Elderly drivers - Poop on a stick

I had once started writing a column about this topic, but it seems all the more relevant to finish it now, after Aaron’s passing, to bring it up. - Andy

How many times are you driving down the road in your car and see an elderly person doing something stupid? Whether it be taking FOREVER to get into a parking spot, driving slow as all hell, or running a stop sign, many old people are unfit to drive. I myself have almost been involved in some accidents because of the inability of the elderly to drive safely.

On one occasion, I was coming through Tilton and was coming around a turn to cross the bridge in the center of town, only having to slam on my brakes because of an elderly woman, who could barely see over the dashboard, sitting in the middle of the bridge stopped for no reason. Imagine if I had gone off the bridge into the river trying to avoid her!! The results could have been horrifying! Also, one day I was coming down Route 106 towards Laconia, when an elderly man started coming into my lane. Luckily, I was far enough away that I was able to swerve into the shoulder to avoid him.

Point being, many of the elderly lack the skills needed for driving a vehicle. Not only that but they operate large, cumbersome, poor maneuvering vehicles (always seems to be a white Lincoln Town Car in my case.) Something needs to be done before more people die at their hands.

The state, and furthermore, the whole country, should seriously consider a yearly, or at least bi-yearly, re-testing for drivers over 70 to insure their capability to operate a vehicle. This test should include a test that is more rigorous than that given to new drivers, a motor skills test, sight test, and a reaction test. Because a driver who can’t pass those tests, is as bad, or in this writer’s opinion, worse than a drunk driver.

We lost one of our dear friends this week, and it really could happen to any of us. There is nothing that guarantees life, but there are steps that can be taken to help protect it. The state has done a lot to help eliminate drunk drivers, and I think it is their duty to do the same for the elderly.

In memory of Aaron Risley - 3-23-05
You will be missed - rest in peace, my friend...

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RLCvballgurl @ 03/24/05
"well put andy RIP AR :("

FacUtVivas @ 03/24/05
"Indeed."

FreakBurrito @ 03/25/05
"The most horrible thing is that we will never know exactly what caused the accident. Did the other driver have a Heart Attack? A stroke? or was it from other reasons. The only thing we know is that we have lost someone close to use. RIP Aaron."

Pinkstar @ 03/25/05
"89 is way too old to be driving anyways, a law should be passed about this because its happening all the time"

InvisibleCola @ 03/25/05
"When I got my license, there was the OLDEST couple in line before me. The husband was telling me his wife went to college with JFK. He was probably senile. Anywho, the tester returned from their driving test and told them the wife could have her license, but the man was legally blind and never should have driven there in the first place! Scary what they allow "sweet" elders to get away with."

Riev_Mordred @ 03/25/05
"Even if I put aside the passing of Aaron, I completely agree. They had a rule that people over 70 needed to be retested, but nobody wants to make a fuss, so they just give them their licenses anyways. I don't HATE old people, I hate people with benefits over other people simply because."

Jenna @ 03/25/05
"I hope this makes the front page of all the newspapers. People make laws all the time about instances. An old man just mowed down a bunch of kids on the side walk. Too far drives the senile and blind. "

chronic_groupie @ 03/26/05
"i can't even count the number of accidents i saw because of the elderly in florida. I agree with you, there needs to be something to keep them off of the roads"

FacUtVivas @ 03/26/05
"WE ALL NEED TO LOBY FOR AARON, IT WOULD MAKE HIM PROUD"

FacUtVivas @ 03/26/05
"MESSAGE ABOVE WRITTEN BY RAYNO'S MOM WE ARE VERY SAD"

irisangelapearl @ 03/26/05
"yes i agree, of all things i think risley would want laws to be changed so that this never has to happen to someone else. "

irisangelapearl @ 03/26/05
"'1998-2002 show drivers of age 81 and older had a higher accident rate per estimated miles driven than any other age group except the youngest drivers. The analysis also showed that drivers in the 81 and older age group were involved in six reported accidents for every estimated 1 million miles driven — double the rate of drivers in the various age groups from 31 through 70.'"

Pinkstar @ 03/26/05
"Licenses should be revoked at 80, I dont care how good your health is, your mind isn't young. If you guys start a lobby, I'll come and show my support old people shouldn't drive."

SpIkE @ 03/26/05
"seriously, someone should organize a this...i'm in! and im sure we have got a lot of others"

Snock @ 03/26/05
"No Question."

Riev_Mordred @ 03/27/05
"It would just be another event I couldn't be part of, but I'd be there in spirit, or something like that."

chronic_groupie @ 03/27/05
"im in"

InvisibleCola @ 03/27/05
"I would definitely partake also."

6669 @ 03/27/05
"I don't drive, so when I have trouble with people and their driving, I remember it, since it's my legs versus their wheels. I was walking on the side of the road with a friend and he got clipped by a drunk driver. Only other case: I was crossing a crosswalk, when an elderly man creeped to a stop for my benefit. From there, I think he got spoke when cars came in from behind him and stopped too, so he pulled foreward and hit me. From my personal expirience, drunk driving is equal to elderly driving. So I agree with what you guys are saying. None the less, I can't help but think of older teachers I have had at school, who did excellent jobs with their health like Mr. Valente or Mr. Tessler. They I garentee can still drive. Even though drunk driving is a problem, not everyone does it, which makes drunk drivers a minority. I don't think all old people are the same, so whatever you guys come up with for elderly driving rules, make sure to keep it flexible for those who can drive and filter out those who are dangerous."

chronic_groupie @ 03/27/05
"good idea"

cherrybomb @ 03/27/05
"i would artake in the elderly driver thing also."

