Boomer Drivers

[Anonymous]

Suggesting that they self assess whether they are still road safe at age 75+ - so their adult children don’t have to fight with them about it- isn’t ’condemning’ them and I don’t know where you got breaking traffic laws from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:So a 65 yr old should no longer be driving, OP? Is that your actual position?

Apologies - I shouldn’t have said boomers - I mean people born prior to 1950 basically. At 75 I think we should all have to take a driving test and we should have to take it at least every 5 years to keep our licenses.

Nice walk back. Let’s get the mod to edit your thread title and delete your earlier posts.

Why so touchy? Are you a boomer AND a bad driver? If not, don't take it personally.

Neither. Just not in so much of a hurry to condemn an entire generation or get where I’m going by breaking traffic laws.

And your reaction to the mere idea of self reflection suggests you are in fact a boomer.

[Anonymous]

So, it's not about saving lives just going after a particular age group because they are slowing you down as you race to pick up your kids from school zooming around school buses because you can't figure out how to leave earlier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt it’s the Boomers who are driving on the Beltway at speeds above 80, cutting in and out of lanes as if it were a video game.

Thats the guys in Chargers and in Challengers and on motorcycles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Suggesting that they self assess whether they are still road safe at age 75+ - so their adult children don’t have to fight with them about it- isn’t ’condemning’ them and I don’t know where you got breaking traffic laws from.

How about our 63 yr old boomer friend?

[Anonymous]

Don't know why it's a radical idea to have drivers 75+ retest for road safety. I have a neighbor who uses a walker to get around and has told me she doesn't have feeling in her feet. She's still driving at 82. "Doesn't want to lose her freedom." She's also now hit my parked car 2x in six months. Enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't know why it's a radical idea to have drivers 75+ retest for road safety. I have a neighbor who uses a walker to get around and has told me she doesn't have feeling in her feet. She's still driving at 82. "Doesn't want to lose her freedom." She's also now hit my parked car 2x in six months. Enough.

You should park better maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So a 65 yr old should no longer be driving, OP? Is that your actual position?

Apologies - I shouldn’t have said boomers - I mean people born prior to 1950 basically. At 75 I think we should all have to take a driving test and we should have to take it at least every 5 years to keep our licenses.

Nice walk back. Let’s get the mod to edit your thread title and delete your earlier posts.

Why so touchy? Are you a boomer AND a bad driver? If not, don't take it personally.

Neither. Just not in so much of a hurry to condemn an entire generation or get where I’m going by breaking traffic laws.

And your reaction to the mere idea of self reflection suggests you are in fact a boomer.

No, it suggests that, like many other posters here, I appreciate posters being more reasonable and am willing to point out when they aren’t.

To their credit, OP has said they meant to say drivers 75 and older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Just a few examples. Scary that anyone can argue in defense of this.

Shall we post stories of teenagers driving too fast, drunks hitting people, jackazzes racing on the Beltway?

Thing is, OP, there are examples of bad drivers of every age yet you choose to focus on one group. Millions of people that you think are all the same.

The thing is that it’s illegal to drive drunk, and teenagers have to take a physical driving test in order to get a license. Old people don’t ever have to prove that they are still road safe. They are just allowed to keep going until in many cases it’s too late.

That's not entirely true. Some older people do need to do that, which I know because my 84 year old Aunt just passed that test, which I believe was required by her work's car insurance carrier for all drivers of a certain age in the organization who drive other people around. So yeah, she's older than a Boomer and still driving well.

She - and you all - can feel good knowing that she took and passed a test in that regard. Almost no one else has to do that though. My mom is 82 and absolutely should not be driving. And yet, she screams and yells when we bring it up and just keeps going. I don’t know what to do.

Your 82 year old mom is not a boomer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dear Boomers - Please stop driving before you kill someone or damage even more property by ‘accidentally’ driving into someone’s home or business - which seems to happen all the time without repercussions. This is willful negligence on your part and not an accident. Your adult children should NOT be in the position of ‘asking’ you to stop driving. Nor should an accident be the reason you stop. People are living much longer than the driving laws anticipated when they were written. Continuing to drive is selfish and dangerous, and unnecessary now that there are ride share apps and easy cab booking. Signed, Literally everyone who has to share the road with you.

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you quit your job to drive your parents around all day?

Nope because they have SO many other options now but your question is proving my point - just because someone WANTS to go places doesn’t mean that desire is more important than the safety of everyone else on the road. My 15 year old would love to drive himself around but it’s not safe for him to do that so there is a law against it. He doesn’t get to just do what he wants at the expense of others. And it’s not just having a ‘bad experience’ with elderly drivers - it’s stories in the news almost daily about elderly drivers killing and injuring people (Parthenon Restaurant here should ring a bell) and also damaging property while miraculously not injuring anyone - River Road Whole Foods, Flex All Day Store, etc etc etc. There is a point where people are no longer road safe and just because they WANT to drive doesn’t mean they should - and I don’t understand how that is even a point to be argued. The most selfish generation strikes again.

Please do shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dear Boomers - Please stop driving before you kill someone or damage even more property by ‘accidentally’ driving into someone’s home or business - which seems to happen all the time without repercussions. This is willful negligence on your part and not an accident. Your adult children should NOT be in the position of ‘asking’ you to stop driving. Nor should an accident be the reason you stop. People are living much longer than the driving laws anticipated when they were written. Continuing to drive is selfish and dangerous, and unnecessary now that there are ride share apps and easy cab booking. Signed, Literally everyone who has to share the road with you.

I’ll drive for as long as I damned well please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Suggesting that they self assess whether they are still road safe at age 75+ - so their adult children don’t have to fight with them about it- isn’t ’condemning’ them and I don’t know where you got breaking traffic laws from.

Mine kinda did, thankfully. At 74 they’re in perfect physical and mental health so they're perfectly fine for now but they went through the "taking away the keys" thing with their parents and so will be moving back into Manhattan in the next 10 years. Tons of things to do and zero need for a car

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is likely because insurance and driving laws haven’t caught up with the fact that people are living - and thus legally driving because they don’t even have to take a physical driving test when they renew - SO much longer than they were when those rates and laws took effect. It’s 79 now in the US and was 73 in 1980 - and likely to just keep increasing. Google elderly drivers driving into buildings or elderly drivers fatal accident and you will be shocked. If you are happy with 95 year olds on the road I guess good for you?? I’m not because I see every day that it’s not safe!

I agree. I was flabbergasted when Virginia renewed my grandmother’s license at 94 - by mail (in 2000).

However, 95 year olds are not boomers. The oldest boomer will turn 80 next year. (I count the start nine months after WWII ended)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is likely because insurance and driving laws haven’t caught up with the fact that people are living - and thus legally driving because they don’t even have to take a physical driving test when they renew - SO much longer than they were when those rates and laws took effect. It’s 79 now in the US and was 73 in 1980 - and likely to just keep increasing. Google elderly drivers driving into buildings or elderly drivers fatal accident and you will be shocked. If you are happy with 95 year olds on the road I guess good for you?? I’m not because I see every day that it’s not safe!

I agree. I was flabbergasted when Virginia renewed my grandmother’s license at 94 - by mail (in 2000).

However, 95 year olds are not boomers. The oldest boomer will turn 80 next year. (I count the start nine months after WWII ended)

It's interesting...DC at least makes you go in and pass an eye test every 10 years and the people administering the tests can require additional tests if they believe your faculties are slipping.

Again, I hope the generations that have come of age comfortable with Uber, Lyft, Waymo et al will be fine not physically driving themselves. They still will have all the independence, but no longer the keys.