99 year old on wrong side of road and no headlights in RV

[TCINTN]

99 year old driving RV on wrong side with no headlights kills two teenagers. In Florida

[tomman58]

Dutch_12078 wrote:

Crowe wrote:
Easy solution but not one that would go over well-no license issued after a certain age, period.

And a solution that would solve virtually nothing...

The 2016 fatal vehicle crash rates from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for instance, show that 16-19 year old drivers had the second highest rate at 17.8 fatalities per 100,000 drivers, only a little better than the 20-34 year old group at 21.6. The 70+ age group on the other hand, was the lowest at 13.1, with the next lowest the 35-69 year old group at 13.3. Those numbers would seem to indicate that no one should be allowed to drive until they're at least 35...

I drove 1000's of miles at 18 and even more as I aged. BUT driving across the USA you are subjected to many , many folks that shouldn't be on the road and age has nothing to do with it.

[Dutch_12078]

Crowe wrote:
Easy solution but not one that would go over well-no license issued after a certain age, period.

And a solution that would solve virtually nothing...

The 2016 fatal vehicle crash rates from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for instance, show that 16-19 year old drivers had the second highest rate at 17.8 fatalities per 100,000 drivers, only a little better than the 20-34 year old group at 21.6. The 70+ age group on the other hand, was the lowest at 13.1, with the next lowest the 35-69 year old group at 13.3. Those numbers would seem to indicate that no one should be allowed to drive until they're at least 35...

[spoon059]

tomman58 wrote:
Sooooooooooooooo. After being on the road for 2 hours, at night, in the rain, and you come to a poorly lit intersection you should shut down , grab the baby's and old lady's and hunker down. Get real.

If you can't see where you are going, then YES. Other than that, make sure you can see before you drive somewhere. I'm not sure why my comments are even remotely controversial...

I'm sure your baby and old lady would appreciate the driver being able to see the road.

[toedtoes]

The problem is often that the "inability" to safely drive comes on very quickly to the rest of the world, but for the individual it has been very gradual. Just like age. They don't see or feel the major changes that have happened to them, so they think they are fine.

My dad stopped driving at about 75. How many folks here are out there still driving at that age with big RVs? How many would argue that there is no reason they shouldn't be driving at that age? How many are reaching that point where it becomes a hazard? How many would listen to their children/grandchildren if they say "you need to stop driving"? And if so, what is the deciding factor - an accident? A ticket? Or simply because your children/grandchildren agree?

Same questions for those in their 80s. And those in their 60s. And so on.

And sometimes it is the declared "I'm a good" drivers that refuse to let go of the keys. They have always had fast reflexes and great skills and they think they can handle anything that comes along. But they don't realize their reflexes are slowing down and that they can't drive like they did before. All those accidents they avoided in the past can't be avoided now by their fast thinking and quick reflexes because they aren't fast and quick anymore. But they still drive like they did before.

[rhagfo]

wnjj wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
I'd be fine with the govt hard wiring headlights direct to the ignition.

Not me. There are plenty of times having the motor on without the headlights on makes sense. Parking while keeping warm, for example, or when maneuvering into a campsite when it’s late without lighting up the neighbors. I always turn them off or to marker lights when backing up using mirrors. Try it sometime and see how much better you can see without the bright windshield in front of you.

Most good ideas on paper have consequences, just like the no tail lights with DRL’s on.

I agree with you and do like the auto headlights in our truck and Yukon though, so long as i have the option to turn them off. I still turn them on in the fog or heavy rain. Automatic headlights or at least a chime would be nice. Most vehicles warn you when you leave them ON when you get out.

Agree with both of you, each to a point.
I have always driven with headlights on since I got my license back in 1967! Back then during the day many other drivers would flash their lights at me during the day, but just made it a habit to turn on and off entering and exiting (well most of the exits), yes cost me a couple dead batteries in 50 years.
I also think there are times when lights need to be very low or off. Standard lights on, with an override to turn down or off for short periods of time.

[tomman58]

spoon059 wrote:

tomman58 wrote:
A few years ago my garmin said turn left and I did at a totally unlit intersection in the rain at 4;30am. I was on the wrong of a divided highway.

I love GPS, but it is a tool to be combined with other senses... not a rule to be followed without question. If you cannot see where you are going, you shouldn't be going. Whether you can't tell you are on the wrong side of the road, or you can't see the disabled vehicle in the road, or you can't see the homeless drunk passed out on the shoulder...

