Hi, how do you get people out of the cars who should not be driving? An 90 year old woman in my neighborhood drives every day (how she got a license renewal is beyond me!!). She is taking vicoden, prescribed by her doctor. I called the doctor's office and they know all about her. (she is not just old, but dingy and now on vicoden!) i've called my local police station and they say, 'they will be on the lookout for her!".
Does she have to kill someone, kill herself (her sisters tried to get her to stop driving a few weeks ago, but she refuses!! ????
Any suggestions? LyndaEvery summer I wonder how someone who can't even steer a shopping cart down the aisle can have just driven the largest winnebago in the parking lot up the Alcan Highway.
If you lived in the UK you'd be able to report her either to the police or DVLA (the licencing people). Here at the age of 70 you have to redo your test after having had a medical... my FiL had to and the medical was quite rigourous. It is truly amazing how many old people are on the road, driving dangerously slow, weaving all over the place. Some of them dont even reach over their steering wheels and have big cars! There's no excuse either because in Scotland all pensioners are entitled to free bus travel anywhere in the country. Fingers and everything else crossed that she doesnt kill someone before something is finally done. Even though she's 90 years old she has the right to drive, even if she's taking Vicodin. Just because she's on Vicodin doesn't mean she's not capable. If her family can't make her turn her license in or not driv then they are capable of taking away the keys to the car if she really is that careless or a danger. I've known families who have taken the carb. off the car and told their elderly parent that the car isn't running and it will cost too much to have it fixed. The police can report her to DMV but only once they themselves have observed her driving erratically. They won't do anything because one person has complained. It's a problem that families don't take seriously or wait until it's too late to take action. It really is up to the families. Lindy Hi Guess I Should not be driving because I have swan neck deformities in my hands from having had agressive RA. Somestimes I drive slow as to not lose the grip of the steering wheel. Not a day goes by that someone with road rage honk's at me and shoots me the finger. I don't think it has anything to do with age but losing someone's independence. Because of my situation I do feel empathy for the poor woman as I'm sure everyone honks and frighten her. Poor thing. PS Getting hands fixed in fall, one at a time and that's is when I am not allowed to drive BooHoo
I agree with you Link. We have tons of *older drivers* in our area. Most are retired and move to the mountains for half the year. Every week it seems you read where one of them confused the gas pedal for the brake pedal and run into buildings, cars, and even people! We've even had them run into the drive thrus at a bank here
Her sisters was here and tried to get her to stop driving I called her doctor (I know his wife and was going to tell her, but eh office staff told him), he's going to do something? about her taking vicodin and driving! I called our local police, they are going to be looking for her and see if they can get her re-tested for her driving? or something? She won't listen to anyone. "SHE's been driving since she was 16, etc., etc.,) I hope she doesn't run over a child, have a crash, into other people, etc. I move far away when I see her!! LyndaI'm glad I'm not your neighbor. Call the police and let them know. But calling your nieghbors doctor! That's just weird and her doctor can't talk with you about his patient. You don't know what kind of impact you could have on her life by doing all of this either. Yeah, I realize she could possibly hurt someone but any of us could. And it's not your place to stop her. It's the police's problem.
Sometimes you have to step in...that's 'doing a public good'. We may not want to but look at the people that go plowing thru crowds etc. and all the neighbors etc they interview later...and everybody knew and nobody did anything. And then children are dead. My Father was one of those people who should have had his license pulled. He got dementia from diabetes as well as age-related complications. Nobody was going to take his license. So, he'd drive to the store and forget where he was and couldn't get home. He hit more cars in parking lots...and then just leave; not to evade, but because he'd get flustered and forget what happened. If the person was there...he'd ARGUE with them over what had happened. He'd harrass my mother accusing her of trying to 'dominate' him and 'ruin' his life by taking his license. She gave up. Do you want to know what it's like searching back roads for your father - wondering if he drove off a bridge, or off the road, or killed somebody while you can't find him! Do you want to know what its like trying to re-route finances so your mother isn't wiped out financially if he in his fog kills somebody! I think it was 7 accidents/incidents before the state even became involved and they never did pull his license. You did a good thing Lynda. It's too bad it won't amount to much. Ignore SICKOFDRAMA. Pip Of course it's Lynda's place to try and stop this woman. Lynda is her friend and cares about her and the kids in the neighborhood's safety. Just like it is my responsibility and yours to report drunk drivers, erratic drivers, and road rage incidents. 90+yrs and vicodin certainly warrents whatever measures it takes to get this woman off the road. Lynda is a very humble and caring person. Everyone here knows that. There is absolutely no malice on her part to help get this woman off the road. I'm sure her neighbors love her very much, we all do. Yeah! Pip Great Post Pip! Thank you for saying what I was thinking. Yes Lynda absolutely ignore Sicko's post, you did the right thing. I would do exactly the same thingMan I should be president....
