Society today often views a large percentage of the elderly as hazardous drivers. Do we not have proof to this claim? This .
past summer, an man in his mid-eighties was driving on a main road in Santa Monica, California, and lost control of his car. He .
plowed into a large crowd, injuring many and killing quite a few. Recently, another elderly person, this time a lady in her seventies, .
also lost control of her car and ran into a smaller crowd. She, too, injured bystanders. Although both cases were accidents, one .
must question driving laws for the safety of a community. How old is too old? Should an elderly person be able to drive, with large .
bottlecap glasses and three pillows on the seat, just to see over the wheel? Many have raised such questions, and for good reason.
If cars are required to be checked for reliability periodically, why aren't drivers? If a car is too old and cannot be trusted on .
the streets, it is towed away. Obviously, a person cannot be put away for being a bad driver, however; laws should be put into place .
to prevent unsafe people from taking the wheel. Physicals should determine whether or not any person, especially the aging, should .
be allowed on the road. If a person is deemed unsafe and untrustworthy by a careful evaluation, then his or her license should be .
revoked. Why should responsible drivers' lives be put on the line because it is more convenient for an elderly person to drive to the .
store, rather then take the bus? A large percentage of the cars we see swerving in the slow lane or travelling at impossibly slow .
speeds are driven by the older generation. Many of these drivers are in denial and too independent to give up their spots on the road. .
One would think, that with years of experience and knowledge, an older person would recognize the fac they are a hazard and .
should know better than to drive unsafely. Although it may be convenient for the elderly to drive around running errands all day, the .
