Reply to Did anyone here about the 11 people injured, 2 killed eating outside of the Parthenon today?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]This is just awful. Senseless pain and death. And preventable.[/b]

If we had more infrastructure for alternate modes of transport, fewer elderly people would insist on driving (so would a lot if other people who might accidentally lose control of a vehicle). The man driving this vehicle could have been on a bus, train, light rail, etc.

If we had stricter emissions requirements for vehicles, we would have smaller, lighter cars that would cause less damage. We could also implement safety standards for cars that assess impact on pedestrisns, I stead of just evaluating how safe a car is fir the people inside it. The vehicle was a large SUV. Had it been a small sedan, there might have been fewer casualties and perhaps no one would have died. SUVs are incredibly dangerous to the human body because they suck bodies down and under the vehicle. Smaller vehicles tend to toss them up and over, which is still terrible but generally less deadly.

If our streets were designed with a focus on pedestrians, diners, shoppers, children, etc., instead of traffic, these incidents are less likely and, even if they do happen, less deadly because cars travel at lower rates of speed and pedestrian areas tend to be protected by sidewalks, trees, bike lanes, etc. Your proximity to traffic is much less.

[b]While the man losing control of his vehicle could indeed “happen to anyone”, there are a half dozen policy choices here that contributed to these people dying. We could make other choices.[/b][/quote]

x10000000

Exactly the point.  But, people don't want to take care of their elderly parents, never mind drive them anywhere.  Plus, old people can be stubborn, and their offspring just don't want to deal with them.  What needs to happen is a law that prohibits anyone over 80 driving. Period. [b]Too bad that your children don't want to drive you, they have to step up. [/b]
[/quote]

Not all elderly have children living close by to drive them.   You can't force anyone to perform unpaid labor (driving their parents.)   What WOULD make sense is to have elderly people plan earlier in life to save money to PAY for a private driver or regular taxi rides ([b]or be willing to take the bus[/b].)[/quote]

My DH and I already plan to retire to a relatively dense urban environment where we will be able to take bus/subway/light rail/etc. most places. I think is the best way to replicate the freedom of youth as an older person. I think one mistake a lot of retirees make, when they can afford to do so, is to move to large-ish houses in inaccessible areas. It cuts them off from communities and basic amenities (the grocery store, the doctor, etc.) and thus forces them into cars. Which is why so many elderly people refuse to give up driving. But the whole set up makes no sense.

DH and I plan to retire to a small 2-bedroom apartment once we are in our 60s. Exact location isn't determined yet, will probably depend on where our child settles as an adult (we don't necessarily need to be in the same city, we aren't obsessive, but we want to make visiting each other easy as we are quite close). We'd like to be either in an elevator building or in a garden level unit (these can be quite nice and are more likely to have patios or other outdoor space), and close to bus or subway lines, plus with some amenities nearby, especially a grocery store. Continuing to walk should also be very good for our health and mobility, and I think being around lots of other people is especially important in old age because mental health becomes very important as you age and proximity to others help give your life structure and meaning.

So yes, being willing to take the bus sounds like a small, singular preference, but I think it is one of the best things people can do as they age. Just be willing to take public transportation and prioritize it in your housing choices. And you'll never accidentally kill two people and maim several others with your SUV. Seems worth the sacrifice.[/quote]

Pp you quoted here.
I fully agree with you and plan to do the same.  Unfortunately, not everyone is like us.[/quote]

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