This commentary is by Steve Larose, a writer and editor who lives in Barre Town.
Having a discussion with an elderly parent about whether they should still be driving may be the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do. Even though it’s painful, it’s necessary. You could save your parent’s life or the life of another driver, like me.
Recently, an 88-year-old woman ran a red light and T-boned my car on the passenger side. I wasn’t hurt and neither was she. Fortunately, no one was riding with me. If someone had been sitting on the impact side, they could have been seriously injured. If the elderly driver had been coming the other way and hit me on the driver’s side, I don’t want to think what could have happened.
The elderly driver admitted to the police that she did not see the red light. She obviously didn’t see my red Honda in front of her in the intersection, as there was no evidence she tried to stop before plowing into me.
A witness told me that in the minutes before, she was following the elderly driver and was concerned that her erratic actions might cause a crash. Her fears quickly came true.
Time for mandatory testing
There are now more elderly drivers on the roads, as people are living longer and keeping their licenses longer. The number of drivers ages 65 and older has increased 60 percent since 2000, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
In Vermont, 23.66 percent of all licensed drivers are 65 or older. That’s the third-highest percentage in the country — even higher than Florida’s.
Almost 6 percent of Vermont drivers are 80 or older. I know several people in that age group who safely drive themselves every day. But the truth is people age differently. One octogenarian could be a safe driver, and another could be a hazard.
In Vermont, we do not have mandatory vision tests or driving exams for older people to retain their licenses. Sen. Mark MacDonald of Orange County has introduced a bill (S.276) that would require Vermonters age 75 or older to pass a vision and road test to renew their driver’s license.
The bill is in the Senate Committee on Transportation and has not yet gained enough support to advance.
While taking a vision and road test would no doubt be inconvenient for elderly drivers, to me it seems reasonable to protect public safety. With so many elderly drivers on our roads, we need a way to determine which are good to go, and which should no longer be at the wheel.
Necessary conversation
Whether you think mandatory tests are a good idea or not, if you have an elderly parent or other relative who’s on the road, please talk with them about their driving. Are they still safe, or should they give up their keys? Is there an interim step they can take, such as getting an eye exam or having a doctor review and adjust their medications? Should their driving be restricted in some way?
To help you have that conversation, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles lists the warning signs of unsafe driving on its website.
If there is any doubt in your mind or your parent’s about their ability to drive safely, please consider contacting the Department of Motor Vehicles to request a driver reexamination. There is information about how to do that on the department’s website.
Driving is a privilege many older people want to hold on to for as long as possible to retain their independence. As their children, it’s up to us to carefully monitor how they’re doing and be ready to take action, if necessary, to prevent a tragedy.