I'm weighing in here on this. Katie, you may have heard this story being in Florida and all. Anyway, when I was in Florida, this exact debate came up because an elderly man drove into a toll booth on, I think the Skyway Bridge in Florida, with a body sticking out of his windshield and a head sitting on his passenger seat. Turns out, this man with failing eyesight had hit someone back on the road somewhere. When questioned about this, the man responded that he thought the body fell from the sky. Yet, he didn't have the presence of mind to stop regardless of whether he hit the person or the body hit him. Obviously shouldn't have been driving. Katie, I agree that the problem isn't only limited to elderly people. There are so many that drive recklessly as in all your examples. In MA, driving while talking on a cell phone without an ear piece, headset etc is illegal. Good rule. I won't talk on my cell when I'm driving. I agree with Linncn that driving is a privledge and not a right. If I ever am unable to drive due to physical impairments or mental, I hope one of my family members will take away the keys, pull the carb, whatever it takes to keep me off the road endangering myself and others no matter what age I am. The loss of the freedom and independence will sting a lot less longer than if I take the life of another. * edited to add additional info* Turns out that this man in Florida had driven for several miles with this decapitated body hanging out of his windshield. I'm not sure if the authorities ever figured out for how long exactly. I agree with Katie that everyone should be re-tested and I also feel that the standards of when they pull your license should be stricter to avoid situations like Pip's father. However, Lynda, while I understand your concern and your good intentions, I'm wondering if you actually observed this woman driving carelessly or erratically, because I don't recall seeing that in your post. Being on Vicodin (like I am) and being elderly (like my 83-yr-old father is), even combined, don't automatically make you a dangerous driver. And I was surprised to see that you had contacted the woman's doctor, because that does sound like an invasion of privacy. Asking her family to contact her doctor, or you contacting the police after observing her unsafe driving, sounds more reasonable to me. As for myself, there are times that the pain makes me an unsafe driver and then I rely on my husband to drive me. I have actually found that the pain meds are not the problem, but the distraction from the pain itself. I am hoping it does not become a regular problem because living in the suburbs, I must rely on driving to get to work and to my doctor appointments. If this woman lives alone, I can just imagine how difficult it might be for her to get where she needs to go. If you're able to, I say offer to drive her sometimes to "keep her company" and that will keep her out of the driver's seat. It must be so difficult to give up your driver's license. because with it you give up a big chunk of your independance. No one wants to feel like a burden to family and friends. I hope that if and when I get to that point I will listen to people who tell me my driving skills aren't what they need to be. I don't think what Lynda did was an invasion of her neighbor's privacy. She didn't go asking for info from her doctor. She gave him info that he might not otherwise get. That's assuming the neighbor isn't going to go in and declare that she is no longer capable of driving. She may not even be aware of it. I also think that a person's personal privacy is secondary when public safety is in question. A bad driver is a very real hazzard on the road to every car that shares that road. Same as a drunk driver. Try explaining privacy issues to someone who's kid is in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Or just dead. OK Listen for a second. Im not saying that getting tested is a bad idea. What Im saying is that you cannot make that determng factor solely based on age. If one age group has to do it we should make EVERY age group do it like Katie suggested OK Listen for a second. Im not saying that getting tested is a bad idea. What Im saying is that you cannot make that determng factor solely based on age. If one age group has to do it we should make EVERY age group do it like Katie suggested Kelly come on now you know what im saying..Dont make me walk my happy ass up there and kick you in the shins
EVERY AGE GROUP THAT CAN DRIVE is thatbetter LMAO There are good tips on how to deal with elderly driving issues at: www.aging-parents-and-elder-care.com.elderlydrivers When to stop driving should be an issue that's discussed with the aging parent/s before the need arises to take away the keys. Usually if an agreement is made before the need arises then it's much easier for the parent and the child. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to cause a fight, but this thread really concerns me.... I still haven't seen anywhere in this thread where this woman was observed as being unsafe (just that her relatives thought so). If she was observed as being unsafe, then that's a different story. For those of you who don't think it was an invasion of privacy to contact her doctor, please give me your doctor's phone number so I can tell them what I think you are or aren't capable of....
I'm all for taking unsafe drivers off the road, unsafe drivers of any age, and I would support repeat testing for all licensed drivers. The kind of drivers you sited are careless, but still, they are most likely capable drivers. By that I mean that during a road test, they won't be speeding or talking on cell phones. They would pass a test. We aren't talking about careless drivers. We are talking about people who have lost the capability to be safe drivers due to age deterioraton. They are two totally different things, Katie. "Repeated carelessness causes loss of capability"?? Where'd ya get that?I see it every day.
