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Is there a point at which older drivers should be required to re-take a
road test for their license renewal?
Baby Boomers face a dilemma about their elderly parents that they'll ultimately face themselves: Should they be required at some point to re-take a driver's test to prove their proficiency behind the wheel?
First off, take the poll ... let us know how you feel about the issue:
Liberty Mutual, the insurance giant, is getting involved in the discussion by offering an online driving test, meant to simulate some of the challenges that elderly drivers face when they're out on the road.
It's called the Driver's Seat game and can be road tested here. It's offered as a resource by Liberty Mutual for Baby Boomers and their parents.
"The Driver Seat Game is a great conversation starter," Greg Gordon, senior vice president of Consumer Marketing at Liberty Mutual, said in a statement. "Most families are simply not addressing the very important issue of senior mobility, perhaps because they feel ill-equipped on how to approach it."
According to American Automobile Association findings, with the exception of teenagers, seniors have the highest crash death rate per mile.
Some states already require re-testing for seniors of a certain age and other states are considering it -- with a sense of urgency in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts saw a spate of accidents involving elderly drivers. An 89-year-old woman has been charged with the death of a 4-year-old, who was struck while crossing a street in Stoughton. A 93-year-old man drove his car into the entrance of a Wal-Mart in Danvers, injuring six people, after he mistook the gas pedal for the brake. The next day, seven people were injured in Plymouth after a car driven by a 73-year-old woman jumped a curb and ran into a crowd gathered at a war memorial. It was the woman's third accident since turning 70.
According to a recent national survey of Baby Boomers and senior drivers by Liberty Mutual, 75 percent of adult children say neither they nor anyone to their knowledge has ever spoken to their parents about driving safety issues. An even greater percentage of seniors (88 percent) say no one has had these conversations with them.
The driving game allows you to choose an age -- 65, 75 or 85 -- to, as Liberty Mutual says, drive a mile in their shoes.
Comments
I had a great aunt that her son tried to take away her license. she was VERY unsafe. she still got it back.
If licenses were taken away from unsafe seniors there would be a great demand for inexpensive transportation for them. I feel certain that clever entrepreneurs would see the need and new businesses would spring up all over. Until this happens the unfortunate side effect would be that a few would lose some independence. I'd be tempted to take it one step further, include a reaction time test for everyone to keep their license not just the elderly. In the end I think the roads would be much safer if at least something was implemented.
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