Driving at Age 97

[MRG]

My dad drove until 96. He never had any accidents, but it still scared me. I went with him to get his driver's license renewed at 95. I felt for sure that they would want to test him (or at least discourage him), but they were happy to give him a new license - for free! Not even an eye test.

To be honest, the few times I rode with him he did fine. My brother kept telling me to take away his keys. My brother (who lived out of state) wouldn't tell him, he wanted me to do it. I tried. I disconnected his battery. He called AAA. Towards the end, he couldn't walk well enough once he got somewhere, so he stopped driving. I was relieved.

I tell DW that I'm going to propose a new law. Not for older drivers, but for texters. If someone cause me to miss a light due to texting there should be a mandatory $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail. She thinks I'm joking. I'm not.

I was rear ended on I-70 by someone who had to be texting. She was the only person who didn't stop. As I stopped I looked in the rear mirror and she was looking down. Of course this was in MO where it's legal to text and drive.

Hahaha, someone upstream was worried about people driving under the influence of cannabis! You can test for cannabis but you can't test if someone is texting.

 

[audreyh1]

Just open you eyes and look around you when you are out driving. Are the sucky dangerous drivers senior citizens?

We have tons of seniors here being a popular winter snowbird location. And no, those aren’t the worst drivers around at all. It’s not only about reaction time. Paying attention and looking where you are going, being patient and having reasonable good judgement/not taking crazy risks is a big part of good driving and avoiding accidents. I see plenty of middle/family age people doing stupid risky stuff because they are in such a hurry.

 

[Teacher Terry]

When my dad had a big stroke at 59 he crumpled up his DL and said I’ll never drive again. It was sad because he loved to drive but realized he wasn’t safe anymore.

 

[Music Lover]

Just open you eyes and look around you when you are out driving. Are the sucky dangerous drivers senior citizens?

Of course not all senior drivers are dangerous. But, the realities of aging drivers with diminishing skills can't be ignored just because some younger drivers are bad too.

I've always been a fan of a driver's test for all drivers every XX number of years. By requiring everyone to re-test no one can claim age discrimination.

 

[mountainsoft]

Aggressive drivers and distracted drivers worry me more than seniors. Seniors usually drive slow and are paying extra attention. The dangerous drivers are the younger and middle age folks who follow too close, speed around me, cut in front of me on the freeway, accelerate quickly at a light even though I'm in front of them, drive way too fast for conditions, rush to get a parking spot, drive too fast through parking lots, etc. Not to mention younger folks are always on their phones instead of driving, and they're always angry and in a hurry.

That said, judgement and reaction times slow as we age. My wife recently totaled her car when an older senior pulled out in front of her on our county road. The other drivers age may have factored into the accident, but she could have been any age and just not paying attention.

My mother-in-law still drives at 80, just around her little town going to church and get groceries. She has neuropathy due to diabetes and can't feel her feet, but she has never had even a small accident.

 

[gauss]

Folks,

There may be processes in your state to address this issue.

In my state, I believe that anyone can make a referral to the DMV to recommend a driver performance review/test. This would include medical professionals, family, neighbors etc. A series of tickets or court appearances could also trigger a review.

That all being said, when I was taught to drive, back in the day, we were always taught to be "looking out for the other guy". I assume that people are not going to stop ,despite what the law says they must do, if their not stopping will adversely impact me.

Not sure that I want to live in a society where we are all bubble wrapped to protect us from any possible risk.

I seem to remember that we had a similar thread here regarding this issue a few months back.

-gauss

 

[Koolau]

in the FWIW department, I (and several friends) had to scrunch up against a building back in 1964 as the Prince roared past us. It may not all be about age but YMMV.

 

[38Chevy454]

"Studies also indicate fatal crashes-per-miles-traveled increased for individuals, ages 70 to 74.

....snip

I didn't read the link, but my first thought on this statement was that older people may also sustain more severe injuries for the same accident vs a young person. So it may not be the accident rate, but rather the more fragile health of the driver that contributes to the higher death rate? Just a thought for consideration.

 

[Car-Guy]

I didn't read the link, but my first thought on this statement was that older people may also sustain more severe injuries for the same accident vs a young person. So it may not be the accident rate, but rather the more fragile health of the driver that contributes to the higher death rate? Just a thought for consideration.

Wow, that hits close to home and seems so valid from my POV. I had numerous accidents when I was in my teens and into my 20's. I was thrown out of a car once (as it flipped) and I dropped a couple of motorcycles. Walked away from all those without breaking any of "my" body parts. The cars and motorcycles were not so lucky. Any of those would probably ended differently for me today.

