Alan Jones Comment - 21Aug07 - Elderly Drivers

Alan Jones comments on proposals to reform the licence system for older drivers , and asks if this is part of a push to brainwash people into believing the elderly are responsible for the carnage on our roads.

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[rosko85]

If you are not fit to drive, it shouldn't matter how far you live from the post office, you shouldn't be driving.

If you pass the test, you have nothing to fear.

[stewartx5]

ShwangShwing > "Tell a diabetic.." (continued from previous comment)

And, before you start, public transportation is not a viable alternative since the very elderly are least capable of walking to/from bus/tram stops and on/off such vehicles carrying bags of groceries, household goods, or whatever.

Younger people are far better equipped physically for that, yet darn few, knowing how difficult and inconvenient it is, would even attempt it.

[stewartx5]

ShwangShwing > "Tell a diabetic that he should stop eating sugar and"

Mandating, by law, a person restrict freedom of travel is clearly not the same as asking one to stop eating chocolate eclairs. The days of people walking to the other side of a small village are gone. Modern societies, including elderly within, are dependant on private transport today. Removing that from the elderly would greatly lower their standard of living, reducing access to supplies, entertainment, socializing, etc.

[ShwangShwing]

Yeah... Statistics that I've come to show increased accident rate in elderly drivers. You sure don't agree with that, as I see.

Driving is a very dangerous activity regardless of age, but more dangerous for the older people. Everybody wants to drive. It's some kind of a car addiction of society. If you can't drive you're not worthy... What the hell? Tell a diabetic that he should stop eating sugar and it will be accepted... but tell a 90 yo that he should stop driving and you get bad responses.

[stewartx5]

QRhuggies > "older you get the longer it takes for you to react in certain situations."

Again, most elderly drivers slow down considerably to compensate for any physical deficiencies in those situations. Indeed, that ("they drive too slow") is a very common criticism of elderly drivers.

[stewartx5]

thunderbird182 > "Young people do have more accidents BUT drive a lot more miles than the elderly. per mile the elderly are worse."

If elderly drivers actually drive fewer miles & have less accidents, as you say, who cares about some fantasy "per mile" extrapolation? If the goal is to reduce accidents, one goes after those actually causing the greatest number of accidents, not the least - unless, of course, one has another goal in mind.

[stewartx5]

ShwangShwing > "don't get worse with age?"

That depends on the age. Regardless, most elderly drivers slow down considerably to compensate for any physical deficiencies. Indeed, that ("they drive too slow") is a common criticism of elderly drivers - when they instead should be praised (and even rewarded) for recognizing their limitations and driving responsibly to allow for that. If younger drivers did the same, accidents would be further reduced substantially.

[ShwangShwing]

Are you saying that vision, hearing, reaction time, decision making don't get worse with age?

[QRhuggies]

Fact of life is the older you get the longer it takes for you to react in certain situations.

[thunderbird182]

Young people do have more accidents BUT drive a lot more miles than the elderly. per mile the elderly are worse.