wtf is wrong with old people in cars?

[turbodish]

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SO we wait until they potentially kill someone before retesting them?

At what age should we retest older drivers? Or any driver or rider for that matter?

Maybe you should look at the crash stats and see where the real problem with potential killer drivers actually lies. The stats are out there. You might not like what you see.

 

[Lucusice]

You're right. I think that anyone of any age who is at fault in a crash should be retested. And that includes single-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles, assuming the rider survives.

Yea I second this - it makes sense. Regardless of age if you're in an at fault accident you should be re-tested.

 

[S500K]

At what age should we retest older drivers? Or any driver or rider for that matter?

Every time one renews their license picture (5years)

Yea I second this - it makes sense. Regardless of age if you're in an at fault accident you should be re-tested.

Agreed

 

[rashidme]

everytime i see an old person driving i switch to red alert mode.

 

[turbodish]

Every time one renews their license picture (5years)

In that case you're not just retesting "older" drivers, but all drivers. I don't really have a problem with this at all.

Next question - retesting doesn't come for free. How do you all feel about the cost of a G retest ($75) being added to your $75 5-year renewal fee?

And for those with multiple classes of licenses, you would need a retest on each class, so now your GM renewal changes to $75 renewal fee plus $75 G test plus $75 M test for a total renewal fee of $225.

This actually might be a good thing. Rather than letting inactive riders park with that M on their GM license for years or decades while they don't ride, this would ensure that they either keep their riding current enough to pass a test every five years, or they let the M lapse until they are committed to riding again and then undergo some or all of the M1/M2/M progression again to ensure that they gain some refresher training before getting back on a bike again.

 

[Doug Tait]

Jeff Jones - please tell your grand dad, he's one of a very few. Exceptional, even.

 

[FiReSTaRT]

Technically, doctors are supposed to report their patients if they become medically unable to drive safely. Of course, that never happens, but we have our medical profession to thank for that.

 

[CanadianBiker]

everytime i see an old person driving i switch to red alert mode.

I know exactly what you mean! I do the same thing, every time I see some 20-something behind the wheel or handlebars.

 

[yyz]

There is a guy in his 20's in my neighbourhood (South East Mississauga), rides a yellow Honda SS 600, aftermarket pipe, he rides thru stop signs at 20-30kph, I have seen him do it countless times.

Not sure why someone would do that, I doubt he get old enough to become a senior citizen and therefore a poor driver.

 

[Two50noob]

Maybe you should look at the crash stats and see where the real problem with potential killer drivers actually lies. The stats are out there. You might not like what you see.

Please elaborate you seem to have a good handle on these stats

You're right. I think that anyone of any age who is at fault in a crash should be retested. And that includes single-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles, assuming the rider survives.

Seems a little to much bureaucracy being added to an already bloated system however i do agree in spirit with it a little tweeking might make more sense.

Retesting mandatory for at fault when certain continutions are met
Seems a little to much bureaucracy being added to an already bloated system however i do agree in spirit with it a little tweaking might make more sense.

Retesting mandatory for at fault when certain conditions are met for example

Driver without full G/M License or has not held G/M for more than 2 years (or any License realy)
Driver over age of 70 (already in place)
As recommended by Court of policy officer (Depending of circumstances if office witnessed accident or someone being retarded)
More than 2 incidents within 1 year
More than 3 incidents within 2 years
Incidents with serious injury or loss of life or were multiple HTA rules were broken leading to incident.
Drunk or intoxicated drivers should be required to pass both written and road tests follow their suspension


These are just of the top of my head im sure it can be tweaked and added to

 

[FullMotoJacket]

And for those with multiple classes of licenses, you would need a retest on each class, so now your GM renewal changes to $75 renewal fee plus $75 G test plus $75 M test for a total renewal fee of $225.

This actually might be a good thing. Rather than letting inactive riders park with that M on their GM license for years or decades while they don't ride, this would ensure that they either keep their riding current enough to pass a test every five years, or they let the M lapse until they are committed to riding again and then undergo some or all of the M1/M2/M progression again to ensure that they gain some refresher training before getting back on a bike again.

Gold, Jerry. Gold.

 

[FiReSTaRT]

There is a guy in his 20's in my neighbourhood (South East Mississauga), rides a yellow Honda SS 600, aftermarket pipe, he rides thru stop signs at 20-30kph, I have seen him do it countless times.

Not sure why someone would do that, I doubt he get old enough to become a senior citizen and therefore a poor driver.

On the other hand, I occasionally park at a plaza that has a bingo hall, you know with the hip young crowd.. The hall has a long row of extra-wide spots reserved for its patrons. Then you have a large lot on the side of the plaza. I've never seen so much old D-troit steel taking up 2 parking spots at a time than over there on bingo nights. Just sayin'

 

[jeffjones]

Jeff Jones - please tell your grand dad, he's one of a very few. Exceptional, even.