 

[Walt34]

My FIL is age 94 and still drives. None of us will ride with him. He has backed into out car and crashed into BIL's car too. This along with numerous broken tail lights, slightly dented fenders etc. When he visits, we all move our cars out of the way.<snip> Somebody please take away the keys!

You have a good chance of making this happen. Write a letter to the DMV in the state where he lives detailing those actions. Almost every state has a procedure in place to "randomly" retest drivers whose driving abilities are in decline for whatever reason.

I did that years ago for FIL, and it was one of the hardest letters I ever had to write. I actually liked the guy and knew that it could take away his mobility, but I and DW also realized that he was a danger to himself and others. To everyone's astonishment he (barely) passed the driving test but the issue was resolved a few months later when the car needed repairs he couldn't afford. But I would have bet my next pension check that he'd have failed the test.

BTW, in an example of governmental common sense, if you do write such a letter the state will not tell him who wrote it. Check of course, if that would be an issue as it would in most families, but most of the time they won't say who contacted them.

 

[Talkjk]

I often say that it is an accident that many of the drivers make it to where there going. SoCal is full of bad drivers. On the subject of retesting, I could only imagine what that would do to our already poorly run DMV system.

 

[garyt]

My Dad drove till 92. I would drive with him a lot to see how he was doing but he was fine. Never went far maybe 5 miles at the most. It was his decision to quit. We always took him anywhere he wanted to go anyway, so it wasn't worth the cost of upkeep on the car and insurance to drive a couple times a week.

 

[rodi]

In CA they will require a supplemental driving test if you've flunked the vision test or if a physician, family member, or law enforcement officer submits that you need to take the test. I believe they require a supplemental driving test if you have had tickets or accidents and are above a certain age. One of my friends who's 78 just took the driving test again, for her drivers license renewal. She'd had a speeding ticket since her previous renewal.

Another friend is 87 and still driving, but they require he take the driving test every two years. I believe his physician put in that request because he has an ongoing cancer... He did just decide to buy a new car - he can't do the stick shift anymore on his car.

 

[MRG]

Sixty three posts before this, and everyone is concerned about old people driving. Maybe that's not the biggest concern?

I knew a guy who was going blind from RP(Retinitis Pigmentosa). He went doctor shopping and found a caring optometrist who certified he saw 20/40, legal eyesight for driving. He couldn't see 20/40, he gave this doc a sob story and got several clues during his exam!

I had 20/40 vision before my cataract surgery, it was none to great but legal. However this guy couldn't see that well. I hung out with him, I rode with him once, never after. I had to point out small vehicles and pedestrians. Thankfully he moved and couldn't re-pass an exam in his new state with worse vision.

Never mind the senior person driving, the guy next to you might be blind!

 

[Nick12]

Sixty three posts before this, and everyone is concerned about old people driving. Maybe that's not the biggest concern?

I knew a guy who was going blind from RP(Retinitis Pigmentosa). He went doctor shopping and found a caring optometrist who certified he saw 20/40, legal eyesight for driving. He couldn't see 20/40, he gave this doc a sob story and got several clues during his exam!

I had 20/40 vision before my cataract surgery, it was none to great but legal. However this guy couldn't see that well. I hung out with him, I rode with him once, never after. I had to point out small vehicles and pedestrians. Thankfully he moved and couldn't re-pass an exam in his new state with worse vision.

Never mind the senior person driving, the guy next to you might be blind!

That’s nothing new. In FL, there are licensed doctors that can approve meds or help you with your concerns for the right price. Unrelated to this, there was a peer of mine that had a work related injury. Doc asked how long he wanted to be out of work. Welcome to the land of the free.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Clients with services to the blind sometimes would drive to their appointments. When you asked them about driving they would say they only made right turns. Ugh!

 

[braumeister]

My neighbor was still driving at 95, until he had a stroke and had to go into a nursing home. I used to see him all the time, and although he almost never went more than about ten miles from home, he was perfectly fine behind the wheel. A little on the slow side, but no weaving or other improper behavior. I hope I do as well as he did.

I think what Walt34 said is right -- send a letter to the DMV and outline your concerns. Most states have plenty of practice dealing with this issue.

 

[jfn111]

I drive for the local Food Bank, we bring people home with their groceries, and they recently set a limit of 78 for the drivers. Their insurance wouldn't cover any driver over 78.

 

[Nick12]

Around me in FLA (not a true retirement area), when I see the dangerous drivers, they are always youngins and usually male.

