How old is too old to drive?

I've seen both very competant and incompetant drivers of this age. I think it should be a case bt case thing, why take a licence off a perfectly competent driver.? Regular testing is a good idea at this age I think though.

I think people need to be have an annual drivers test once they turn 70. When they turn 80, they should be tested every 6 months. I don't think there's a magic age when the elderly should stop driving. It all depends on the person. My 81 year old grandmother is sharp as a tack, healthy and smart. If it weren't for her macular degeneration, she would be driving still and I would not feel unsafe riding with her. But with the m.d., she can't drive and doesn't. My other grandmother, on the other hand, at the age of 74, was a horrible driver. She had been pretty bad all of her driving life, but as she got older it just got worse. We took her license, but she still drove. Thank God nothing bad ever happened (unless you ask the mailbox!), but it sure could have. It's one of those things...there ought to be a law....

I think when people to get to age 60 or so hey should have reflex test done when they go to renew their licesne. That way the DMV can see if they have sharp enough reflexes to be driving.

I think perhaps rather than saying that after a certain age one cannot have a license, it would be better to institute a driving test. Many elderly are far safer than younger drivers! Perhaps having a physician notify the DMV when elderly are placed on certain meds would work? The DMV could then request that they come for a driver's test. Of course, I can hear everyone screaming that this is a violation of the elderly's privacy. I have always wondered why more driving tests weren't done for older people. Many do have vision problems and are on numerous medications that make them unsafe to drive.

I personally don't think it matters how old a person is. As long as they have all their faculties, and have good reflexes, why shouldn't they be allowed to drive. To me there are a lot of people driving around who aren't even close to being old, and they shouldn't be driving.

It's a very complicated issue we have here, because, especially in southern california where I grew up, losing a license is almost crippling. There's not really a great public transportation infrastructure, and without a relative or caretaker to depend on for rides, taking a license from an elderly person can make it basically impossible for them to even get groceries or medication. Still, cases like the one above are not as uncommon as we would hope, so it's really tough to find a workable solution. My money goes with the camp that says that the elderly should have to take their driving tests much more often than younger drivers, since their health and mental conditions can be susceptible to very rapid and unforeseen deterioration. The tests should also be more stringent, I recall my test being simply a short (5-10 min) drive around the area near the DMV, I think an eye and reflex test at least would be in order. I'd like to think that the majority of people are smart enough to realize if/when they are no longer fit to drive, unfortunately, it's easy to see how a need to resist the loss of independence and the loss of one's own physical/mental faculties could easily make somebody deny the reality that they are no longer safe on the roads, so we need more frequent, more stringent testing.

Yes old man drives carefully than youth. But accidents happen without warning.

how is that possible that a man in the age of 83 can be a safe driver at all..........

Here in NZ we have yearly testing of all people once they get to their 80th birthday. In some cases I think the age should be at a slightly lower age as some are terrible drivers. It is mainly the 80+ year olds that seem to be the main problem here though, mind you, there are also some terrible younger drivers.

I don't think there is an age that is too old. The question are how good is the eyesight and how good is the awareness?

I agree that it should be handled on a case by case basis. This is a sad story, but not all senior drivers are bad drivers. There are many bad drivers out there of ALL ages. Personally, I think that all drivers should be tested every 5 years to ensure that they have not forgotten the rules of the road and that the testing should include not only town/city driving but major highway/freeway driving as well.

I don't think there's a real age that can be given as a definitive answer. Each person ages differently. I'd like to see a driving test - sight, reaction time, etc administered every 20 years for a young/middle-aged driver and then once every 10 years for those 40 and over (so 16, 36, 50, 60, 70, 80). Nothing against the elderly, but aging is a biological thing. It can and it will deteriorate your health - for some, their minds go, for others, their eyes will lose their functionality, etc.

I agree that there should be a driving test. One of my aunts when she turned 80 let her license expire which was totally her own decision. I have one grandparent who is still driving at the age of 88 and another who is 90 still driving. Both insisted on a driving test before getting their licenses renewed. Neither of them drive at night or in poor weather. Of course, I think that everyone should have to take a driving test before they can have their license renewed. They are a lot of maniacal drivers on the road old and young.

Hm, a very good question. I think your too old for driving, if you're a big risk on the road and you have forgotten the most of the drivingrols. Well, in that case, there are many of young people that never hed to get a drivingliscents. I realy want to know what they did, to get it. Ever never on the normal way ... O_o;

Age is not a factor to be atken in here to see if aperson shd drive or not....it is the mental ability and the stabilty of the person who is behind the wheel that makes the differnce.

I don't think people should have to stop driving after a certain age because everyone's bodies are different. I think license should be reevaluated based on motor skills and eyesight.

i think that after a certain age you should have to start taking driving tests every time you renew your license and instead of it being as long as younger people i think tey should have to do it at least once ever year

thats just hard to decide i mean i have seen 80 yr old drive better then some 20-30yr old and visa versa problem is tho you never really know untill its to late and some thing like that happends

I dont think it matters

I think it is safe to say some people become worse drivers as they reach into the "elderly" years, for numerous reasons, although a specific date is obviously impossible to point out on a whim. Personally, I think something more should be done to ensure the safety of all citizens on the road. Consider this anology: Obviously, not all people who turn 16 here in the US can effectively drive. That is exactly why we administer a test after reaching this age, to see if the person in question can drive reasonably safe. I think the same thing should be done with people when reaching "old age". What age? I don't know. That is something experts and research statistics will have to determine. But at a certain age, it would be reasonable and logical to assure the public that any said person that becomes this age can still safely drive a motor vehicle. Sure, I understand it may be embarrassing to many older folks out there, but it is also embarrassing to that 16 year old kid with shaky hands. It is done for a reason: to ensure the safety of the public. By and large, the safety of the public has been deemed (quite logically) by persons and authority figures simply more important than a slight inconvenience. I don't think my proposal is unreasonable or unfeasable, but any input would be appreciated.