safely drive a motor vehicle. Sure, I understand it may be embarrassing to many older folks out there, but it is also embarrassing to that 16 year old kid with shaky hands. It is done for a reason: to ensure the safety of the public. By and large, the safety of the public has been deemed (quite logically) by persons and authority figures simply more important than a slight inconvenience. I don't think my proposal is unreasonable or unfeasable, but any input would be appreciated.