The AARP has strongly opposed driving test for senior license renewals and they have been very successful at blocking proposals to do so.

My grandmother, who passed a couple of weeks ago (92), willingly stopped driving sometime in her '80s. My mom and my aunt simply took her wherever she needed to go.

My grandfather (passed, on my mother's side), stopped driving in his '60s or '70s. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's in his '60s, but he was stubborn and didn't stop driving until he had an accident. He willingly stopped, but it was very difficult for him to acknowledge the progression of his disease, and he hated that his perfect driving record was marred.

I wish more families would intervene when their elderly members can no longer do what they used to safely. I would prefer their egos get hurt, than have them deal with the guilt of killing somebody.

Shouldn't there be a driver's test for seniors?

Yes, but Gramps & Granny are more powerful than a nuke.

Ha! I just noticed my little apostrophes in front of the g-rents' ages. Can't even blame typos, as I did it on every freakin' one. My bad. Serves me right for procrastinating at work.

The reason a NY license is good for eight years is so the state could pull revenue from future years into current ones.

A CEO who tried to sell a government budget would be in prison. (Unless his name is Corzine.)

I saw an interesting article once on drivers in Japan. Apparently drivers over a certain age are required to have a sticker of a colorful little symbol in their windows, to alert other drivers that the driver is elderly. They also have a sticker for first-time drivers. I keep thinking we should have those here.

My father was a road menace. He drove until he was 87 years old, and he had the slower reflexes of an older driver AND Alzheimer's. My mother refused to take his keys because he would throw absolute fits. Ever see a toddler throw a tantrum? Now imagine that toddler is 5'6" and 200 lbs. And because of the Alzheimer's, he was never able to process why he couldn't drive, so it would be the same fit every day, several times a day, until she caved because she couldn't take it anymore. We're all lucky he didn't kill himself or anyone else.

He started pulling those fits on me, too, until I switched his car keys with a copy of his house keys. He couldn't tell the difference, and he could spend hours every day trying to start up his car without hurting anyone. I convinced him the car had died. I convinced him of this every day because he would forget every day.

That whole period would have been a lot easier if the state had just revoked his driver's license.

That whole period would have been a lot easier if the state had just revoked his driver's license. -- MonicaP at August 17, 2012 11:59 AM

The question is would he have remembered his age and his license had been revoked?

There are products that will disable the starter but leave enough energy to run the clock, etc.

The question is would he have remembered his age and his license had been revoked?

He didn't remember it WITH his license. He told everyone he was 39. It was easier that way.

Monica,

I'm sorry you had to lose your father twice.

My lady had periods of simple dementia through the last years of her life. It was the involvement of pain killers and its effects on the B complex of vitamins. Hang a banana bag and the effects went away quickly. I want to say B12, but don't remember anymore. None of it is ever easier.