I am now even more convinced we need a better way to evaluate the elderly to drive!!

[Punkie74]

I was at work today and got a call from my husband. He was heading home from his chiropractor appointment and some little old lady mistook the gas for the brake and hit him and my kids! My kids are fine, I just dropped my husband at the hospital since the accident aggravated his back even more than it already was. (He was to the point of tears) I just had a patient last week seriously injured by a little old woman mistaking the gas for the break and only a few months ago an elderly woman drover her car through the nail salon by my house! They have really got to come up with a better way of evaluating who is still capable of driving!!!

[sweettigeress]

I agree. I think when you hit a certain age you need to retake the test every year, then when you hit an older age you should have to retake it every 6 months. 

[Hottmomma607]

OMG! Thats scary! Glad everyone is ok! Sucks about your DH's back!

[LyTe684]

Yikes. I agree. Glad the kiddos are okay. I hope your DH is okay.

[atlmom2]

They do but they are a huge voting block and the govt will not make them take driving road tests after age 65.

[Punkie74]

Yup... No one wants to risk losing votes by doing something smart!

Quoting atlmom2:

They do but they are a huge voting block and the govt will not make them take driving road tests after age 65.

[lga1965]

 An 82 year old woman who still had her licnese after several other accidents rear-ended my car several years ago. (Then mine hit the one in front of me and their's hit the one in front....5 cars involved.) SHe had her license pemanently revoked after that. The Insurance agent told me she was "legally blind". Nice. SHe was driving legally blind.

MyDad was a super good and careful driver until he was 85 (but he stopped driving after he broke his hip when falling on ice) , so its hard to determine when elderly people should stop driving just by their age. Maybe a road test after age age 75? Especially if they cause an accident.

[othermom]

I am glad that your kids are okay and hope your husband feels better soon

[kaitybird]

Glad your husband and kids are okay, but it isn't just the elderly....I think everyone needs to be evaluated with the way everyone drives these days!  

[Courtney610]

Totally agree.

[merryvoice]

I agree. My grandpa was still driving into his 80's. One time we were in the car with him, he hit a metal fence...don't know what it's called, but it was to keep cars from driving into the bushes and hotel where he was staying. So he hits this thing and keeps driving, scraping off his paint and hitting the curb. He just kept driving for probably a minute. We kept telling him to turn the wheel, but he was saying it was fine! I never drove with him after that.

Then I read a joke that goes something like, "when I die, I want it to be peaceful...not like everyone else, screaming in the back of grandpa's car." Something to that effect. It's funny in itself, but funnier to me because of my grandpa.