Should senior citizens be banned from driving after a certain age?

Question

i heard someone suggest on the news that senior citizens should be legally banned from driving and be given free access to ride the bus once they reach the cut off age (probably between 70-80). this is to avoid many auto accidendts caused by senior citizens each year. your opinion?

here's a video to look at also.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjgPNeT5SKw

Answer 1

No, of course not, that's ageist.

Once you turn 50, you should have to retake your license test every 5 years, once you turn 70, that should be every two years, and after 80 you should have to pass the test every year along with a note from your doctor saying you are fit to drive.

That way the seniors who can drive aren't discriminated against, and the ones who can't drive, don't.

Answer 2

If we do that then the minimal age for getting a drivers license should be raised nationally to 25 and be tested every year. The drivers 25 to 15 are one of the biggest dangers on the road. If for no other reason is they do not seem to be able to drive with out talking on some kind of phone and now they have to watch DVD's while they drive.

Answer 3

that old bag in the video is proof that senior citizens should at least be tested every year.  their just as dangerous as a young driver who drank one too many.

Answer 4

age should have nothing to do with it. what should matter is driving ability. all you need to do is read the questions on this thread and you have to wonder how any young people even can get their license.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Answer 5

I don't think age is the issue. I know a guy that is about to turn 90. still in excellent physical and mental condition. the guy could run a marathon if he wanted to. I think that they should be required to retake a driving test if pulled over though. this should however be applied to anyone who holds a license regardless of age. I have seen people well under 50 that shouldn't be driving.

Answer 6

that would be considered age discrimination. I think all driver's should be tested every few years. Bad drivers come in all ages.

Answer 7

Age is not a matter what matters is the persons ability &health condition,Regan led nation aging more than 70 Mcain may now ,they are seniors can they lead a nation but not a car

Answer 8

If they can prove that they are able to drive and are of sound mind and judgment then NO.........

The reason is that most car accidents are by teens from 15 to 21 years of age so should they be banned ???

Answer 9

I think they should be retested after a certain age but to ban them is just wrong.  My grandpa is 83 and a good driver, he drives 7 hours to come visit us at least 4 times a year.  Perhaps make them get their eyes checked and retake the driving portion of their test every 2 years after 65.

Answer 10

I think many seniors are not capable of driving at that age and many need to have their licenses pulled sooner. There are plenty of people that are not safe at any age.   The argument could also be made on the other end for young drivers and that the age should be raised.  I think the real solution is to perhaps start retesting them increasingly more often to make sure they are still capable drivers. There are some senior citizens in their 90s that are perfectly capable drivers so it isn't completely fair to make assumptions about capability based on age.  Why banned someone who has no problems and is a perfectly alert and capable driver just because of his or her age?

Answer 11

I don't think that picking an age is a good idea.  Each senior should be licensed to drive according to their mental and physical capabilities.  Some are not good drivers at 55 and some are great at 90.

Answer 12

Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes and no. In an ideal world we would have a system in place to individually assess drivers as they reach a predetermined age, and that would decided which are still able to drive and which are not. That's just not feasible with the system setup now, so it would be safer to just cut people off. Not to mention it would cut down on traffic and pollution. Great question!