SpIkE @ 03/28/05
"Exactly why i set up those test guidelines...and on another note, people like Mr. Tessler don't really fall into the catagory I am tagerting. They are old...but not THAT old. But yeah, we really need to organize some sort of thing about this. We can write letters to our congressman, or something along those lines. Paul and I had a good conversation about this last night. If this happened to any of us, Aaron would fight this same fight in our name. I think it would be the greatest honor to Risley to do make our voices heard in his name."

Riev_Mordred @ 03/28/05
"Yeah, Tessler wasn't 80+, and neither was Ray."

FreakBurrito @ 03/28/05
"The thing is, some people are competant to drive into their 90's, others not into their 60's. These guidelines need to be flexible. And what services will you provide for those who can't drive, and have no one to take care of them?"

Riev_Mordred @ 03/28/05
"There are plenty of services available to these people. Its not my problem, its theirs."

chronic_groupie @ 03/28/05
"exactly"

6669 @ 03/28/05
"This country is a community. You can't help one side, and forget about the other. The elderly are not Nazis. They are not pyschopaths. I can't imagine living a whole, and in the end being discarded like nothing more than a vietnam vet. And on another note, don't take me so literally on the ages of those two teachers. I just remembered them as great examples of how to live when you get older. Can you picture Valente being overly senile driving all over the road in 15 years? Wait. Don't answer that."

6669 @ 03/28/05
"[i]living a whole *life"

6669 @ 03/28/05
"Damn, no one ever programed reverse italics?"

Hoyt @ 03/28/05
"If the old man wasn't already dead I would have killed him. Old people should have to pass strict tests every year to keep a liscense."

FredFredrickson @ 03/29/05
"Gripe code doesn't work in comments."

FreakBurrito @ 03/29/05
"Why shouldn't everyone though?"

SpIkE @ 03/29/05
"I think a lot of the guidelines need to be applied across the board, and there is public transportaion in many areas, granted not all, but i think that needs to be beefed up to."

SpIkE @ 03/29/05
"and another thing Eachann, because you don't drive, your opinion on the matter isn't valid anyways. I have said it once, and I'll say it again, you don't know how bad other drivers can be until you are behind the wheel. If you only walk, or even if you are a passanger a lot, you just don't notice these things. So stop countering our cause, because you don't have the experience."

chronic_groupie @ 03/29/05
"plus... this is a good cause and we need to go for it"

SpIkE @ 03/29/05
"thank you"

Vanguard @ 03/29/05
"Regardless if he hasn't driven to any great extent, we shouldn't try to make the most anti-old people laws about driving we can because of this tragedy. The yearly driving test is really redundant, it would just take too much time with new driviers getting their license and all. I agree about regulations and maybe driving check-ups every couple years, but it needs to be realistic. "

SpIkE @ 03/29/05
"death is realistic."

chronic_groupie @ 03/29/05
"well put andy"

chronic_groupie @ 03/29/05
"i really dont think that it should be a matter of what is redundant, yes, it may be, but that doesnt change that fact that it would keep unsafe driver off of the road "

SpIkE @ 03/29/05
"once again, thank you"

chronic_groupie @ 03/29/05
"your welcome... to both "

Riev_Mordred @ 03/30/05
"I agree with Shane sorta. Every year is very unrealistic. Not so much redundant, because fuck that noise. The Elderly have feelings too, and they don't need yearly tests to prove their competency. Unless they JUST had a stroke, they won't change much in TWO years instead of one. He's kinda right guys, be realistic."

SpIkE @ 03/30/05
"yeah well, im not really arguing against him...i am reallymore in favor of a bi-annual testing, but I just thought i'd list off the options when i wrote this."

Kibbie @ 03/30/05
"Devise a plan, stick with it, carry it out, and hope for a return. Something GOOD WILL happen out of this. Aaron will see to it."

6669 @ 03/30/05
"Truely amazing. Andy, did you read what I wrote? Where do you get that I got hit by an elderly driver as a pedestrian (which is kind of hard to do) and response find myself countering the elderly driving watch idea. The elderly are no bad guys. Drunk drivers are, but not the elderly. If you walk up with a plan like where yours is going and bring it before 'them,' they're not going to understand where your coming from. Then you'll tell them where you are coming from and they will say, "I'm sorry for your loss." And they'll leave it to that. That is why a flexible plan is needed. That was my point. And Andy, I can't remember the last time I have been this insulted. I can become disapointed and be at a loss of words like I was to Hoyt's comments, but let me tell you this: You can say that I'm wrong. You can say you have a different opinion. You can say my idea doesn't work. But, when I think, I think critically. And when I speak, I choose my words carefully. And when I open my mouth to talk, it's because what I am about to say, has not been said already. So, do not ever tell me my opinion is invalid again. You need to stop this retribution action thing. If you realized I was agreeing with you, which I was, you would not have been defensive. And there would have been no reason for you to say my opinion was invalid. And wouldn't have. Look at what you are doing here, Andy. Is this about elderly driving or something else?"

SpIkE @ 03/31/05
"Ready to feel like an ass?"

SpIkE @ 03/31/05
""I was crossing a crosswalk, when an elderly man creeped to a stop for my benefit. From there, I think he got spoke when cars came in from behind him and stopped too, so he pulled foreward and hit me.""

SpIkE @ 03/31/05
"now you can fuck off."

SpIkE @ 03/31/05
"hmmm...seems that I am reading this wrong actually...eh, I don't remember why I said what I said, so let's just let it go. I'm really tired of debating this with everyone. Hey, I'm an ass, I was wrong. Sorry."

6669 @ 03/31/05
"Thank you. The feeling is mutual. "Spoke" was a typo of spooked, that I caught after I hit the comment button. Either way, we are on the same page and are friend again."

SpIkE @ 03/31/05
"good, sorry about that. I can be a dick sometimes."

chronic_groupie @ 03/31/05
"its just so refreshing when the children are playing nice again"

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