Getting older and unable to drive

[turnkey4099]

You know. Funny thing about car accidents. Thats exactly what they are. Accidents caused by negligence or circumstances involving negligence. When an accident happens involving particular classes of people it's a normal tendency for most people to blame the drunk, the teenager, the elderly driver, etc. But in almost all those cases it was just an accident that could have happened to anyone who didn't think just right that split second. I've investigated or been involved in handling circumstances resulting from two normal people, both stone cold sober, not old or very young, not texting or talking on the phone, etc having an 'accident'. In those cases it's usually referred to by everyone as an 'accident'. But let it involve one of the particular classes mentioned and it becomes 'a wreck caused by the old guy/ teenager/ drunk' etc, etc.

All true about general "accident" but your last line omits the _fact_ that people in that category cause "accidents" way over the statistics for general population.

I am an "old fart" myself and wonder about quiting. My wife never drove until she ws in her 50s, came over from Germany. All she knew abut driving was what made it go. She would NOT listen to advice from anyone about follwoing distances etc. I hated riding with here and finally did all the driving when we were together even on 400 mile trips. Last time I rode with her driving was when she was 72, 4 miles from town to house, and she scared me repeatedly on that short drive. I knew she had to quit. No hopes talking to her about it, checked with DMV and they couldn't pull it. Doc wouldn't give a down check, State Patrol wouldn't retest her. She then had a stroke. Even then I had to take her to the DMV and _she_ had to verbally tell them she was surrendering the license even after they saw me holding her up to get in the building and even while standign at the counter.


Harry K

 

[two_bit_score]

All true about general "accident" but your last line omits the _fact_ that people in that category cause "accidents" way over the statistics for general population.

I am an "old fart" myself and wonder about quiting. My wife never drove until she ws in her 50s, came over from Germany. All she knew abut driving was what made it go. She would NOT listen to advice from anyone about follwoing distances etc. I hated riding with here and finally did all the driving when we were together even on 400 mile trips. Last time I rode with her driving was when she was 72, 4 miles from town to house, and she scared me repeatedly on that short drive. I knew she had to quit. No hopes talking to her about it, checked with DMV and they couldn't pull it. Doc wouldn't give a down check, State Patrol wouldn't retest her. She then had a stroke. Even then I had to take her to the DMV and _she_ had to verbally tell them she was surrendering the license even after they saw me holding her up to get in the building and even while standign at the counter.


Harry K

Yeah but by your own rendition she had been a dangerous driver all her life not just got way because she aged. She probably was a menace from the ay she got her license and was determined not to change.

And sure, if you take all the categories mentioned in the last sentence of my pst they might add up to the highest risk category but there are still a lot bad drivers of all ages who cause wrecks.