At what age should a person loss their drivers licence?

free2beme

In my area, in the last year, there has been six people killed in three separate accidents by someone over the age of 70. In two cases, the elderly people lived while the other drivers did not. In one case the elderly person was killed, as well as the people they hit. Of the six people killed, two were children under the age of five. It is becoming more and more common for traffic related accidents to be connected to elderly drivers, especially since the population of people over the age of 70 is increasing at all times and will continue to do so. So with this in mind, would you support laws and local measures that take drivers licence away from people at a certain age?

thom

I think I'd support a mandatory road test each year for drivers over a certain age, but not just using age to lose your license.
I've know (and seen) terrible drivers over 70. Once I rode with one in service and finally insisted on driving his car the rest of the time. But I also know some who are over 70 that drive just fine.

Country_Woman

drivers licence here is connected to our age: at 70 you have to take a medical test which will be re-done at least each 5 years or earlier when doctors are expecting something is coming up - say each year.

that could be eye-sight, hearings, hart-failing or what ever you can think of.

Still that ain't guaranteed no accidents : I know of lots of accidents (hart failure) in which YOUNG drivers were involved.

as far as "behaviour" is involved: most accidents here are caused by young drivers : 18-24........

blondie

Medical conditions should determine whether a person continues driving or not. Some people much younger than 70 have driving restrictions for that reason.

Yearly eye exams should be mandatory.

In some countries, re drunk driving, it is one time and you lose your driving privileges permanently.

I would think that more people are killed by drunk drivers each year than by elderly drivers.

http://www.wisinfo.com/journal/spjlocal/294622978281126.shtml

http://www.aging-parents-and-elder-care.com/Pages/Checklists/Elderly_Drivers.html

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/ddl/faqmed.html

It's amazing that even after a driver has killed someone with their vehicle in many states their license can be reactivated.

under74

I think people should be re-tested at retirement age. I know that there would be a lot of hollering about it here in the US but you know I think people that have received a number of tickets (not parking) should have to take the test over again.

I know everyone LOVED the movie Cacoon but it's not discrimination against the elderly to have them take the test over. I would take it over again if I had to --even though I know that just updating my address feels like a pain in the ass. BUT for christsake, the safety of others as well as myself are involved.

blondie

PS many older people just continue driving even after the state takes away their license (younger people too). It is not possible for law enforcement to do much about that unless their family/friends/neighbors turn them in. Then they have to take away their car.

Blondie

wednesday

Just yesterday Am I was watching Foxx Cable News. They had report of n a 94 yr old man ( in Flordia) driving who hit a man crossing the street-he hit him head on. The 94 yr old man man did not even see him or hear him hit the car. When stopped he said he thought the man had "fallen out of the sky". The man had ealry Alzehimers (sp) but had had his licensed recently renewed. He drove a while before he realized someone was on his car, and I think the police had to finally stop him, may be wrong on that. Do not have the link.

kwintestal

I support the manditory retesting of all drivers every 5 years. Everyone. There are too many bad drivers on the road, young and old and I think a large reason for that is you get tested when you're 16 and then go until your 60's or 70's before you're tested again. That's too long for bad habits to set in.

Kwin

ozziepost

I can recall the anxiety the compulsory re-testing caused by father. It brought home to me what it must feel like.

You see, he felt humiliation as well as the stress of having to take an annual driving test.

He could rightly claim to have a lifetime of trouble free driving. He had a history of management occupation, as well as flying bombers for the Air Force.

I've seen some right idiots behind the wheel but my father wasn't one of them.

So, my opinion is that that age should never be a reason to automatically cause a driver to lose their license.

There must be a better way.

Ozzie (feeling friendly to the senior citizens class)

HappyDad

I think I'd support a mandatory road test each year for drivers over a certain age, but not just using age to lose your license.

I would go along with this. However I would make it every two years starting at 70 and then every year starting at 80.

It should be along the lines of the mandatory two year flight proficiency test that licensed pilots in the U.S. have to take in order to keep flying...........regardless of their age. It's also scary to know that there are people in their 80"s still flying airplanes.

The person's physical and mental reactions need to be taken into consideration. A very good friend of mine who just turned 93 in September just recently passed both the written and driving test again. Sometimes I think Marty is more alert than I am. He still volunteers at a hospital 3-4 days a week and has done this for the past 15+ years. It's probably this kind of activity that really helps an aging driver.

HappyDad

edited to say: I can't spell this morning. Maybe I need a spelling bee retest.

At what age should a person loss their drivers licence?

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