still driving

[heidi0902]

Depends on the person, but it should be watched. There are three people in my family who have lost driving rights and all three was after some sort of accident caused by them. And they didn't lose it "legally" it was just us concerned family members. I wish it never would have gotten to accident level though!

[UGetPaid]

I don't know if they've changed the laws yet but my grandma stopped driving 20 years ago and my family took away my grandpa's keys. It's been proven that reaction times, vision issues, and other health problems make driving much harder for the elderly. There needs to be additional tests on a yearly basis for the elderly. Driving is a privilege, not a right.

While I agree that there can be issues with certain elderly drivers -- as a whole, I believe elderly drivers to be considerably safer and more careful than younger/new drivers. I don't have hard statistics to back it up, but I have two eyes that I believe in 100%.


I personally believe that the minimum driving age should be increased to 18 and I would make an argument for 21, but with kids out of high school and many on their own in that range I don't think it would be practical.


Annual re-tests for elderly is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion (but maybe I am misunderstanding your comment).  An annual health screening for certain vision and reaction time issues might be warranted if there are pre-exiting factors to suggest those might be problems, but to force all people over a certain age to pass an annual driving test is quite discriminatory in my opinion.


If there is a true medical issue, then by all means it should be addressed and driving should be restricted.  But I have seen so many more actual accidents and near misses due to teenage and 20-something drivers than by 70+ year old drivers.

[gaby_ro_2004]

I would love to stay in shape when i am 80.

[patti4me]

My husband and I are both still drive and we'll be 70 in less than 6 months.  I don't see where I will be ready to give it up for a lot of years because I've always loved driving.  My father in law was still driving at 97 but he really should have given it up a few years before.

[cathy37]

My grandmother drove her car until her eyesight got so bad she couldn't anymore.  She still kept her car until the day she died because she didn't want to give up car.  I would drive the car occasionally and a friend of hers would drive it sometimes when they would go somewhere.

[LenoraMinogue]

Driving is certainly a big part of independence, and it can be really hard to have a conversation with someone when the time for them to stop driving comes around. I have seen plenty of people who drive well into their later years though. It really depends on the health of the individual though.

[bretay]

i have a neighbor who is 95 and going strong..she was still driving until a couple of months ago when she coming down her steps...her son took her keys and car...she still has sound mind..she was always out in the yard raking and everything..now all i see her do is come down her steps and sit in her swing..she looks so sad now