Katie, I'm sure it seems that way to you. But talking on your cell phone while driving everyday does not make a person lose their ability to hear, see or react in traffic. that kind of driver I'm sure would have no problem in a road test. Many states have laws against cell phone use while operating a vehicle, hopefully that will help. Not knowing who goes first a a stop sign may be annoying, but it isn't a hazzard. It's not at all the same as losing some of your senses as you age. I just know one thing I may be getting old but as long as I have a mind and can remenber where I'm going, I'm going to drive, But I have stoped driving twice on my own and I would again if I made a mistake or felt like I was unsafe. My husband knew when it was time and stoped on his own.....I wouldn't mind taking a test ever so often. I knew a lady in AZ. that was 86 the last time I rode with her, She went up the off ranp of the freeway and like to sraced us to dead...she had no business driving and her license was good for another 4 years. she died at 93 and as far as I know she still was driving, but not with me in the car....I agree a lot of the elderly shouldn't be driving......We had a drank here, that was in his 20s, He hit a car from behind on the freeway a few blooks from here....It killed the old man that was driving and his wife. thier son and his wife and thier 2 grandchildren. 6 family menbers dead on the spot and not because the driver was old.....Around here more dranks and potheads, kill then old people. I saw this and was amazed that 15 year olds are allowed to drive( am not saying your daughter is dangerous Mary) I am riding in the passenger seat every day with my 15 year old. I am very aware of what is going on when she is driving, actually hypersensitive to others bad driving with my "baby" out there. in the US you get a permit for 6 months then you get your license at 16. You take a drivers class in school (sometimes the parents pay to have them learn it at an outside school). My husband and I were talking about this yesterday on our way to Kelsays drs appointment. We both agreed that there should be manditory testing for EVERYONE. He said that if you want to test one age group that you have to test all of them. He is on the road a majority of his day and he sees ALOT of stupid drivers. Most of the people that are going to agrue about the testing are those that are afraid that they aren't going to pass it, and usually those are the drivers that shouldn't be on the road. Link, I am not even going to give you a comment to me taking my 5 year old to the gyno. There is no comparrison to what we are talking about. Speaking as a really bad driver - I'm not afraid they're taking my license away. And I'm not afraid of not passing the test. They aren't looking for people to not get the license. I just got out of traffic school in LA - and all they're looking for is a source of revenue. I knew all the answers to the test questions about 4 way stops and how many people can be in the intersection when the light turns red. I passed the test. Heck, it wasn't even a real test as they don't record the scores. The problem is the distractions. Pip I've been driving over 25yrs, no tickets or accidents, and I'm a decent driver. I pass the driving tests with flying colors. With such a good driving record I've only had to take two driving tests and one written. For the last 10 yrs all I've had to take to renew is a road sign, eye test. Bottom line is, all the DMV has to go on are statistics, and make the laws accordingly. Good drivers are killed everday, bad drivers may never have an accident. Thats just a fact.
Statistics prove the young and inexperienced, and the elderly, cause more fatal accidents than all the rest of drivers combined.After researching many websites on the elderly and student driver traffic accidents I am convinced those over 65yrs and those from 15 to 24 yrs should be required to take a road and written test every year.Those over 75 yrs need a Drs. affirmation as well. These age groups, according to The American Vehicle Administration, are more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident. No state has a set age limit for non-renewals, but Illinois and Mass are enacting stricter laws concerning the very young and the elderly drivers. Hopefully all states will soon follow these examples. Fatal accidents within these age groups have decreased significantly in these areas. Elderly Licensure Laws and Motor Vehicle Fatalities Too Old to Drive? The Older Adult Driver Age-Based Road Test Policy Evaluation (abstract)
I think your hands are tied until she has an accident, but if you have a relationship with her and don't mind ruffling her feathers, gather all the information you can about local programs that would help get her to where she needs to go and approach it as you're really concerned about her safety. I think her family can be held responsible if she has an accident and shouldn't have been driving in the first place.how do you know she is on vicodin?
I wonder what your neighbors say about you?
Lynda, I think you were absolutely correct in what you did. Her doctor may have the ability to deny her the privledge(sp) of driving. I know in Massachusetts, a doc can stop a patient from driving based on what they know of the patient's medical history. My grandfather's eye doctor had done that when he continued to want to drive after having some serious vision problems. Not sure how it is there. I applaud you for doing something about it. I think if we all did this more often, it would be nice.
As others have repeatedly said, driving is a privilege, NOT a right.
Again, this is why EVERYONE should be tested.
