Post One
Since I got out of the hospital, I have was almost hit a numerous amount of times by horrible drivers. Not drivers talking on their cells, not drivers putting on make up, not young and irresponsible drivers, but OLD PEOPLE that simply can't drive. Maybe back in the day they new how to drive, but now a days, you see older people swerving on the road b/c they can't see over the steering wheel, going about 20 miles under the speed limits b/c they don't want to go fast, slamming on their brakes for I don't know what, and almost killing my family in the process.
I think that when you reach a certain age, 70ish, you should have to retake the driving test every 5 years. I think that it should be mandatory. Some might think that the younger drivers cause most of the accidents out there but I think older drivers cause just as many when you compare the ratios, drivers to accidents.
Anyone else with me?
Post Two
In another relevant story. My two year old was almost hit by a car while my husband took him out for a bike ride. She couldn't have been more than 16 years old going 35-40 mph in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood consists of 2 streets, no one should go that fast. Plus she drove in the middle of the road. My husband had to pick my son and his bike up and throw him into the grass to avoid being hit.
He cussed the girl out and her mother came out of their house telling my husband that he was being too hard on the girl. Mind you I just gave birth to a baby and I am not supposed to go out of the house. But something compelled me to go to this woman's house. When I got there, the daughter answered the door crying hysterically. I calmly looked at her and said "you could of killed my child today" she kept saying how sorry she was. I took her in my arms and held her. I said, "you could of, but you didn't. So I hope that you slow down and be more careful." I said a few other things...I couldn't believe I was the one calming her down. But I wanted to make an impact. But her mother was a bitch. She said she didn't think it was that close, but the daughter fessed up and told her it was.
Law number two....no drivers license till your 18...OR, 16 years old ...to and from school and work, no friends in the car past 1 additional passenger, no cell phones. Mandatory Rookie driver signs.
What do you say to that?
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4 comments:
Occasional driving tests after age 70? I'm for that, Ellie. I usually drive 5 miles over the speed limit if conditions are right, but never ever on a residential neighborhood street. In fact, I'll slow to 20 mph if kids are out and about.
I just hope I'll have enough sense to know when the time is right to stop driving. And, I hope it's way past age 70. ;-)
Ohio has the laws you speak of, recently enacted. I'm convinced this will have a dramatic impact on teen deaths behind the wheel.
And, I really enjoyed your story about the teenage driver. You showed a lot of compassion, and she realized just how careless her driving was. Responsibility for a child's death or debilitating injury is a heavy cross for someone to carry the rest of their life. You just may have saved her from that somewhere "down the road."
I hope so ecraig. I didn't know what I was going to say when I got there. Maybe the good drugs I am on right now kept me calm, I don't know. But when she opened the door and automatically knew who I was..her tears came in abundance. I felt like she had already been punishing herself. I think that the way I handled it, maybe I had more of an impact than screaming at her would have.
I have been in the insurance biz for 42 years. Drivers 18 and younger are involved in a higher percentage of fatal accidents because their accidents almost always involve high speed and failure to wear seat belts. Because the elder population is growing, there are more accidents involving old folks but they are usually not fatal as they do not involve speed for the most part. The older folks do not yet have a higher percentage of accidents than the young but they do have a much higher incident rate than the 25-65 age group.
Many states are making retesting after a certain age mandatory. Florida has started a "GrandDriver" program to help raise awareness among older drivers that they are not the same driver they were at 30. I hope that other states follow suit.
Many states including Colorado have put restrictions on drivers license for the 16 year old driver. No one in the car for the first 6 months except parents, one passenger from 6 months to a year, no cell phones, etc. When I heard that 42% of teen drivers say they have been sending text messages while they were driving, it just sent a chill down my spine. They think they are immortal.
I know that in the UK that once you hit 65 you have to take a driving test every 5 years.
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