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Old and on the Road
More Elderly Drivers Mean Safety Concerns Grow
Ed Taaffe, 85, demonstrates hand turning signals as he takes a driving test
to renew his California driver's license at the Department of Motor Vehicles
in San Francisco. (Eric Risberg / AP Photo)
By Dick Crary
The Associated Press
S A N F R A N C I S C O, Nov. 22 — It was a baby-boomer anthem: having
fun, fun, fun ‘til Daddy takes the T-Bird away. But as car-crazy boomers age
into grandparents, the question is becoming: when to take Daddy’s license
away.
At the American Gerontological Society’s annual meeting this week, and
around the country, experts are trying to figure out how to get unsafe older
drivers off the road without unfairly penalizing those who drive well.
Statistics show that drivers over 65, along with teen-agers, have the
highest accident rates per miles driven. But proposals in several states to
toughen requirements for older drivers have been thwarted recently by
senior-citizen lobbying groups who say age-based measures are discriminatory.
“There are good drivers and bad drivers of all ages,” said Nina
Glasgow, a Cornell University researcher who opposes age-based testing and
favors screening targeted at all unsafe drivers.
Few Tests for Older Drivers
Several states require elderly drivers to renew their licenses more
frequently than other drivers, but very few require road tests or medical
exams.
Lawrence Nitz, a political scientist from the University of Hawaii,
presented a three-year study of Hawaiian traffic records at the
gerontological meeting. It found that drivers over 75 were far more likely
than other motorists to be cited for certain offenses, including failing to
yield to pedestrians, backing up unsafely and failing to stop at a flashing
red light.
To deal with elderly problem drivers, Nitz suggested a phased removal of
driving privileges comparable to the phased adding of privileges for young
drivers. For example, an older driver might be barred from driving at night
or restricted to an area near home.
Many Need Transportation
Other experts argued that most elderly drivers regulate themselves
effectively, knowing when to avoid nighttime or highway driving. Some
cautioned that any extra push to get older drivers off the roads could have
negative effects — isolating residents in areas without good public transit
and reducing their independence.
Glasgow said her research has shown that elderly drivers are more likely
to participate in club and church activities than non-drivers.
“There’s a risk to ceasing driving,” she said. “People who have
stopped driving tend to have lower morale.”
Anita Myers of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, said her
province had a stringent license-renewal policy dating to 1936. Drivers over
80 must renew their licenses every two years and take a 90-minute driver
education class.
Many Liked Driving Tips
Myers surveyed elderly drivers about the procedure and found them generally
tolerant. The mandatory class drew high marks, she said: “They loved the
defensive driving tips.”
Road tests were part of Ontario’s renewal requirements until 1996, but
the tests are now required only for selected drivers with questionable safety
records.
With the number of elderly drivers increasing rapidly across the
continent, it becomes less and less feasible for authorities to institute
mandatory road tests on any broad basis.
As an alternative, experts are seeking quicker, cheaper ways to identify
high-risk drivers. A major study is taking place in Maryland, monitoring
vision, alertness and reflexes among more than 2,000 volunteer older drivers
in hopes of developing effective and relatively simple screening procedures.
AARP Clout Downed Change
Legislative efforts to toughen requirements in Oregon and California failed
this year following lobbying against the bills by the American Association of
Retired People.
The Oregon bill would have required drivers over 80 to renew their
licenses every two years, instead of four, and to take driving and medical
tests.
In California, state Sen. Tom Hayden abandoned an attempt to require
road tests for drivers over 75 when it become clear in September that his
measure lacked the needed votes.
“It’s discriminatory to base mandatory testing on the fact that someone
has achieved a birthday,” said Helen Savage, one of the AARP lobbyists who
fought the bill.
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