I worked with a woman at the hotel who refused to tell us her age. We always guessed she was somewhere in her early to mid 40s. She sky dived, scuba dived, rode bikes, went out dancing and was an amazing conversationalist. She was the picture of good health and a great mind. On her last day of work she finally revealed to us how old she really was. 65.
Age is a number, and not always a description.
[QUOTE=kelsaysmommy]
Then you support letting 5-year olds drive?
Kelly likes to start crap..............
We restrict teen drivers just because they're young and the stats say they're more likely to crash. Why couldn't the same reasoning be applied to another age group with similar stats?
Well we have to set a starting age SOMEWHERE. And that's probably always going to be debated, but that's the way it is. As a minor, it's not detrimental that they drive. Someone else can drive them, as someone else is responsible for them. However, as an adult you're taking a WHOLE lot away from a person (sometimes) So there's no easy or logical way to put an "ending" age.
Right at 12 year old might be physically capable to drive a car but they may not be mentally capaple of taking on the responsibilities.
[QUOTE=kelsaysmommy]Right at 12 year old might be physically capable to drive a car but they may not be mentally capaple of taking on the responsibilities. [/QUOTE]
Same argument holds for a 90-year old.
[QUOTE=arriscolwell]Well we have to set a starting age SOMEWHERE. And that's probably always going to be debated, but that's the way it is. As a minor, it's not detrimental that they drive. Someone else can drive them, as someone else is responsible for them. However, as an adult you're taking a WHOLE lot away from a person (sometimes) So there's no easy or logical way to put an "ending" age.
[/QUOTE]
I disagree. Many of my high school classmates had jobs to support their families... not just to buy the latest fashions.
Well that right there is an ENTIRELY separate issue Kelly. It should not be like that.
Oh, and changing a driving law while admitting that things like that happen, is something this government will NEVER do.
I think she did the right thing. In MI you can obtain a form from the Secretary of State and have an eye doctor fill it out to have a license revoked if a persons eye sight is not well enough. I do not know anything about getting a license revoked for health or age reasons. Maybe you could contact your local Secretary of State and ask them? I agree, the laws need to be stricter. The safety of the public, human life, is much more important than the privilege to drive.
*edited for crappy spelling.....*
Insurance companies charge higher premiums for young adults and elderly drivers.
You only want to test them! How is it any clearer??? Again I ask you, who are drivers who "don't need it" ??? Who DOESN'T need to be tested? Your answers are full of holes.
Or how about just limiting the testing to people who have been cause of an accident? How does that sound?
[QUOTE=arriscolwell]You only want to test them! How is it any clearer??? Again I ask you, who are drivers who "don't need it" ??? Who DOESN'T need to be tested? Your answers are full of holes.
[/QUOTE]
Take a deep breath. I said "increased testing"
Not you, Link. LOL You posted right as I did..........hehehe
I am riding in the passenger seat every day with my 15 year old. I am very aware of what is going on when she is driving, actually hypersensitive to others bad driving with my "baby" out there.
I too stopped driving when I was so sleepy from RA (before Provigil). Many people have diseases that keep them from driving, there are work arounds for that. It is bad, but not the worse that could happen. My dad (74) and daughter (15) are both more capable drivers than I was at the time. I shouldn't use my dad as an example since he taught high speed pursuit driving at the police academy until a couple of years ago.
[QUOTE=maryblooms]Treading lightly here......
I am riding in the passenger seat every day with my 15 year old. I am very aware of what is going on when she is driving, actually hypersensitive to others bad driving with my "baby" out there.
I too stopped driving when I was so sleepy from RA (before Provigil). Many people have diseases that keep them from driving, there are work arounds for that. It is bad, but not the worse that could happen. My dad (74) and daughter (15) are both more capable drivers than I was at the time. I shouldn't use my dad as an example since he taught high speed pursuit driving at the police academy until a couple of years ago.
[/QUOTE]
When my husband was recovering from his heart attack, his cardiologist prohibited him from driving for a couple of months, until he could actually think straight. Of course, my husband didn't understand what was going on... it took him a month to realize he actually had a heart attack.
I too stopped driving when I was so sleepy from RA (before Provigil). Many people have diseases that keep them from driving, there are work arounds for that. It is bad, but not the worse that could happen. My dad (74) and daughter (15) are both more capable drivers than I was at the time. I shouldn't use my dad as an example since he taught high speed pursuit driving at the police academy until a couple of years ago.Pin, in most (all?) states, 15-year olds can get a driving certificate which enables them to drive as long as a licensed adult is in the front passenger seat. They have to be enrolled in a drivers' education course to get the certificate. They can get a license at age 16 (some states may have raised that age; I'm not sure).
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