# Would YOU support driving restrictions for the elderly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 3, 2005, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260 "2005-11-03T06:36:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/141 "2005-11-23T20:44:52Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > No one answered this, since they were too busy making baseless generalizations, so I will, for California. > > We can start with the requirement of a certain number of supervised hours driving after getting a learner’s permit, including a certain percentage at night. (This is not checked, and there is no log, but it gives good guidance to parents about what is expected.) > > After a young driver gets a license, for six months when my kids got theirs (it might be longer now) they are not allowed to drive alone at night, not allowed to drive with only people under 21 in the car. This is to avoid situations where they might get distracted. There are exceptions, like driving siblings or driving at night to get to a job. The penalty for not doing this is losing the chance of getting a licens e for some time. (I can look it up.) For the most part my daughter’s friends followed these rules, and I believe the accident rate for new drivers has gone down. > > No additional testing. Most kids seem to buy into the rules, and most parents think they are good ideas. If you want details, I can dig up some cites. > > it seems to me that the root cause of the distinction is that young drivers are dangerous now (and so need restrictions so they can get experience safely) but will get better, while older drivers are likely safe now, but will get worse, and so there needs to be a mechanism for determining when some threshhold of danger is crossed. My father in law, who is almost 90, only drives very close to home, and gets a car service for longer trips, or trips after dark. I drove with him the last time I visited and he is not bad, but he wants to be on the safe side. Thanks for the response. In addition to your assigned reason for no one answering the question, I believe no one knows the answers, they just “know” older drivers should be singled out for discrimination. I personally drive just over 110 miles per night, six nights per week, in Tampa traffic. I cross the Howard Franklin Bridge twice per night. Locals will get the reference. Suffice it to say that the bridge is “about” six miles long and the speed limit is difficult to enforce: There are few places where law enforcement officers can safely station themselves. Almost nightly, I am treated to the spectacle of “crotch rocket” motorcycles racing across this bridge at speeds well over 100MPH. (I typically drive 70-75MPH and these guys leave me in the dust) I have been held up in traffic jams on the bridge resulting from the crash of one or more of these motorcycles; from the appearance of the wreckage, I doubt there were survivors. Somehow I doubt the drivers of these things are “older” in the generally accepted sense. I have also seen road racing between two or more “riceboys” and I have seen their wreckage—again, I doubt they were “older” drivers. I am not claiming that all older drivers are safe drivers; I am claiming that we are set up for discrimination merely on the basis of age. I STILL want to know how restrictions for older drivers would be established, by whom, and how the process would be funded and applied. I doubt I will receive another answer, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/142 "2005-11-24T01:42:32Z")
> [@ombre3](#): > > “Only?” > > Sounds a little on the high side to me. Yes, they are involved in a disproportionate number of accidents, but not a _majority_. Are you having trouble remembering your last post? You didn’t just say “young farts” were responsible for a high number of accidents. ---
**Author:** ![ombre3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@ombre3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ombre3)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/143 "2005-11-24T02:08:40Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > Yes, they are involved in a disproportionate number of accidents, but not a _majority_. Are you having trouble remembering your last post? You didn’t just say “young farts” were responsible for a high number of accidents. Looked back to see what you are refering to. All I can find is a statement that reckless drivers are almost invariably young farts. Sounds true to me. Old farts may have their problems----but recklessness isn’t one of them. I also do think that reckless driving is the cause of most accidents. I consider reckless driving to be speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, trying to multitask while driving (cell phones anyone?, putting on make-up, stereo so loud it would be impossible to hear normal traffic sounds, especially horns), tailgateing, driving when very sleepy, road rage) You rarely see elderly drivers doing any of those things. But, putting 2 and 2 together, you may have a point. I may have overstated some. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/144 "2005-11-24T02:25:16Z")
> [@ombre3](#): > > (or at least drop that stupid requirement that your pizza is free if not delivered on time). They did drop it-only a few months after it was started, Dominos got in huge trouble because their drivers were getting in accidents because they were driving wrecklessly trying to get the pizza there within a half an hour. **LouisB** , I don’t think we should necessarily take away licenses from the elderly-just more frequent testing as a person gets older. Like I said, I have first hand experience with this from my grandparents. (And as I said, my grandfather has ALWAYS been a shitty driver). ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/145 "2005-11-24T03:10:22Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > They did drop it-only a few months after it was started, Dominos got in huge trouble because their drivers were getting in accidents because they were driving \*\*wrecklessly \*\* trying to get the pizza there within a half an hour. You probably meant “recklessly.” “Wrecklessly” would be a \*good \* thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/146 "2005-11-24T03:17:53Z")
> [@ombre3](#): > > All I can find is a statement that reckless drivers are almost invariably young farts. […] I also do think that reckless driving is the cause of most accidents. Both of those statements were in your earlier post. They can’t both be true: if most accidents were caused by reckless drivers, and nearly all reckless drivers were young, then most accidents would be caused by young drivers. The statistics, however, show that they aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![ombre3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@ombre3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ombre3)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/147 "2005-11-24T03:45:10Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > Both of those statements were in your earlier post. They can’t both be true: if most accidents were caused by reckless drivers, and nearly all reckless drivers were young, then most accidents would be caused by young drivers. The statistics, however, show that they aren’t. You should take a little time and read whole posts. I did at the end admit that I was overstating–at least statistically. I still think that the major cause of accidents is reckless driving though. Even if it does not show in statistics. And I think that we all do agree that recklessness is a folly of youth. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/148 "2005-11-24T04:09:37Z")
> [@ombre3](#): > > I did at the end admit that I was overstating–at least statistically. You’re right. I saw that and I’m sorry if I gave the impression that I didn’t. > [@](#): > > I still think that the major cause of accidents is reckless driving though. Even if it does not show in statistics. I’m not sure what you mean by “even if it does not show in statistics”. You think the accidents caused by reckless driving aren’t being reported? Do you think young drivers really are responsible for a majority of accidents, despite the statistics showing otherwise? If not, can you explain why you continue to hold these two beliefs which, when added together, lead to a conclusion that is contrary to fact? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260/149 "2005-11-24T06:35:45Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > You probably meant “recklessly.” “Wrecklessly” would be a \*good \* thing. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-support-driving-restrictions-for-the-elderly/329260.md?page=7)