If you can't see where you are going, you shouldn't be going.

Sooooooooooooooo. After being on the road for 2 hours, at night, in the rain, and you come to a poorly lit intersection you should shut down , grab the baby's and old lady's and hunker down. Get real. If I did that I could only drive on sunny days and only betw'n dawn to dusk..... never going to happen in my world. I start real early to avoid those that have anxiety moments by others that often can create problems for me on others. At 7,000 + miles a year I am quite accomplished but still have issues in some states at their lack of effort to mark roads and critical lighting.

[spoon059]

tomman58 wrote:
A few years ago my garmin said turn left and I did at a totally unlit intersection in the rain at 4;30am. I was on the wrong of a divided highway.

I love GPS, but it is a tool to be combined with other senses... not a rule to be followed without question. If you cannot see where you are going, you shouldn't be going. Whether you can't tell you are on the wrong side of the road, or you can't see the disabled vehicle in the road, or you can't see the homeless drunk passed out on the shoulder...

If you can't see where you are going, you shouldn't be going.

[donut_dave]

my dad's keys were taken away when he went to the grocery store and couldn't remember why he was there. my mom who hadn't driven in 10 years said she was going to start driving again. she couldn't straighten up enough to see over the steering wheel. keys gone. they were both early 80s. the children or grandchildren need to grow a backbone. oh sure they might not like it for a while but how about protecting them and others.

[wnjj]

My grandfather was around 90 when he was required to retest (and failed) after being pulled over for not pulling over for the fire engine that was following him with sirens blaring. His response to the cop was, “they can just go around.” That didn’t go so well for him. He lived to 97 and had severe loss of memory & recognition by then and we were all happy to have the police intervene before something bad happened.

[campinginthewoo]

We recently had ne road construction (new asphalt) on state route 4 lanes and at every intersecting roadway in the opposing travel lanes are big arrows pointing direction of travel ex... southbound lanes have big arrows painted pointed south as you cross to go into northbound lanes arrows are pointed north at all intersections not sure if it has helped but it adds to the one way directional signs and do not enter signs posted. I knew a old timer who didn't like our town's DMV as they wouldn't pass him so he would go away 30 miles to a smaller town and use their DMV and would pass every two years. Never understood how but he passed away and we and his family were relieved.

[bgum]

I have seen a lot of people who should have their license revoked. All ages.

[Grit_dog]

That's sad, having been in a wrong way driver accident that killed 3 people. My best friend, his fiancé, and the wrong way driver, poof dead....
Working road construction, I see more than jus the news. This happens regularly, I'd hazard, weekly or more often just in one city.
As mentioned, it's many factors. Age, alcohol, drugs, following bad gps directions, missing a "do not enter" sign at head to head freeway on and off ramps, or just generally being at the bottom of the IQ chart.
While I personally find it to be an almost impossible mistake to make, especially for any distance, we've all turned the wrong way on a one way street or similar, but not being able to recognize the error quickly and take action to correct it is what I don't understand.
99, yeah chalk it up to old age. For the rest of society, it's just a snapshot of human behavior on the lowest end.
I for one would not have issue with more intensive driving test requirements and while I'd bitsch and complain about having to spend the $ myself, I think it would help weed out "some" of the idiots on the road.
Seattle seems to have an unusually high % of sub par skill level drivers and I've seen that cause accidents. Believe me, it's not just old people that shouldn't be driving, they are a very small % of the bad driver equation.

[Seon]

azdryheat wrote:
We have automatic headlights in our cars. Why do we not have that feature in our motorhomes?

My Itasca has auto headlights.

But 99 yr old still allowed to drive? Unbelievable :S .

[tomman58]

one factor that isn't mentioned are the road markings and lighting. A few years ago my garmin said turn left and I did at a totally unlit intersection in the rain at 4;30am. I was on the wrong of a divided highway. Luckily it became a 2 lane in just a 100 yards. My bad, but with help from poorly designed intersection and my lack of knowledge of the area. One trys to put everyone in the same box but there are plenty of other factors.

[wa8yxm]

99, or 29, makes no difference if you add alcohol and mix well. Though I do agree that as drivers age perhaps re-testing may be indicated. I've seen far too many cases of Senile Dementia and in one case.. Well I held her power of attorney. My Wife, Daughter and I conspired to keep her out of the driver's seat so long the battery on her car was flat, not just dead but flat, would not even take a charge. now that's one way to render them "Safe".