Hazard: Seniors Behind The Wheel

Older Drivers Statistically Involved In More Crashes; States Slow To Regulate

(CBS)  This is part four of a CBS Evening News series: The Road Ahead.

---

The reason Ferris Wallace can still glide across a dance floor and still play hearts everyday is because at the age of 92, Wallace is still behind the wheel.

“Well people my age, if you’re able to drive you’re just darn lucky is all I can say,” Wallace told CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan.

But for some elderly drivers, it could be dangerous.

As baby boomers age, the percentage of older drivers involved in fatal crashes is expected to climb from just 14 percent two years ago to 25 percent by the year 2030.

Rick and Johnna Bolka lost their artistic 17-year-old daughter, Katie, when her car was broadsided by one driven by 90-year-old Elizabeth Grimes.

“I’m terribly sorry, but I did it,” Grimes said in court.

In her deposition, Grimes admitted she ran a red light. After the Bolkas buried their daughter, they crusaded to enact Katie’s law.

“We’re happy that other people will be safe, but honestly you know, angry that it had to take, you know, my child to die to have all this happen,” Johnna Bolka said.

Starting in September, Texas drivers older than 85 must review their licenses every two years. Drivers over the age of 79 must renew their licenses in person.

But few states are going that far.

Only 17 states require older drivers to renew their licenses more often than other drivers. Just eight states and the District of Columbia require vision tests for license renewals. And just eight states do the one thing that is proven to reduce deaths of drivers over age 85 — mandate they renew their licenses in person.

---

Find out the law for seniors in your state.

---

“You turned without using a turn signal three times,” Sreenivasan told a senior driver at one simulator class.

“I’m blaming all that on you; you’re the one distracting me,” the driver replied.

To refresh older drivers, there are courses like one by the AARP.

A chain of senior wellness centers offers simulators and exercise.

“Brain fitness is encouraged by physical fitness,” said Dr. Sheldon Zinberg, founder of Nifty After Fifty, said. “Physical fitness has been shown to improve driver abilities in the older driver.

But deciding when those driving abilities are gone is mostly up to the older drivers themselves.

“The day I can’t handle it I’m gonna hang up the keys,” Wallace said.

Those keys may be in his hands for six more years. Wallace got his license renewed before Katie’s Law kicks in, meaning he won’t face a driving test until he is 98 years old.

[leopoldthelm]

This report showed that the drivers are older than I thought (80-90s). This was an informative report; it was fun to see seniors still having fun.

Some seniors do not want to give up their freedom to drive. The law will allow drivers to drive as long as they can collect those DMV fees. Seniors are living longer, and I think the laws are going to make some minor exceptions to the laws and rules.

Brain fitness?

Video report juxtapose to the written report was fun to see, it showed life and that the seniors are in good shape. It was heart felt to see the family who is behind "Katie's Law"

Excellent!

[donteplays]

Yeah old drivers are probably the equivalent of young drivers who are stoned, both having horrible reaction speed.I'm quite sure many of use can recount that time when we were on the highway and a car lurches onto the highway from the merging lane doing barely the speed limit for domestic roads let alone the highway. And as you switch lanes and zoom pass the person you look over and see that the driver is some old-timer who can barely see pass the hood of their car and looks so frail that if the car were to somehow momentarily lose control there would be no chance in the world he or she could right the car even with the assistance of power steering.....

[concerned4u]

I would like to call on the AARP (I am a member), my state and other states, and all other concerned entities to get REAL. We need a universal law that takes into account the avg. age of an elderly person when physical and mental abilities begin to diminish and we need to put a stake in the ground. The AARP's testing is voluntary and benign and I for one do not think it is where their resources and lobbying should be devoted. They should demand that the elderly be kept safe and thus the public be safe from our aging population. They need to work with the government to develop age limitations and restrictions, and on providing affordable transportation for seniors who have given up driving.

