On a sunny day in June 2010, a block into Ed Mitchell’s bike ride, he was struck by an 89-year-old woman making a left turn into her courtyard. He was tossed over the car, blowing out his knee and cracking his helmet.
“Why did you hit me?” the woman asked him as he lay on the ground, Mitchell recalled.
During depositions, the driver’s daughter said she’d long tried to get her mother to stop driving, but she wanted her independence and restricted herself to just going to the grocery store or doctor.
If your jaw just dropped, it’s the same reaction that many are having when it comes to the matter of requiring driving tests for older Floridians.
While our seniors are wise through years of living and experiences, the rates of accidents and fatal crashes per mile driven by individuals over age 70 is surpassing that of young drivers. Drivers 85 years and older have the highest rate of fatal accidents per miles driven of any age group, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Some experts caution that fixing the problem is not simply a matter of stiffening testing requirements.
“This is one of those complicated issues that people get very upset about and want an easy solution. There isn’t one,” said Elizabeth Dugan, associate professor of gerontology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and author of a book on aging and driving, in an email. “It will take a public health effort to educate older drivers about threats to driving fitness, health care providers being alert to medical threats to driving threats, family members talking about a difficult issue, and alternatives to driving (e.g., a Senior Uber type of service). We aren’t there yet, but are moving closer.”
Currently in the state of Florida, people 80 years old and up must renew their license every six years, compared with every eight years for younger people. Also, people 80 and older must pass an eye exam with every renewal.
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.
Whatever the solution, many individuals have strong opinions on the subject. What are your thoughts? Should older drivers be required to take additional driving safety tests?
