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Those who are 65+ years old should have to retake the driving test to make sure they are still able to drive safely. Their decreasing capability to drive poses a threat to others on the road. This test would not be taking away their freedom, as they can still drive if they pass. Driving is a privilege, not a right, amirite?
Ide say once every 5 years after age 65. Good post.
Sometimes I swear the elderly cause more accidents than teenagers on the road... :S
yet teenagers get all the shit
Statistics show teenagers cause more accidents than elderly people.
However, those statistics usually fail to factor in the amount of driving - teens have more miles logged than the elderly so total miles logged show that the elderly have a very high accident rate for how much they drive. Additionally, the elderly person driving 35 in a 55 mph zone is just as dangerous as the teen going 70.
Yup and the stats don't lie people!
And they drive so fucking slow
No, this old lady right behind me at a shopping center was tailgating me and honking her horn at me, I was getting pissed off. There was a family who was slowly walking diagonally across the street in front of me....
Inb4 cool story bro
cool beans
sool ctory bro.
It actually exists already, my grandparents had to test a few years ago
I agree! Have them take a drivers test at 65 and when their license is to be renewed thereafter.
my gramma had to retake it.. idk for what reason but she did
Probably just a regular renewal.
I was wrong about having to retake it every 5 years but many states have required vision tests and shorter periods between expiration for people of a certain age.
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2006/rpt/2006-R-0457.htm
It exists in australia.
Yup, and they have to have a full medical.
I know a 96 year old who can still drive. That's pretty damn impressive.
Some places (like Germany IIRC) have a much more difficult driving test than the United States. You need to be a good driver to be on the road, and everyone's used to it. I think that's a good system.
SOUTH PARK!
I think most teenagers are worse from my experience...
A lot of the teenagers at my school are ditzy and don't pay attention. There are so many accidents in the parking lots and since we don't have bussing, a lot of the retards drive to school. And then when it starts snowing they're like, "OMG I LIEK NEVAR DROVED IN DA SNOW B4!!!"
-.-;
It's just the fact that people are constantly saying, "The elderly should have to be retested every few years!"
And from what I have seen, the people who are saying it are ignorant, impatient, inexperienced teenagers who think they're great drivers.
I haven't really seen a clear majority of adults say the elderly should get retested.
No, no. I wasn't implying you were a teenager. It's just that majority of the people that I have heard say things like this are teenagers who can't drive and it irritates me because statistics say teenagers cause way more accidents than the elderly.
Not to mention, if you took their licenses away when they get older are they supposed to take a bus? What if they live in a small town with no buses? They're supposed to walk places? They're a better target for crime too, so I don't understand how much good taking away their ability to drive will do. :/ What would they do with the ones they deem unable to drive?
But the elderly are usually pretty independent. If they're driving, they're probably not in nursing homes. I don't think that they want to rely on their children to get from point A to point B and back to point A again.
I agree, though, that if they can't see over steering wheel or shake a lot or can't see well then they shouldn't be able to drive. But if the government starts this, I think they should also have some sort of system where they can get free rides when they want to go out.
I also think that they should only get tested if there is a reason (medically, a recent accident, etc) not just because they're old.
I just see a lot of flaws in this idea. :/
It seems like they're just generalizing for the sake of generalizing. Just because a lot of black people in their 20s are incarcerated, should we incarcerate them all? If we were to test a racial group just because they're notorious for being bad drivers, people would be outraged. Or if we tested women, because it's joked that they're bad drivers. Feminists would be pissed.
I don't think it's fair to test them without any other reason than, "You're old."
Getting everyone retested every ten years or so would probably be a lot better. This would probably work a lot better for everyone and no one would get pissed off.
Hearing loss doesn't impact your ability to drive too much. Deaf people are able to get driver's licenses because hearing accounts for only 10% of the senses you use when you drive.
Albinos have really bad vision, too. They're able to drive, but they got through really intense procedures in order to do it and have to wear special glasses on the roads.
I haven't heard that before. That's really interesting.
I just think ti'd be horrible for my grandmother or my grandfather to have thier license stripped away because they're too old. But if it does help more than it hurts in the long run it may be for the better.
Still, I prefer the idea of everyone being tested after so many years.
But if they have decent vision with plain glasses and no physical/mental problems that would make it so that they couldn't drive then I don't quite see the point.
I'm probably only defending them because I think old people are really cute and it'd break my heart to see their faces when they find out they aren't allowed to drive anymore.
But I understand if there are no problems they should have no problem passing the test. It's just a little sad for me to think about I suppose. :x