It seems like every time I get in my car I'm narrowly avoiding a collision with an old driver. Has anybody else noticed an increase of accidents due to the elderly? Maybe it's the weather?

I was just driving at about 35 mph when two old women coming at my in the opposite lane cut in front of me to make a turn. I probably missed them by about 2 feet and I am sure that if I would have made contact I would have killed them both. What is even more frustrating was their utter lack of reaction. Neither of them so much as glanced at me as I honked my horn and skidded to a stop. Frankly, I'm not sure the driver could even see over the steering wheel. (no joke)

Is there something that could/should be done about this? I know that many elderly drivers want their freedom and a lot of them aren't afraid of dying in a car accident. But guess what... at 19 years old - I don't want to die in a car accident. I also do agree that many elderly are better than 16 year olds at driving - but that doesn't make anything better.
(Flame suit)
I think that there needs to be a program in place to ensure that only people physically capable (young and old) of making good decisions should drive. Perhaps have more difficult tests to get a license?
just the other day I saw an old woman (maybe 90) driving a red mustang - she couldn't see over the steering wheel so she was looking at the ground through her window to see the median... I wanted to call the police.
(end rant)

Peter

I concur with that. However, in the land of the free there are some obstacles to taking away people's licenses when they are no longer able to safely operate a motor vehicle. I am in favor of some type of driver retesting.

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Ali Al-Chalabi

2001 CLK55
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel
2002 Harley-Davidson Fatboy
Merlin Extralight w/ Campy Record

The classic scene is from "405: The Movie" on ifilms.com! That little old lady always cracks me up

haha! nice picture!

Just a little update: It happened AGAIN!!! I was driving out to the dealership to pick up my car and had to swerve to not hit a little old lady driving an oldsmobile. hehe... I honked and she honked back. geez... Maybe it's a sign that I need to move to a "younger" town.


Peter
1988 420sel
1988 300e

I get the same reaction when I see a young person driving a pick-up truck or a tricked-out Honda. It is specially bad when they come up benind me....

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Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

Nope, MAJOR misconception!! NOBODY in this country has the right to drive. It is considered a priveledge. Far too many people have forgotten this, and think that they have guranteed access to the roadways.

I also agree that we DESPERATELY need to adopt some of the European testing guidelines when handing out a drivers license to any individual - regardless of age. Here in Texas, no age group seems to have the edge on bad driving habits. You can find the gammut of people cutting people off, obstructing traffic flow, excessive speed, and even accelerating to prevent another driver from passing. Frankly, if law enforcement agencies quit acting as revenue collectors for their local moffias, and start yanking drivers licenses for serious violations like they're supposed to, the roads would be notably safer.

Here in Canada we do have tests like that. If you are over some age, 80 I think, you have to come for a physical that will determine if you can drive or not. Also if your physician sees that you are suffering from something that might make you a bad driver, or unsafe, he is obligated by law to report you to the trasnportation office for immediate licence suspension and it will remain suspended until your doc says that you are now fine to drive.

And here in Toronto, I would say that I get scared a lot more when some hot head in a suped up civic pulls up behind me then an elderly driver who knows his or her licence might be taken away in the blink of an eye.

Then again I just failed my road test for being too careful in a school zone, I guess that makes me a bad driver as well

xp

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1985 190E 2.3L - a constant project.

The US really should take a page from the book of our Northern neighbors. But then again, not many politicians are going to want to be the one on the forefront of such an endeavor, as it might cost them their office because of the amount of older voters (who drive recklessly on their way to the voting booths )

That reminds me of the scene from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" wherer the little old lady nearly runs over Ferris as he's sprinting through the neighborhood trying to beat his parents home.

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Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

Wil high Bard howzit goin?

Try living in Fl for a while...........

William Rogers.............

Jackson Michigan is Michigans cultural hot spot for the elderly, more than 70% is 75+ years. Driving through it is an absolute nightmare, on most visits you will witness at least one red light runner, someone doing 35MPH on the expressway or a car in a ditch for no apparent reason.


Forget political correctness and AARP, make driving test's mandatory or make bumper stickers like "let me tell you about my grandchildren" bright orange and mandatory so we can spot them at a safe distance and take evasive action.

That problem's here too. Almost every week I have to dodge an older driver.

It's a real quandry. These people have done quite a lot for the younger generations, and even apart from that they need to be respected. Still, when they're operating something that is truly a deadly weapon, the safety of others must be prioritized. Not sure how to best accomplish that, though; retesting would cost too much and would certainly bring up age-discrimination lawsuits too. ???

Well, I suppose one of the benefits of the Canadian winter is that it sure cleans up the bad driver problem. When the snow hits, most elderly drivers hibernate until spring, when their shiny white (why are they always white?) domestic yachts can set sail again in safety.

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Better go get a fast car that corners well if you gun for my 85 year-old mother.

She drives a six-speed C230 Kompressor.

Botnst