In my part of the sunshine state the many illegal aliens are actually pretty safe drivers. One of them advised they do not want to get pulled over by law enforcement so they follow the rules of the road.

 

[imoldernu]

Kelly and Helen are both 100, and live in the apartments in our CCRC. Both healthy and very alert. Kelly is our go-to guy for Walmart glazed donuts... for our "mens" Friday coffee. He drives daily and hasn't had an accident since he retired 40 years ago. Has to renew his license yearly, but never has had trouble passing the test.
BTW, he and Helen are Bridge players extraordinaire. Kelly was a BAR man in WWII, and spent the whole war voluntarily, and can tell war stories about every country in Europe.

 

[eytonxav]

Another factor that should make all drivers safer on the roads is all the technology in today's cars (sensors, cameras, and computer intervention), also many older people are much healthier and in better physical condition than past generations. Terming people over 65 as being a liabilities on the road seems ludicrous. Now that is not to say that a 97 yo should be behind the wheel.

 

[Sojourner]

I think you should have to pass a driving test to keep you license past a certain age(maybe 65?). I know people in their 80's who are more physically able to drive than people in their 60's. It shouldn't just be automatic that you can't drive when you reach a certain age. Maybe have more frequent testing as you get older. Maybe have a driving test at 65 and then 70, 75, 80, 81, 82, 83.....

This seems perfectly reasonable to me. IMHO, we should look at data to determine when to start testing people annually for renewing their drivers license. If the data show that substantial cognitive decline, slower reflexes, etc., typically begin around 65, then that should be the age for an initial re-test. And I also think it would be reasonable to have an upper age limit on driving. Commercial pilots are forced to retire at 65, and these are people who've undergone extensive, rigorous, exhaustive training for many years to do their jobs. Why shouldn't recreational drivers who reach, say, 85 or 90 or 95, be forced to "retire" from driving?

 

[scrabbler1]

Back in the late 1980s, when I was early in my career in the auto insurance industry as an actuarial assistant, I worked on creating a separate class code for drivers aged 75 and up, splitting this age group of drivers from the existing 65+ age group. I recall seeing at the time a graph similar to one shown on page 2 of this thread, where accident rates by age rose sharply for drivers aged 75 and up, not far from the high accident rates for drivers under 25.


Data storage technology and processing was primitive compared to today, or even by the late 1990s, so when Y2K came around and we had to create a new report system, it was a lot easier to capture and process data with more age detail. It didn't take too long to start creating class codes for many age ranges, even specific ages, through at least 85 (I have been out of the industry for 10 years, so I am not sure how high the age classes reach now).


I also recall at the time when I created those age 75+ age classes 30 years ago there was a report on 60 Minutes about the growing problem of very old drivers losing their faculties and causing accidents. Part of the segment took place in Miami Beach such as the business district on the busy Collins Avenue near 71st Street where a car driven by a very old person mowed down several people waiting for a bus at a bus shelter because s/he hit the gas instead of the brake.


My dad just turned 88 yesterday and he still drives. He is in good shape but doesn't drive much, mainly to local stores for his shipping, to his doctors, and to the bowling alley and gym. Nearly 10 years ago, I became our sole driver whenever we travel together, especially on our long trips to my brother's place about 200 miles away. He has had some minor accidents, sometimes his fault, sometimes not, which have damaged his car and the other driver's car. After his long-time ladyfriend passed away 4 years ago (his wife, my mother, passed away 23 years ago), he pretty much stopped driving at night. So, we are limiting his driving but not eliminating it.

 

[GrayHare]

Restricting older drivers due to skill decline probably won't happen widely before we get auto-autos, and I don't believe that to be imminent.

 

[Music Lover]

Back in the late 1980s, when I was early in my career in the auto insurance industry as an actuarial assistant, I worked on creating a separate class code for drivers aged 75 and up, splitting this age group of drivers from the existing 65+ age group. I recall seeing at the time a graph similar to one shown on page 2 of this thread, where accident rates by age rose sharply for drivers aged 75 and up, not far from the high accident rates for drivers under 25.

To add to that...drivers under 25 lack experience and some of them are reckless. That can be corrected. Drivers over 75 have decades of experience and are not reckless, therefore, the vast majority of accidents has to be attributed to something else, and that's usually diminished physical capabilities. Those issues normally can't be corrected.

I'm not against older drivers. For example, my girlfriend's father is 85 and is still a good driver. But, her 80-year old mother had her keys taken away last year and that was a few years too late, but luckily there were no incidents. So, even though we all know of good older drivers, the reality is that after a certain age the percentage of unsafe drivers becomes too large to ignore.