Recommended Posts
I was driving yesterday and as I was coming up to an intersection a car pulled out maybe 50 feet in front of me. Luckily there were no cars in the other lane so I could swerve out to avoid the car as I slammed my brakes. When I looked at the other car there was a 70ish year old woman driving with her head completely below the steering wheel looking as though nothing had happened - I doubt she even knew I was there even after I swerved and honked at her, doubt she could see anything either.
Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com
wlie 0
Quote(mine expires in 2036)
If you're still capable of jumping with the SOS, I guess you're allowed to drive
My other ride is the relative wind.
Brisco 0
QuoteI agree with requiring the elderly to take tests. Difficult tests. I'm guessing that there is only one in ten or so 70 year olds that has the motor and psychomotor skills to drive. Therefore, there should only be one in ten 70 year olds that can drive.
I'm on the same sheet of music with ya there. ANNUAL tests - not this every 4 or 5 year crap. Too much can happen even in a year, let alone a longer period of time. That was the case with my father-in-law when he renewed his license about a year ago (we tried to get DMV not to renew him - no help from them of course) and they renewed the license of this then 89 year old man for 5 freakin' years!!!
Now my dad is 77 years old, and there is no doubt in my mind that he would pass even the strictest of driving tests with flying colors. He is in excellent health and as all his wits about him and I feel totally comfortable riding with him. Well, maybe not TOTALLY comfortable - he does have a bit of a lead foot
Something needs to be done to get some of these older folks off the road, but the AARP is a pretty powerful lobby at both the state and federal level, so I doubt anything will be done anytime soon. It's going to take a lot more than 9 people getting killed. Maybe once one of these old-timers plows into a day-care center and kills a few children. Sad to think that is what it will probably take.
Brisco
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.
Yeah, an elderly women almost pulled her car into the passenger side of my truck.
I was in the left lane on a 3-lane city road (not highway, speed limit is 40, which we were doing). She, sans blinker, started to change lans to the left. Mind you, at that angle, its nearly impossible to miss my truck in your sight. The entire front half of my truck was infront of her bumper (in reference to her field of vision). Only after I had slammed on the brakes and laid on my horn (its a very loud air horn btw) did she notice me. When I say she noticed me, I mean she didn't see me until I had been on my horn for nearly 3 seconds AND had slowed enough that my front bumper had already slowed past her rear bumper.
What did she do? She flipped me off and pulled into my lane anyways!
(ok, how did I know her blinker wasn't on? I happen to have been looking out my passenger side mirror AND it still wasn't on after I slowed past her and she pulled into my lane).
Aggghhh!
I was in the left lane on a 3-lane city road (not highway, speed limit is 40, which we were doing). She, sans blinker, started to change lans to the left. Mind you, at that angle, its nearly impossible to miss my truck in your sight. The entire front half of my truck was infront of her bumper (in reference to her field of vision). Only after I had slammed on the brakes and laid on my horn (its a very loud air horn btw) did she notice me. When I say she noticed me, I mean she didn't see me until I had been on my horn for nearly 3 seconds AND had slowed enough that my front bumper had already slowed past her rear bumper.
What did she do? She flipped me off and pulled into my lane anyways!
(ok, how did I know her blinker wasn't on? I happen to have been looking out my passenger side mirror AND it still wasn't on after I slowed past her and she pulled into my lane).
Aggghhh!
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."
Share this post
Link to post
Share on other sites