I hope that there will be autonomous cars that I can just voice-command to places I want when I'm 65+. Knowing myself, I'd probably put in Drive instead of Reverse and destroy some poor family's small storefront business.

 

The problem is everything is gradual, not sudden. I remember my dad telling me, when he would have outings with his staff (he was about 45, and had people 22-50 but mostly late 20's), his brain wanted him to go somewhere, but his body couldn't get there (I am already feeling that way playing sports lol). He was referring to playing volleyball. This AM, another older person was driving a Honda Crosstour, and the dotted lines were going right down the center of his vehicle. I politely tapped my horn 2X, he didn't acknowledge, so now I was tempted to pass him over the double yellow, but I didn't. He didn't seem to be doing anything phone related. When I tapped my horn again he got really mad, moved over, then got on me hahahahahaha I need a rear cam too, and this guy needs the course my mom went to!

Just think, 2 weeks ago I had no clue what IMX 323 or 291 were lol

 

Age 70+ mandatory driving test with instructor, once every two years (no charge for driver)

Age 80+ mandatory driving with instructor, test every year (no charge for driver)

Fail the test twice in a row, lose your license.

 

Seems to me that the insurance company should have the last word on this. They no doubt have an enormous database of risk versus age and it should be reflected in the insurance rate charged older drivers. An older, unsafe driver will probably be priced out of driving a car.

 

I'm not sure I agree with that. The problem is that the "instructors" aren't always correct. I've seen (or heard of) them giving those in their classes information that is inaccurate, outdated, or just plain wrong. But the insurance companies, for whatever reason, are sold on these classes.....I'm not.

 

My great-grandfather is 96. He was a captain on the beach at Normandy on D-Day. His mind and senses are still sharp with the exception of hearing loss from the shelling on the beach. He still drives (he drove from Mobile AL to Bridgeport TX alone last christmas to come see my folks), he mows his own grass (an acre or so), tends to his chickens, and even splits firewood. He basically does everything he did at my age. He says if he stops, he will die. I see no reason to stop him from driving. His secret? He doesn't eat bread, has 1 beer per day with his dinner, and swims a lot.

My wife's grandmother on the other hand, is 86. She keeps falling down, she gets in the car and can't remember why she is driving or where she was going. She gets lost and can't find her way home and refuses to do over 45 mph, even on southern california (She lives in Wildomar) freeways. She is a danger to herself and others, but will not listen to reason.

 

I turned 65 a number of years ago years ago and I haven't noticed any appreciable increases in our car insurance. We have very good coverage on both cars and the annual premiums haven't increased very much ($728 on a 2016 Audi and $748 on a 2017 BMW), Maybe your neighbor or others have had an accident or two in recent years?

 

People age differently so it's difficult to put a number.
The idea to put that responsibility on doctors is outrageous. We would lose a lot of sick, insured customers patients. Neurologists have that problem with epileptics, ask any of them.
If insurance goes up, buy the state minimum; this works if you drive an older car. My 2002 GS430 will probably be totalled in an accident, so I only carry insurance to cover others.

 

 

That can not be accomplished.

 

It's not a lack of experience or skill, but a diminished sensory input that hinders seniors.

The most skilled driver in Formula 1 still depends on coordination, reflexes, eyesight, and quick thinking....all things which deteriorate with age.

I love my mother, but even at 60 she's having a hard time noticing lights turning green(thank heavens it's not the other way around so far).

 

"Uncle Tom" is 99. I guess we haven't seen him since his 90th until this spring. And he's my wife's uncle's uncle if that makes any sense. Everyone says hope he reaches 100, it's sad to think that wouldn't happen. It's a different world today than what he knew, I remember they had a powerpoint about his life at 90, and he was a C to F student, graduated HS and went to the service, bought his house in 1950, and it's now worth about 1.8 mil. and will go to his youngest daughter (who is in her 60's and doesn't need it, but she took care of him). Up until a few years ago he was an usher in his church and went to mass daily. Now, the oddity is there aren't too many masses held in English in the neighborhood. No he doesn't drive though...I don't think there's any secret really, although one sometimes wonders why Norwegians and Japanese live very long. Back in the day I would see these Norwegians and their shops in the middle of Chinatown, and I'd speak to them in Norwegian--they would be very amused and flattered. Hate to think what happened to them all....if it were 50 yrs. ago we'd say they moved out to The Island...

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...hood-1.4804528

Can someone post the above link in video format? Let me see 80 year old going down the road on the hood of a car and I will say old folks are the worst.

 

Here you are.

IMO there is no excuse for something like this. That driver should lose his or her license for at least six months....perhaps a year.

 

What's crazy is many people, regardless of age, do not understand the concept of merging, or matching the speed of traffic. Until I moved to Phila., I had never seen anything like it. Cars are almost a 45 degree angle (not quite) trying to merge, at the very beginning of an onramp. I know there are those out there who are saying, no way, impossible. Well, I had never seen anything like it, until I moved to Phila.

Leave a Phila. Flyers game (my team), leave a NJ Devils game (NYC metro), and they are two experiences. The former is a confused mess, the latter is alternation. Thnk about it, the Lincoln Tunnel is 12 lanes eastbound into 3, the Holland Tunnel 9 lanes into 2, there is NO stopping, traffic flows. Phila? If the Ben Franklin is backed up, suddenly the car that went through the toll booth behind you, is trying to merge in front of you? Again, one day, I'll post vids on YouTube, because I know there is a "no way that can happen he's making it up" lurking in the background!

We even have meters on 476 which are ridiculous, they simply cannot affect human behavior. They have them in LA as well. I heard they work in Europe--that's because you already are starting with a decent driver.

Now you take all of the above with a 20-35 y.o. driving that way, and add age to it. It's bad.