wow, i was driivng down I-5 this week, wnt to turn off in roseburg, and on the offramp was an older guy, appeared to be in late 60's-early 70's and he was driving down the offramp, wound up getting creamed by a dude in a little sportscar. luckily no one was hurt, but really, how do you miss the big 'WRONG WAY' and 'DO NOT ENTER' signs long enought to actually get on the interstate, and then wondering why no one would let you merge? lol, anyway, i don't want to lump all senior citizens togethor, but maybe like a thorough mandatory eye inspection every year after 55. i mean my great grandma just passed an eye examination, with one eye bandaged because of her 3rd laser eye procedure, how can this be? your thoughts.............
Was it in the daytime or nighttime? Because often enough, those that lose their sight may need a C restriction when they get older. Then, the other side may not need glasses or restrictions at all, but need to stop using them! Presbyopia also takes a toll on the elderly, and it may be that they need to take off those old eyeglasses and say goodbye!
Other than those two and the loss of coordination for the select few, maybe it could have been just the person? Maybe he himself was a bad driver. We could never know -- except the officer. He could have checked to see how many tic marks he's gotten.
I've seen just as many young and middle aged drivers drive as bad as some seniors. What they really need to do is make it harder to get a license, like you actually have to prove you can drive...
My uncle and his girlfriend were on his motorcycle, when an older guy, talking to his friend, pulled out when he didn't have the right of way. He didn't see my uncle until the point of impact. My uncle accelerated to go past him, but the older man, confused, hit his accelerator instead of the brake. They were hit, but luckily survived the accident. With cracked ribs, a broken leg, broken collarbone, concussion, several lacerations. Elderly people, past a certain age, should have a license test every year, and should not be overlooked. They have loss of eyesight, and more important, loss of hearing, which was the cause of this accident.
Personally, I think once you reach a certain age you need to have a driving test every 6-12 months. BUT, we also have to think about providing for those senior citizens who we revoke their license. Senior citizens should receive free transportation, but not a bus. More like a van.
