Comments on: No charges for woman who hit two cyclists in Oro Valley

By: Mickey

Mickey — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:21:13 +0000

See the problem with new requirements for elderly drivers in Arizona is that you have to get it passed through the state senate. And with Arizona being so full of retirees, you’ll be hard-pressed to find support for such a bill.
So I guess people will keep getting run over by incompetent drivers until it hits a tipping point. I wonder how many fatalities it would take until people started to care.

By: DON

DON — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:58:16 +0000

OH, YEA, BB…. I forgot, I used my ContourHD today for the first time. Thanks again ! For those of you who don’t know what that is , it’s a video camera you can mount to your handle bars. 3.7 oz. easy to use and fun as well. http://www.VholdR.com. Have fun, it’s a kick.

By: DON

DON — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:50:53 +0000

I am proud of the bike community. Lots of frustration out there, yet calm, respectful and well thought out comments. The only way we have to vent frustration. Thanks Erik ! I’ll get personal because so much of what you all have said applies to me. I’m a baby boomer, my license was good for 6 years only because, I turn 65 when it expires in 2012. You guys are right, I can’t remember when I last took a driver test. That’s wrong ! My brother died of complications after a motor cycle crash, I’m the only child left in my family. After my father died, My mother wanted to drive. I tested her, driving and written. She failed, not even close. To fail the test, a precondition was she had to loose her license to me. She was able to understand how dangerous it would be for her to drive. The thought she might kill someone was enough for her to surrender her license and vehicle to me. We were able to get public transportation (Van Tran), they picked her up at times she needed and took her shopping and to the Doctor when I was not there to do so. It was not hard. I just do not understand how families allow other family members on the road when they must know they run a risk of killing. Alison, you are right , AARP is evil, they do nothing to help seniors in this area. Red Star, You are right, attach assets in a civil case, all it takes. Families can go to the PIMA County court clerk’s office and file in Probate court a request for evaluation of an elder family member. Their mental state and ability to drive can be looked at by the court. So, in my case, if my mother did not give up her license and vehicle, I had recourse. Thanks to all of you for getting involved.

By: Coghauler

Coghauler — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:00:41 +0000

Exactly, Collin.
Keep it an on-going process and
ageism doesn’t become a factor.
It would also put people in
touch with their own declining
skills.
Requirements used to be tougher,
I think. At least in Ohio where
Coghauler first succumbed to the
beast.

By: Collin

Collin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:54:52 +0000

“It seems perfectly reasonable to me that after a certain age, an annual evaluation test of some sort be required to retain an operator’s license.” (Pam originally, also Rupert)

I’m of the opinion that “certain age” should be 16. The state of Arizona is terribly derelict when it comes to licensing and educating drivers. I have no doubt there are people out there who haven’t have any formal review of the “rules of the road” for 20 years or more.

By: alison Jones

alison Jones — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:46:26 +0000

As baby boomers age, this is going to be an increasing problem. I don’t think the problem will go away until we get adequate, reliable mass transit that doesn’t take forever. (I live near U of A–It takes 1 hour to take the bus downtown. Only 15 minutes on my bike, thankfully).

I am all for testing elderly drivers, but get ready for the AARP (an evil organization, in my opinion, because they advocate for the elderly at the expense of the young) to start squawking…. Driving was NEVER a right, and it should not be one now. I think the test should have some sort of way to measure reaction time.

By: Rupert

Rupert — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:30:52 +0000

“It seems perfectly reasonable to me that after a certain age, an annual evaluation test of some sort be required to retain an operator’s license.”
Pam- I agree completely, but for older people driving means independence and it is an incredibly emotional issue for them. It is very hard for family members to prevent them from driving and hard to get evena physician to back them up. The AZ program of reporting an unsafe driver and requiring a medical/driving eval sounds like a very good option, hopefully it works well. Doing it automatically at 65 sounds to me like a better idea, but I’m sure there would be a huge fight against any move to implement something like that. Here you can extend your license renewal to 20 years which saves money but doesn’t enhance safety at all, not sure if there are age limits to this option.

By: Red Star

Red Star — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:01:06 +0000

“Also, it can be difficult for their families to make them stop driving. I would bet there are a lot of families out there that would welcome a state-enforced termination of their elderly family members’ driving rights.” (EBR, above)

To the extent that the elders have unencumbered assets, there would be a financial incentive for families to make sure insurance is adequate and premiums are paid.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, there is this:

http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/MedicalReview/MedicalRequirementsDL.asp

By: BB

BB — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:27:06 +0000

my second link failed here it is.
http://www.dmv.com/az/arizona/senior-drivers

By: BB

BB — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:25:33 +0000

I think her medical records should be required to be opened up for inspection. She still can do community service. Seniors shoudln’t need to drive, they should have transportation in place. You can submit a form if you feel someone’s DL should be yanked http://mvd.azdot.gov/mvd/formsandpub/viewPDF.asp?lngProductKey=2042&lngFormInfoKey=1861
Here is a handy what to expect at 65.
http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/MedicalReview/MedicalRequirementsDL.asp