Elderly drivers deserve some respect

Better testing for seniors,

Your View, Jan. 30

Pulling keys from the elderly

too painful for many of us

Lorraine Sommerfeld, Jan. 23

So, here we go again with the age and licensing issue. Why is it that "seniors" (I'd rather they be referred to as "elders") are the brunt of our collective frustration and anger when it comes to deciding who "causes" mayhem on our roads and highways?

In my experience, age is not the issue. I have witnessed incompetence, ignorance and a serious lack of knowledge about driving throughout the age range. I've watched drivers 70-plus all the way up to 92 who with a few hours of instruction and guidance were able to perform emergency braking and collision-avoidance techniques on slippery surfaces. In many cases the "older" drivers were easier to teach and more receptive to coaching than many younger ones, particularly males between 17 and 30.

If we are really serious about the capabilities and skills of drivers and not just singling out age or any other "problem of the day" to improve our well being behind the wheel, may I suggest that all of us would be better off if there was a reassessment process over our entire driving lifetimes. Why should elders be the only group subjected to an arbitrary road test if involved in a crash or collision?

Again, may I suggest based on my experience, that any driver who suffers the trauma of a crash or collision be offered a debriefing to determine what happened and what they may or may not have been able to do in similar circumstances. Helpful, given that stats indicate we probably replicate the circumstances that lead up to the incident and will respond the same way to the crisis as many as three times!

Of course, that's never going to happen because our "right to drive" is sacrosanct.

Age is not the problem. No more so than young drivers are. All ages make mistakes behind the wheel. But if trained to deal with emergencies, we are more than capable of regaining control of our own vehicle or taking evasive action to avoid another driver's error.

Gary Magwood, Latta

Reader Frank Davis suggested in Your View on Jan. 30 that the G2 road test should be mandatory for drivers 70 or older.

Perhaps he does not know that the Ontario government intentionally removed mandatory retesting for senior drivers when they introduced the graduated licensing program. This decision was the result of lobbying by the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, which successfully contended that mandatory retesting was "ageist" discrimination.

If Mr. Davis would like to see mandatory retesting brought back, he will have to accept a program that retests drivers of all ages. This could be based on increasing frequency as drivers grow older, but care will be needed to avoid the accusation of "discrimination" against the elderly.

Perhaps a retest every five years until age 30, every four years from 30 to 45 (which is when early signs of aging appear), every two years from 45 to 60, and then annually.

Oh, and shame on the Star for publishing a stock picture (to accompany Davis's letter) that showed a senior driver who'd forgotten to wear his seatbelt!

Malcolm Elston, Toronto

Your recent Wheels column on elderly drivers and their ability to drive raised several issues that my wife and I will face in the near future.

My 85-year-old mother and 89-year-old mother-in-law live in Kingston and are still driving. So far they are competent and safe behind the wheel and neither pushes the limits by driving after dark or in bad weather. But at some point that will change and when it does, I'd rather be the "bad guy" who had a driver's licence taken away than dealing with the aftermath of a preventable fatal accident.

I believe we have a right to vote, but driving is a privilege. The onus should be on individuals to prove they are competent to drive, not on someone else to determine they aren't.

When ex-premier Mike Harris pandered to the elderly by removing the driving test for those 80 years and older (replacing it with a written test only), he made Ontario's roads more dangerous for all of us. Ontario brought in graduated licensing for new drivers; why not do the same for the elderly – perhaps with restrictions on driving at night or on 400-series highways?

I hold an Ontario A, B, M, Z licence and have to pass a medical exam (every three years) and a written test (every five years). My driving record is closely monitored by my employer and MTO. I'm held to a higher standard and that is how it should be. However, average drivers can get their G2 licence at 18 and never have to take another test of any kind until they're 80. I think all of us should be tested (written, medical and road test) at regular intervals throughout our driving lifetime to make sure we at least meet safe minimums for driving.

Bob Thomas, North Augusta

Why pick on seniors? Accidents are caused by drivers in all age groups, many with far more catastrophic consequences than those involving older drivers. Of all the age groups, seniors are more likely to abide by the rules. How many of us have cursed at "granny" for driving too slowly, knowing only too well that she's doing the speed limit.

Until society finds a way to deal with the "road warrior" attitude behind the wheel the carnage on our roads will only get worse.

Jack Fuller, Singhampton

Toyota's sticky problems show benefits of manual

What you need to know if your car

is under recall

Jil McIntosh, Jan. 30

All the yelping, screaming, and hysteria over Toyota's possible sticky gas pedal says volumes about the competence of many drivers, mostly those whose cars have automatic transmissions. Put the car in drive, step on the gas, disengage brain! Do driving schools teach any sort of vehicle control in an emergency?

I won't drive a sludge box because a manual tranny gives me complete control of my car. I believe it should be mandatory for all drivers to learn how to drive with a stick shift in order to understand the relationship between the engine and transmission. And the fact that Jim Kenzie had to make a video to demonstrate what to do if the accelerator sticks just underscores my point.

Lorne Hamilton, Etobicoke

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One Yonge St., Toronto, Ont. M5E 1E6.

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