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Senator Joyce renews efforts to strengthen
elderly driving standards
By Jay Turner
Citizen Staff
It is a
sensitive subject to be sure, but when it comes to the question
of whether an elderly driver should face tougher licensing
standards, state Senator Brian Joyce believes so strongly in the
affirmative that he is once again willing to stand on a
political island if it would mean safer roads for all of the
state’s drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
In a press
release issued last week, Joyce, a Milton Democrat whose
district includes the town of Canton, announced he is re-filing
“An Act to Promote Safe Driving,” a bill that would require all
persons renewing their license after their 85th
birthday to pass a vision and a road test every five years.
Described by Joyce as “simple age-based reforms,” the bill would
nonetheless mark a distinct departure from current Massachusetts
law, which “prohibits discrimination by reason of age with
regard to licensing.”
“Current law
requires only a vision test once every 10 years,” Joyce
explained, “which means that an 85-year-old driver can renew his
or her license without further testing until age 95, at which
time the driver would only have to pass a simple vision test.”
It is that
lack of discrimination, however, that the senator has been
trying to change since he first introduced the legislation in
2005, noting that 28 other states have at least some
restrictions on older drivers, whether it be accelerated renewal
periods, vision and road tests, or limitations on online and
mail-in renewals. And while fellow lawmakers have thus far
offered little support to Joyce’s proposal, they have shown a
willingness to restrict another group of “at-risk” drivers:
teenagers.
In a lengthy
opinion piece written last year, Joyce pointed out how the
state’s youngest and oldest drivers are statistically the “two
most dangerous groups of drivers on the road,” and yet only one
of those groups is treated as such under the recently revised
Junior Operator laws.
“We restrict
[teens’] driving to certain hours of the day until they are 18,”
Joyce wrote. “We do not allow them to drive most passengers
without adult supervision for a period of six months. We hold
them to stricter rules and punishments for speeding. However,
here in Massachusetts, we have so far neglected to address the
other segment of at-risk drivers.”
Joyce has also
provided plenty of data to support his position, including
multiple studies showing similar crash rates between teenagers
and drivers over 75, and significantly higher crash rates for
drivers over 85. In addition, as their ability to respond to
sudden changes on the road deteriorates, elderly drivers become
particularly susceptible to two types of accidents: those
involving a failure to yield the right of way, and those
involving left-hand turns against on-coming traffic.
And yet
lawmakers have repeatedly steered clear of this political
landmine, even while several highly publicized accidents have
prompted calls for greater restrictions. One such accident
occurred in Randolph last February, when an 86-year-old driver
lost control of his SUV at the Lyons Elementary School and ended
up pinning an 8-year-old girl against the wall of the school,
critically injuring her as dozens of classmates looked on.
Four months
earlier, a 76-year-old Rockland woman drove her car into
Brockton Hospital, killing two staff members and injuring two
others. In both cases, the accident occurred while the driver
was attempting to park.
But opponents
of tougher restrictions argue that for every instance of
reckless elderly driving, there are many other examples of
individuals driving safely, well into their 80s and 90s. Elderly
drivers are also less likely to speed or drive under the
influence of alcohol, and more likely to self-regulate, choosing
not to drive at night or during bad weather.
“Age has
nothing to do with it,” noted Canton Veterans Agent Tony
Andreotti, who deals with many of the town’s elderly residents
in his line of work.
Andreotti is
one who believes that health and lifestyle choices are far
better than age as determinants of driving ability, but he also
supports Joyce’s bill as a “reasonable test” to ensure that
those who should not be driving remain off the road.
“It has to be
done,” he said. “It’s a real problem. There are some elderly out
there who should not be driving.”
Andreotti
currently has two such cases where he and family members are
trying to get the keys from an older relative; but there is only
so much that he — or even the police — can do without the
benefit of legal restrictions.
Senator Joyce
also has personal experience to draw from, having “struggled
terribly” along with his siblings when the issue came up with
their father a few years ago.
“For many
adult children, taking away the keys of the person who taught
them how to drive is a difficult proposition,” Joyce wrote,
noting that for many seniors, “driving is a means of
independence” that offers them “access to basic necessities like
food, and the ability to socialize.”
And while
independence is important to people of all ages, it is
particularly salient to the members of the baby boomer
generation, according to Dr. Byron Thames, a member of the AARP
board of directors. In his article “Keeping Our Eyes on the
Road” from AARP.org, Thames describes the current wave of aging
Americans as the “most mobile generation in the history of
civilization.”
“They’ve lived
their entire adult lives in a society where driving and living
are practically one and the same,” Thames writes. “Think about
it. If you’re turning 60 this year, it means you grew up steeped
in the car-crazed consumerism of post-war America.
“It means you
were getting your license when the interstate highway system was
being built. It means your attitudes and values were being
shaped at just the moment that the car was becoming a powerful
cultural icon denoting status and independence.”
Joyce,
meanwhile, remains very much aware of the importance of driving
in the lives of the state’s seniors; and as a former Hester
award recipient from the Department of Elder Affairs, he at
least has the track record to prove that his concerns are
genuine.
“While I
recognize the sensitive nature of this bill, and that no senior
wants to lose their ability to drive,” Joyce said, “I believe
that this bill has prompted an honest civil discourse on how to
best protect the safety of all our citizens on the roadways,
including our elderly drivers, and I look forward to continuing
the dialogue this session.”
Resources for elderly
drivers and their family members:
“Driving
Safely While Aging Gracefully” describes many of the physical
changes associated with aging, and includes tips on coping with
them so that older people can remain safe drivers. (www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Driving%20Safely%20Aging%20Web/index.html)
“We Need to
Talk” is a comprehensive guide for families dealing with unsafe
drivers, created by the Hartford Insurance Company, MIT’s Age
Lab and AARP. (www.thehartford.com/talkwitholderdrivers)
January 22, 2009
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