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+--- Thread: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! (/showthread.php?tid=160321)
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - Numo - 11-13-2013
Lemon Drop wrote:
"Florida also allows confidential reporting of a possibly unsafe driver by anyone – doctor, law enforcement, relative or bystander. Officials may ask those drivers to submit medical reports from their doctor or to undergo testing at a driver license office."
http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2012/09/19/213818.htm
(you can look up your state's rules on this issue, a few states have good rules but most are painfully slack about this)
Drivers over 80 are the second highest age group likely to cause fatal accidents, after teenagers.
But like teens, family members are primarily responsible for keeping seniors safe as drivers.
I think too many of us are failing our older relatives in this regard.
I finally had to stop my dad from driving when he was 90. It wasn't easy for either of us, but I think he understood it was for the best. It may sound odd, but I was more concerned about him injuring someone else (especially a child) than him injuring himself if he continued to drive.
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - richorlin - 11-13-2013
I live in VA and I last renewed my license Aug 2012, just before turning 65 in October. My license is good until Oct 2020. That's EIGHT years without having to take a road test!. I'll be 73 when I have to renew again. I don't know what shape I'll be in when I'm 68, let alone 73. I think everyone over 65 should take a road test every three years, or preferably, a simulated road test so no one can get injured.
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - macphanatic - 11-13-2013
What do we do with all of those under 65 that can't drive?
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - freeradical - 11-13-2013
richorlin wrote:
I live in VA and I last renewed my license Aug 2012, just before turning 65 in October. My license is good until Oct 2020. That's EIGHT years without having to take a road test!. I'll be 73 when I have to renew again. I don't know what shape I'll be in when I'm 68, let alone 73. I think everyone over 65 should take a road test every three years, or preferably, a simulated road test so no one can get injured.
It's been almost 40 years since I took a road test.
What does it prove?
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - mrlynn - 11-14-2013
freeradical wrote:
[quote=richorlin]
I live in VA and I last renewed my license Aug 2012, just before turning 65 in October. My license is good until Oct 2020. That's EIGHT years without having to take a road test!. I'll be 73 when I have to renew again. I don't know what shape I'll be in when I'm 68, let alone 73. I think everyone over 65 should take a road test every three years, or preferably, a simulated road test so no one can get injured.
It's been almost 40 years since I took a road test.
What does it prove?
Driven through a store window yet?
The point of testing old folks is to weed out those who shouldn't be driving any longer (Lord knows there are lots of younger people who shouldn't be driving, either). Would you pass?
Lemon Drop wrote:
. . . But like teens, family members are primarily responsible for keeping seniors safe as drivers.
I think too many of us are failing our older relatives in this regard.
That's where driving tests will help. "I ain't givin' up my car keys, sonny!" "Sorry, Pops, you failed your test. Hand 'em over."
/Mr Lynn
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - ka jowct - 11-14-2013
Lemon Drop wrote:
[quote=ka jowct]
Seniors living in areas with decent mass transit are better off in this regard. Even if you wouldn't be safe to drive a car, you can still get around where I live.
great point
definitely something to consider in retirement
and another very good reason to support better public transportation
we will all be there someday, luck willing...
Yes. The idea of taking the keys away from people who lack the skills to drive is fine in principle, but what happens to them if a personal car is their only means of transportation?
If you live in NYC and live in a building with an elevator, you can get around fairly well even if you are using a walker or wheelchair, and you can get groceries, etc., delivered. Where my dad lives in Wisconsin, he was able get help with grocery shopping through a home aide service run by the local nursing home. I don't know how widely available this kind of service is.
I live in a walk-up, so I hope to stay mobile until I'm ready to drop dead…
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - Speedy - 11-14-2013
My father is 85. He recently drove his large RV from Minnesota to Florida. I offered to drive it down while he flew but he wouldn't hear of it. Now If I could only get him to stop drinking and driving (he's an alcoholic).
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - Bill in NC - 11-16-2013
grandmother drove until she was 94.
the examiner wouldn't re-license her because she drove via the two-foot method, which is what was taught when grandmother learned to drive.
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - mrlynn - 11-16-2013
Bill in NC wrote:
grandmother drove until she was 94.
the examiner wouldn't re-license her because she drove via the two-foot method, which is what was taught when grandmother learned to drive.
Was "the two-foot method" (for automatic transmissions) ever actually taught by anyone other than maybe misguided parents?
/Mr Lynn
Re: Hey! Grandma's driving to your office! - Speedy - 11-17-2013
mrlynn wrote:
[quote=Bill in NC]
grandmother drove until she was 94.
the examiner wouldn't re-license her because she drove via the two-foot method, which is what was taught when grandmother learned to drive.
Was "the two-foot method" (for automatic transmissions) ever actually taught by anyone other than maybe misguided parents?
/Mr Lynn
Yes, it was taught before transmission synchros. Speed downshifting a truck requires a foot on the brake and one on the fuel (done to slow as fast as possible when your brakes aren't enough - think long hill with traffic light at bottom.)