Commentary

The Internet's and mine

There are blogs and forums out on the web that are caught in the crossfire between the different sides of the issue of senior drivers and what should be done with them. That or it becomes grieving ground where anonymous senior victims share their stories. Every time I get lonely posting information on this blog, I look at those discussions and am instantly relived that no one has found those this blog yet.

Here are some comments that have been posted one site:

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Submitted by Jack Meoff on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 08:35.

 “You have absolutely no good logic behind your argument, no one is arguing that older people aren't human, the issue is safety...and no one is saying old people shouldn't drive because they are old, it is because they are unsafe. Elderly people are just statistically proven to be more dangerous than any other age and the only way to successfully weed out the unsafe older drivers is to take a test to see who should and shouldn't be on the road.”

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 19:22.

“An 86 year old bad driver killed my daughter, for the sake of someone elses kid, take away the keys, sell the car and get him a driver. You are an enabler who will be as responsible as your father if he kills someone with his car!”

Submitted by No One Will Help on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 15:15.

 “Sept 2009, my dad had a stroke that affected both sides. He has gotten his left side back, but his right side is still very weak. He has trouble w/his entire right side and shouldn't't be driving. He blows stop signs and had trouble stopping and staying in correct lane. He has trouble backing up etc... His doctor won't do anything, even though he knows he should not be driving. I wrote our dmv, and he only had to do 1 hour ocupational therapy, which he can put on an act if his driving is involved. It's not the age that should be taken to stop driving, but the physical and mental aspect of it. I can only hope that someone will never have to go through this ever. It is heart breaking watching my dad almost hurt people because no one will help. Pray for our family.”

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 00:12.

“I appreciate your decision. My brother-45 and nephew-9 we killed in a crash two months ago. They were hit head on by an 81 year old semi truck driver who was not able to see that he was in the wrong lane. He was, unfortunately, "legal" to be driving that truck. He started his truck driving profession, making very good money, at the age of 75. Elderly drivers pay more for driving insurance because they are a higher risk. The information on aging and inevitable physical changes is everywhere, yet ignored. No matter how young you feel, your eyes, ears, neurological systems and stamina are degenerating. The process is as natural and unstoppable as any other physical milestone we all have during our life course. Frame of mind, sharp as a tack or not, cannot stop this process. Laws will be changed. Until then, my plea is that the elderly, graciously accept there is a time to give up the keys before another life is lost.”

...Its a very active site (“Older Drivers, Elderly Driving, Seniors at the Wheel”, n.d.).

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I suppose if I searched for forums and blogs on teenage or drunk driving, I would find similar posts.

But these forums aren't productive, dispute all victims/sympathizers energy. They give neither links to their information nor any names to the polices that they find so they are not really helping anyone who reads these blogs.

Not that I don't empathize with them but personally, I find  that the  majority of the posts start off with a line of sympathy/empathy then go on to describe their personal experiences in game to one up each other. But this makes it clear that it is an issue and happens more times than the general public thinks.

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While they do discuss (or post and complement) each other’s idea for new laws to be proposed or enforced they do not really even touch solutions for making  driving a personal car necessary. Unfortunately, I can’t come in here and say that I hold the solution.

What I can do is send links to some good sites that hold valuable information and programs.

Night Vision and Driving:
How Safe Are Older Motorists?

  Ten Warning Signs of Age-Related Eye Problems

Sudden eye pain or blurry vision could signal an emergency that may lead to permanent vision loss. Never hesitate to visit your eye doctor if you have any of these warning signs (Segre, 2012).

How Your Vision Changes as You Age
Many vision changes are perfectly normal. But to compensate, you may need to take extra steps such as more frequent changes of prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Read up on what to expect in the way of vision changes as you age, and what you can do to minimize problems (Segre, 2012).

Safe Driving After 60
Age-related vision changes, such as loss of sharper night vision, mean you need to be extra cautious to increase driving safety (Segre, 2012).

Eight Ways To Protect Your Eyesight
A few simple lifestyle choices, such as not smoking and eating healthy foods, really can improve your chances of keeping your eyes healthy for a lifetime (Segre, 2012).

How Diet and Nutrition Protect Aging Eyes
Learn which foods and vitamin supplements are the best for maintaining eye health in older people (Segre, 2012).

Sight Saving Tests for Older Eyes
Regular eye exams can be vitally important, especially as we undergo age-related eye changes (Segre, 2012).

Tips for Coping With Vision Loss
Older people need proper vision correction and treatment to maintain quality of life and decrease the possibility of mishaps such as falls (Segre, 2012).

Eye Care for Qualifying Seniors at No Cost
Are you neglecting your eye health because you can't afford an eye exam? The National Eye Care Project may be able to help you (Segre, 2012).

 The American Automobile Association  says “a typical driver makes 20 decisions per mile and has less than a half second to react quickly enough to avoid a traffic accident. Age affects the three essential steps involved in that reaction process: sensing, deciding and acting” (McKinney, 2012).

 

Driver Seat Game
Play the world's first senior driving simulator. Complete mini-games as you drive, park and explore an entire city while experiencing the effects age can have on your driving abilities.

Related Links

• Tips for Talking With Your Loved Ones (PDF)
• Safe Driving Tips (PDF)
• Annuities Made Easy

 A site I give my personal *Rating is AAA Helping Seniors Drive Safer & Longer. Though this site you can Explore Your Medications and Driving, Smart Features for Older Drivers, Know the Licensing Laws in Your State( SeniorDriving.AAA, 2011).

 AAA offers you an array of tabs like Improve Your Driving Skills, Evaluate your Driving, Understanding Mind & Body Changes, Maintain Mobility & Independence, Tools & Additional Resources,  and Resources for Family & Friends, that are bound to have what your searching for( SeniorDriving.AAA, 2011).

This site also lists the same alternative transpiration services offered:

-Public Transportation- take a buddy and make an outing out of it!

-Carpooling/Car sharing- Share the gas bill and put that dough your saving into your retirement fund.

- Community Local Organizations -These are low-cost, community-based informal transportation services for seniors and are highly responsive to individual needs.

-Paratransit- is a specially equipped shuttle service often offered at reduced price to those that face disabilities that prevent them from using fixed routes of other forms of transportation. Unlike buses, they drop you off at your locations doorstep!

Now go find them in your area!

Reference~

-Liberty Mutual Insurance. "Senior Driving." Senior Driving | Liberty Mutual. Liberty Mutual Insurance, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <www.libertymutual.com/auto-insurance/senior-driving?src=lmcm-s-ggl-brd201208105199&s_kwcid=TC|22526|senior%20driving||S|p|2>

-"Older Drivers, Elderly Driving, Seniors at the Wheel." Automobiles, motorists, traffic safety and driving guidelines. - Smart Motorist. SmartMotorist.com, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/older-drivers-elderly-driving-seniors-at-the-wheel.html>.

-McKinney, Sean. "Night Vision and Driving: How Safe Are Older Drivers?." All About Vision - Complete Consumer Guide About Vision and Eye Care. All About Visions, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://www.allaboutvision.com/over40/night-driving.htm>.

-Segre, Liz. "Vision Over 60 - AllAboutVision.com." All About Vision - Complete Consumer Guide About Vision and Eye Care. All About Visions, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://www.allaboutvision.com/over60/>.

-SeniorDriving.AAA.. "SeniorDriving.AAA.com." SeniorDriving.AAA.com. AAA, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://seniordriving.aaa.com/?OVMTC=Broad&site=&creative=21380913227&OVKEY=older%20driver&url_id=147515451&adpos=1t1&gclid=CLGw0unOibQCFbKiPAodh2QAMg>.