Elderly Drivers - Please Stop Driving

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have a parent who is elderly and still driving, PLEASE do some honest reflection on whether he/she is still road safe and take action if not. Driving laws were not written for people who live to be 95 - they were written for people who live to be 70 and there is no change in sight so we must handle ourselves for the safety of everyone on the road.

And for anyone who is going to @me - especially in the age of Uber, the safety of others is not less important than an elderly persons desire to go somewhere. It’s not right, it’s not safe, and it’s not ok.

Anyone who says something like this on DCUM is too stupid to be taken seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 66. Healthy and only need readers. When my doctor advises I quit driving, or my kids notice a decline, I will give them my car. However, as a widow, I don’t feel comfortable with Lyft or Uber, so I’ll stick to more deliveries. I’m not expecting my kids to haul me around.

Again…you’re just too old for when Uber and Lyft came about. Plenty of single women take Ubers and Lyfts…when Waymo is in your area then you won’t have to worry about drivers either.

Seriously? I was actually living when Uber and Lyft started. My husband and I used them all the time. You make zero sense.

Well then you would use them and not claim you are uncomfortable…like tons of single women of all ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like that in Japan if you're 75 you have to pass a cognitive test to keep driving. I think that would be a great idea here - reaction times slow down.

Honestly it needs to be 65 in the US. Americans have terrible hand/eye cordination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like that in Japan if you're 75 you have to pass a cognitive test to keep driving. I think that would be a great idea here - reaction times slow down.

Honestly it needs to be 65 in the US. Americans have terrible hand/eye cordination.

Your misunderstanding of statistics is an issue. Please censor yourself (aka, “take away the keys”!).

[Anonymous]

If you are referencing the statistics about which age group has the most accidents, please note that as many have said, those numbers mean nothing without knowing how many total drivers are in each group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are referencing the statistics about which age group has the most accidents, please note that as many have said, those numbers mean nothing without knowing how many total drivers are in each group.

The statistics referenced throughout this thread largely have come from the federal government and insurance industry. If you have other (non-anecdotal) data that supports your multiple threads consistently demanding elderly drivers stop driving and encouraging adult children to illegally take their parents’ car keys away, then please share it.

[Anonymous]

No one is saying that those numbers are incorrect. The problem is that they don’t say how many accidents each age group has out of how many drivers for that age group. For example, 10 accidents out of a group of 20 drivers doesn’t mean the same thing as 10 accidents out of a group of 50 drivers. It’s not an equal comparison. So those statistics don’t mean anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is saying that those numbers are incorrect. The problem is that they don’t say how many accidents each age group has out of how many drivers for that age group. For example, 10 accidents out of a group of 20 drivers doesn’t mean the same thing as 10 accidents out of a group of 50 drivers. It’s not an equal comparison. So those statistics don’t mean anything.

They are part of the underlying data that influence insurance rates and government safety recommendations, including testing.

Research for now still generally indicates that risk is higher for young people. After the age of 75, the risk begins to increase, though higher fatality rates may be more correlated with frailty, from age.

From the National Safety Council’s 2023 data focused on driver age (more data and graphics at the link):

“The number of crashes by driver age varies greatly. Some age groups are over-represented in crashes. Sixteen- to 19-year-olds represent 3.7% of licensed drivers, but account for 8.7% of drivers in all crashes and 6.5% of drivers in fatal crashes. Other age groups are under-represented. For example, drivers 65 to 74 account for 13.5% of licensed drivers, but represent only 7.3% of drivers in all crashes and 8.8% of drivers in fatal crashes.

The overall crash rate per 100,000 licensed drivers steadily decreases as driver age increases. The same trend is generally true regarding the fatal crash rate, with the exception of an increase among 75 and older drivers.”

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/overview/age-of-driver/

[Anonymous]

Here is from Senior Living -
“Premiums rise for many older adults, particularly those over the age of 74, because they are more likely to have vision and hearing impairments, cognitive decline, and slowed reflexes, despite being the demographic least likely to purposefully engage in risky driving behaviors.”

Less likely to purposefully engage in risky driving behaviors BUT have vision and hearing impairments - cognitive decline - slowed reflexes.

Honestly nothing will come of this from this message board except MAYBE some senior is reading this and thinking to themselves maybe it’s time for me to accept that it’s time to stop. Maybe I should consider everyone my impairments affect when I decide my desires are more important than their safety. Doubtful but maybe! And obviously not every senior.

[Anonymous]

Also you could say that choosing to drive when you have impaired vision, hearing, cognition, and reflexes IS the choice to purposefully engage in risky driving behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We try, OP. My dad lives in a European capital that has excellent public transportation. He’s 88 and still *needs* his car to play golf.

No he doesn't. You simply take the keys away, or have their doctor send a note to revoke their DL.

So thankful my parents happily gave up their final car by age 82/83.
But I would have taken the keys away if they hadn't within a few years after that

You're either delusional, or intentionally trying to stir things up.

"Simply taking the keys away" from someone is theft. You think there aren't elderly people who will call the police on their own kids?

Guess I still have a healthy relationship with my parents. So we'd have a discussion. But if needed I'd have their doctor pull their DL, if they were no longer rational

You can’t just direct your parents’ doctor to do things.

you can explain your concerns, and have them evaluate your parents for vision and cognitive/reaction times.

But as I stated, my parents gave up their cars on their own by 83 (and they were still okay to be driving at that point). And yes, they don't have family nearby, but live in a facility with good shuttles and where you can book rides to doctors/etc. So it's only "emergencies"/last minute trips that require uber.

This involves your parents’ cooperation going to the doctor to have these things checked. A lot of people won’t do that. You seem naive as to what you can control. These are independent adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is from Senior Living -
“Premiums rise for many older adults, particularly those over the age of 74, because they are more likely to have vision and hearing impairments, cognitive decline, and slowed reflexes, despite being the demographic least likely to purposefully engage in risky driving behaviors.”

Less likely to purposefully engage in risky driving behaviors BUT have vision and hearing impairments - cognitive decline - slowed reflexes.

Honestly nothing will come of this from this message board except MAYBE some senior is reading this and thinking to themselves maybe it’s time for me to accept that it’s time to stop. Maybe I should consider everyone my impairments affect when I decide my desires are more important than their safety. Doubtful but maybe! And obviously not every senior.

Also from the article you’re quoting:

”Seniors are involved in fewer accidents than other age groups, yet they often pay higher insurance premiums.”
“Drivers in their 30s are far more likely to get in accidents than drivers over 65.”
https://www.seniorliving.org/transportation/driving/statistics/

Again, their collective driving record still isn’t as risky in some respects as the cohorts of younger people.

Anecdotes and ageism aren’t good reasons to collectively pull people’s licenses or demand they forfeit them.

[Anonymous]

No one suggested collectively pulling people’s licenses. It’s fascinating to me that anyone would object to mandatory testing though once we all reach a certain age. If you’re fine to drive, you will pass. If you’re not fine to drive, wouldn’t you like to know that before you kill someone??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elderly parents are well-known for their willingness to take their kids' advice. They would immediately surrender their keys when asked.

Yup. OP, have you yourself talked a parent out of riving? My dad should have stopped driving around 75 or so. His neurologist insisted he stop driving around 81 and that is when he stopped. His three children tried many times before that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one suggested collectively pulling people’s licenses. It’s fascinating to me that anyone would object to mandatory testing though once we all reach a certain age. If you’re fine to drive, you will pass. If you’re not fine to drive, wouldn’t you like to know that before you kill someone??

Feel free to walk these back at any time:

“Elderly Drivers - Please Stop Driving.”

“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.”