Guys just wanted to say My grandpa had a big smile on his face when I showed him all the props from everyone. I took him to the doctors and when we got back he was still upset he couldn't drive himself. I showed him (part) of this thread and it put a smile on his face after seeing what people said about his decision.

So him and myself just wanted to say thanks for the words, It meant alot to him!

 

[rafiki911]

Awwww, that's really sweet.

Guys just wanted to say My grandpa had a big smile on his face when I showed him all the props from everyone. I took him to the doctors and when we got back he was still upset he couldn't drive himself. I showed him (part) of this thread and it put a smile on his face after seeing what people said about his decision.

So him and myself just wanted to say thanks for the words, It meant alot to him!

 

[DemonPig]

Both - young and old drivers are highest risks. Young people tend to have great reflexes but they lack experience, sometimes they break rules on purpose and are the most likely to drive intoxicated, whereas old people's reaction time is diminished to the point that they can only drive in optimal conditions.

My buddy's car (with me in it as well) got T-boned by some grandpas Caddy many years back. We ended up on the stairs of the house on the other side of the street. Grandpa was very sorry, said he didn't see us...

 

[Gary]

 

[Lucusice]

Awwww, that's really sweet.

+1 to this

 

[turbodish]

Both - young and old drivers are highest risks. Young people tend to have great reflexes but they lack experience, sometimes they break rules on purpose and are the most likely to drive intoxicated, whereas old people's reaction time is diminished to the point that they can only drive in optimal conditions.

Most elderly people tend to be retired and that makes their driving more discretionary in nature than that of younger people who have to deal with more demands in the way of family- and work-related travel and commuting. As a result, many older drivers deliberately choose to drive only in optimal conditions, choosing to eschew fast or congested highways, bad weather, driving at night, etc.

There's an extensive fact sheet on the challenges and risks associated with elderly drivers at http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/older_people.html that dispels a lot of the myths surrounding older drivers.

Older drivers are fatality risks mostly to themselves and their usually equally elderly passengers. It's not so much that they have more crashes, it's more that they their age makes them fragile and less likely to survive a crash or recover from crash injuries as easily as a younger person.

8 Do older drivers constitute a substantial hazard to other road users? In terms of fatalities, older drivers are a danger mostly to themselves and their passengers, who also typically are older and thus more vulnerable to injuries.23,24,25,26 In 2009, 74 percent of people killed in crashes involving a driver 70 or older were either the older driver themselves (61 percent), or their older passengers (13 percent). One study found that per licensed driver, drivers 75 and older kill fewer pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and occupants in other vehicles compared with drivers ages 30-59. In the fatal crashes of drivers 75 and older, the drivers and their senior passengers were much more likely to be killed than were occupants in other vehicles. 23 However, drivers 70 and older have higher insurance liability claims for damage to other vehicles per insured vehicle year than drivers ages 35-69.16

 

[OpenGambit]

This seems to get to the point.

Older drivers have low rates of police-reported crash involvements per capita, but per mile traveled crash rates start increasing for drivers 70 and older and increase markedly after age 80. Some caution should be used when examining crash rates per mile traveled, especially for older drivers. Older drivers generally travel fewer annual miles than most other age groups and, similar to low-mileage drivers of other ages, they tend to accumulate much of their mileage in city driving conditions. In contrast, drivers who accumulate higher annual miles tend to do so on freeways or divided multilane roads, which generally have much lower crash rates per mile traveled than other types of roads. Hence, the elevated crash rates for older drivers when measured per mile traveled may be somewhat inflated due to the type of driving they do.15
Number of crashes per capita by driver age, 2009


There is more but its not pasting well.

Also that link states

Compared with younger drivers, senior drivers are more likely to be involved in certain types of collisions — angle crashes, overtaking or merging crashes, and especially intersection crashes. The most common error made in senior-involved crashes is failure to yield the right-of-way. Seniors are cited for this error more often than younger drivers.18 In a 2007 Institute study of nonfatal crashes at intersections, drivers 80 and older had fewer rear-end crashes than drivers ages 35-54 and 70-79, and both groups of older drivers had more failure-to-yield crashes and fewer ran-off-road crashes than younger drivers. Reasons for older drivers' failure-to-yield crashes varied with age. Compared with younger and older drivers, drivers 70-79 were more likely to see another vehicle but misjudge whether there was time to proceed. Drivers 80 and older predominantly failed to see the other vehicle

 

[rafiki911]

Older drivers are fatality risks mostly to themselves and their usually equally elderly passengers. It's not so much that they have more crashes, it's more that they their age makes them fragile and less likely to survive a crash or recover from crash injuries as easily as a younger person.

Just had to high light that...

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