PA should pass a law to protect older drivers & protect us from older drivers.

[Divernan]

Two stories in the PG today re very old (ages 88 & 92) people in serious auto accidents. An 88 year old woman drove her car into her own home hard enough to kill herself. She probably hit the accelerator instead of the brakes.

"A Shaler woman who drove her car into the wall of her house Saturday afternoon died as a result of blunt force trauma to the trunk, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner.

Joan Spelic, 88, of Etna, died at about 1:45 p.m. at UPMC St. Margaret. She had driven her vehicle into her home on Highland Avenue in Shaler."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11198/1161104-100.stm#ixzz1SOv78BE9

The second story was about a 92 year old man who was driving his car, turning onto another road "without proper clearance" at 10:42 p.m at night and hit a motorcyclist. What on earth was a 92 year old man doing on the road at 10:30 at night?

Sunday, July 17, 2011
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A 92-year-old Butler man was cited in connection with a traffic accident Saturday that left another Butler man with serious injuries. State police at Butler said Frank Sherman drove his car from Patterson Road onto Saxonburg Road in Jefferson without "proper clearance." His car collided with a motorcycle operated by Gary Joseph Codispot, 52. Mr. Codispot was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital. The accident happened at 10:42 p.m. Saturday.
First published on July 17, 2011 at 2:41 pm

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11198/1161106-100.stm#ixzz1SOuzezdN

Pennsylvania has the highest number of seniors in the country, next to Florida. We have lots of hilly, winding roads in both our towns and the countryside. We have icy roads in cold weather. We sometimes have torrential downpours. We have ever less public transportation, so the only way many seniors can stay in their homes/neighborhoods is usually to keep driving themselves - to get groceries, go to church, go to the library,etc. State legislators have long been receiving requests from constituents to pass a law to get their elderly relatives & neighbors off the roads, but the legislators fear being targeted by AARP or the like.

I have dear friends now 87 and 90. The older, the husband has long been too weak and uncoordinated to drive. His wife prided herself on her driving. She drove a jeep in London during WW II, and whenever anyone gently suggested she stop driving, she would trot out that fact. However, about 3 years ago, she developed macular degeneration in both eyes - she was permanently and legally blind. At present, a treating physician can notify the state that someone does not have the physical and/or mental capacity to drive, but the doctors back away from taking that action as well. She kept driving their big old boat of a car. Her husband would tell her when to speed up, when to slow down, when to turn. Her eye doctor should have automatically reported any patient with that degree of permanent vision loss to the state licensing bureau. But he didn't.

I spoke with her about the fact that she was a danger not only to herself & her husband but to the neighborhood children and anyone else on the road or in the parking lot at the grocery store, etc. I pointed out that if she caused an accident, she could be sued and they would lose their house, their savings, etc. She would then promise me she wasn't driving anymore. But I'd drive by their house (they lived down the street from me) and see that the car was not parked in front. I started calling them several times a week to see if they needed anything at the store, or if I could drive them anywhere. But she was still driving - it was her need for independence I guess. I called her out of town adult kids and told them of the situation. Their response: "Well, we tell her to quit driving, and she tells us she's not driving, so what else can we do?" I said, come for a visit and get rid of the car. And make arrangements necessary for alternate transportation to get them to church, the grocery store & medical appointments. At least we do have an Access van service for transporting seniors in our county. I was at the point of calling her doctor and threatening to make a complaint to the Medical Licensing Board. Fortunately, her car did not pass the annual state safety inspection - the whole bottom was rusted out. At that point, the adult kids got together and convinced the parents to move in with one of the daughters in another state.

My Mom was always a great driver. I visited her once a week, but I would always do the driving, so hadn't actually observed her driving for years. When she was in her 80's, an old friend/neighbor of hers called me to tell me that other neighbors (with small children) had seen her run a stop sign, more than once, around the block from her house. The young neighbors called the older neighbor and asked him to get in touch with me. If I didn't get her off the road, they were calling the police. He was uncomfortable doing so, but I thanked him, and I forced my Mom to agree to sell the car. She loved driving and she was stubborn, but she loved me enough and still had enough common sense to admit she wasn't driving safely. She was very unhappy about it and right up until her death at age 94, she kept asking me when her car would be back from the garage. It's hell growing old, and it's hell watching those you love grow old.

Every time I'm at the local supermarket, I see seniors who need walkers or canes, and/or who need help to open the trunk to put groceries in. They drive down the middle of two lanes. They drive 10 mph in 30 mph zones. They clearly lack the coordination to react quickly. They probably lack depth perception. If anything unusual happens, like there's a flagman and road construction, or detour signs, they can panic and slam on the brakes. They are a danger to themselves and others.

What should be done? I think the state should require vision tests, road tests & written tests every two years after a set age - perhaps 70? Right now, there are no age limitations. You just have to renew your license and get an up to date photo every couple of years. No testing of any kind. I believe we have limited licenses in the state - daytime driving only. Those should be more widely utilized. I think that if someone becomes permanently disabled in a way that will keep them from passing a driving test - such as vision loss, that the doctors must not only be allowed to, but be required to notify the state licensing agency.

What do you all think?