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Senior citizens should be required to retake driver’s tests

3 min read

Last week, a 92-year-old woman accidentally drove her car into Chartiers Creek at Valley Brook Country Club. According to police, she believed she had placed the car in park, and somehow accidentally hit the accelerator. The car went over the berm and through pine trees before landing in the creek, which had higher than usual water levels, due to the heavy rains as of late.

Luckily, no one – including the driver – was hurt. But, the incident is a perfect example as to why senior citizens should be retested every couple of years in order to retain their driver’s licenses.

As it stands now in Pennsylvania, drivers over the age of 65 have the option of renewing their license every two years as opposed to the standard four. But in choosing to renew every two, drivers do just that – renew, not retake the driver’s license test.

And, each month, the state randomly chooses 1,900 drivers over the age of 45 to retest for their license six months prior to its renewal deadline. If a resident is selected, not only must they retest, but they must undergo physical and vision exams.

The current policy is simply not enough. As we age, vision and reaction time declines, and physical and mental issues crop up as well. Chances are, we all know of at least one senior citizen who got lost or confused during a normal commute.

The AARP offers safe driving courses for seniors, but again, this is simply not enough. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, per mile travelled, fatal crash rates increase beginning at age 75 and take a noticeable hike after age 80. In 2008, more than 5,500 “older adults” were killed in automobile crashes in the United States and more than 183,000 were injured – that breaks down to 15 killed and 500 injured every day. (By comparison, the CDC reports that in 2010, 2,700 drivers age 16-19 in the United States were killed in automobile crashes.)

We realize that the privilege to drive is what gives many senior citizens a sense of independence. But driving is a privilege, not a right. Safety needs to come first, and we are not suggesting that people over a certain age be stripped of their license. Rather, we propose retesting – complete with physical, cognitive and vision exams – be mandatory every two years after age 65. And, much like driver’s education allows for reduced insurance rates for teenagers, safe driving courses for seniors should do the same for the aging population.

Anything that can be done to reduce the number of vehicular crashes, injuries and deaths should be. And after all, if a driver remains competent and able, retaking the test should be a piece of cake.

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