In 2003, USA TODAY carried a story about an 86-year-old driver who killed 10 people when his car veered into a crowded farmer’s market in Santa Monica, CA. In 2004, the Chicago Sun Times ran a story about an elderly driver whose car plowed into a Chicago Subway sandwich shop killing one patron and injuring two others. In 2005, FOX NEWS reported that a 93-year-old driver in Florida hit a pedestrian and kept on driving with the victim stuck on his windshield.
Authorities fear these stories will become commonplace as more Baby Boomers – 79 million people born between 1946 and 1964 – reach age 65 and their physical abilities begin to decline. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety warns that by 2025, “people aged 65 and older will account for 25 percent of U.S. drivers…” It says state licensing systems are ill prepared to weed out unfit drivers.
Although older drivers have fewer accidents than teen drivers, authorities expect the number of accidents with seniors to rise since there will be more of them on the road. What’s the answer? The state of Missouri has one. The AAA Foundation says that state’s law is a good model for the nation. It provides a way for seniors to give up driving without fear of isolation and loss of freedom by promoting alternative modes of transportation. It provides civil immunity for doctors and law enforcement agencies who report unfit drivers. It increases funding to educate drivers license technicians to help them identify medically unfit drivers.
