Debate

There is something that has bothered me for quite some time now. I'm curious as to some people's opinions.

The issue: Should elderly people be allowed to drive?

I say NO!!

Here's why.

First I think about taking away an older person's driving priviledges, and I think i'm taking away their freedom. This I can easily get over. It is law we can carry firearms. But you don't see me playing with them in public, possibly causing accidents by shooting myself, or worse, someone else. An elderly person should have his keys locked away, just like a gun is locked up. It's an accident waiting to happen.

My senior year in high school I was in a car accident. The guy that hit me was an elderly gentleman roughly in his upper 60's. I was going through an intersection, and he wanted to make a left turn. He went, and then stopped. So I thought he saw me and wasn't going to go. At the last moment, he pulled out in front of me, and I hit him going 50 mph. I hit him because he did not have the quick motor skills to take his foot off the gas pedal. He then attempted to drive away, until 2 other motorists stopped him, and a state police officer (the accident was right in front of the Police Barracks, how convenient).

Skip to October 18, Saturday. I am on my way to pick up a movie from Blockboster. This is an 8 minute trip from my house, to the store, and then 8 minutes back for a total of a 16 minute drive. In that 16 minutes, if I would not have been an extremely defensive driver, I could have been in 3 different accidents.

First close call was an elderly man in his 70s. I was on a straight road and he was making a left turn across my path. He never even looked at me. He came up. Stopped. Looked straight ahead, and pulled right out in front me.

Second was on the same road. There is a middle lane for turning only. This can be used by both directions of traffic. I get in the turning lane to pull into Blockboster. There was another elderly man probably 80s, just driving in the turning lane. I watched him the whole way. This turning lane is about a mile long. I watched him a good 500 feet. I pull back into my driving lane, and he goes right on by. He would have never seen me if I wouldn't have blown my horn.

Third call was on a road back to my house. It's a very curvy, hilly back road with lines painted. It's 2 lanes. Coming over the hill, sitting in my lane is a huge car, not sure what it was. Maybe an oldsmobile. And 2 elderly ladies, maybe in their upper 50s were just sitting their talking. No four way flashers, nothing. I sat behind them for a minute because I couldn't get by them. A van about hit me in the back coming over the hill. But he stopped in time. We both layed on our horn and the 2 ladies looked at us if we were doing something wrong.

Now i'm not saying take away people's driver's permits at a certain age. I'm saying at a certain age, we as human beings should be tested to see if we are capable of driving. Some people may say "well I don't want to, it'll make me feel old." Well to them I say "we all get old, get over it."

Are there possibly people in their 50s and 60s in this forum? Yes. Evaluate yourself. That's all I have to say. I know when I reach a certain age, i'll be taking the bus or a taxi.

I can't remember where it was, I think Calif. But an elderly man ran over a bunch of people in some shopping part of town. That kind of thing can be avoided.

Sorry this got long. But one last thing. Because an older guy, who wanted to drive, who wanted freedom...cut my football and baseball career short. Put me through months of therapy. And to this day, my girlfriend has to help me out of chairs. What about my freedom?

Makes you think.

the old people are out to get u :lol:

there was an accident happened some time ago someone told me.....a man in his like 60's 70's had a heart attack at the wheel hit this car that had this man and his son in the car and kill the son and hospitalized the fateher.......

Clearly, its not age that should prevent people from being drivers. I’ve seen many teenagers who should never be allowed behind the wheel of a car. People need to be retested sporadically through their lives to ensure that they are competent to drive. I’d rather have a 90 year old on the road who’s got his full faculties then a 20 year old with fifteen points on his license.

What happened to you was terrible, but it’s no different then the idiot who decides that they can drink and drive just fine. I’ve had a death in the family from that. The woman was in her thirties. Does that mean people in there thirties shouldn’t be allowed to drive? Of course not.

g'point yogs. tests should be given at different intervals. i don't mind taking one at all. if i fail, it's my fault.

as for the statement of having a 90 year old or 20 year old driving. no matter the condition, I would not let my grandfather (87) drive. he still has his license. he drove a few weeks ago. he's very alert, very alive. but he does not have the reflexes that i do at the tender age of 20. i've avoided a lot of accidents because of reflexes.

and my thread originally was not to make anyone feel sorry for me. i'm just trying to get a point across. i played basketball just last sunday. i'm healthy "enough". And ocassionally (like after basketball lol) i need help out of chairs. there are other people out there that have it a whole lot worse than i do.

i could care less about my safety. it's why i have a sports car :sunglasse i'm more worried about everyone else there, and grandpa not realizing that he just came to a 4-way stop, and didn't stop, and kills little johnny.

And this is posted in Introductions for what reason?

just realized that.... :dunno:

because i thought i was somewhere else. *insert egg on my face smilie*

because i thought i was somewhere else. *insert egg on my face smilie*


:lol2: :lol2:

http://members.lycos.nl/whellup/temp/images/afzeik_124.jpg

that's an entertaining pic. :P