[concerned4u]

CBS - I felt that your coverage of this important subject was less then professional and to the point of being frivolous. You chose to show a 92 yr old man who was not representative of the norm. You followed that up by showing another man taking the AARP driving test where he failed to signal 3 times. His response was that he was distracted by the reporter. If he can be distracted by a reporter in a controlled environment how will he respond when he is on the road with the unforeseen obstacles and distractions that are faced during a typical drive? The reporter did not seem alarmed, in fact he was amused. .... This is a crucial problem that you accurately pointed out was growing exponentially. Was your lackluster coverage due to your fear of the AARP, bad editing and producing, or just a lack of time to cover a subject with great import
CBS you need to get on board and use your influence to facilitate change. I am sad to say that the norm is not Mr. Wallace the norm is Ms. Grimes. You should have honed in on that and presented that version of this topic to the public. By not doing so, you became part of the problem.

[sdhdallas]

Requiring Seniors at a certain age, and bad drivers of any age, to come in person for testing is a wonderful idea. However, this would require more employees at the DMV, which costs money that we are currently spending on what - Iraq? Please, please, please Senators, Congressmen, and Mr. President. Let's spend our money here at home. Make our roads and skies safer with stricter licensing laws; better pay, training and staffing in our Air Traffic controllers' booths; and for crying out loud, clue the NRC in about ingredients for dirty bombs. Pay attention.

[carlylaine]

If the youngers are too young to driver; then it stands to reason the old people who can't stand, who are on multiple medicines shouldn't drive either.

From the age of 65 on they should be tested and determined if they should be allowed to continue to have access to the road system. I would turn my driver's license in voluntarily, but some are too 'independent' to even consider the well-being of the folks on the roads.

[cstovall69]

Thank you for covering this most important issue. Our daughter, too, died after an elderly driver hit her as she stood waiting for us us to pick her up at her high school in the Houston area. While we support Katie's law that was recently passed, we believe more can be done to protect those like our daughter. Driving tests should be required for all drivers over 70. The driver in our case was 83 and supports this legislation. AARP should understand that we do not want to take anyone's license away, just submit to testing that proves the ability to operate a motor vehicle. Driving is a privilege, not a right.

Shannon's Dad

[tmkgls]

I cannot agree with tmittelstaed. My grandmother drove into her late 70's until my aunt forced her to stop driving. She, my grandmother, had NEVER had a ticket or accident. I rode with her many, many times and she always drove safely and correctly. It wasn't her sight that harmed her driving - it was her mind. She still knew the laws but was unable to keep her attention on the road. She also agreed she should stop driving when her inattention was pointed out to her. So - not everyone has had a past full of tickets or whatever. tmittelstaed seems to be stereotyping. I do believe, however, that the elderly should be tested more frequently - but the younger people with too many tickets, etc. should also be.

[tmittelstaed]

I'm sorry but the 90 year old drivers like Elizabeth Grimes didn't come out of nowhere. These are the drivers that when they were YOUNGER they were the "near miss" drivers - that is, drivers that did really stupid things but managed to save their butts because their reflexes were better. I'll bet if you looked at Grimes's traffic record you would have seen her getting tickets for going through stop signs and red lights THROUGHOUT her lifetime.
Most of us when we are young pups go through a red light or a stop sign once or twice, we scare the s*hi out of ourselves, and we learn. As we get older we keep learning when we make stupid mistakes until after 20 year or so of driving under our belt we -never- make those kinds of mistakes again. But, there's a good percentage of drivers out there that NEVER get to this point, they ALWAYS make dumb mistakes THROUGHOUT their lifetime. All of us see these dummies out on the road every day - the people who swerve into a hole without looking, who trundle along the road way too slow, who near-miss at intersections, who end up overturned on the side of the road when it snows heavily. That's drivers like Elizabeth Grimes. When younger they can depend on their reflexes to save them. When older, they start killing people.

[michellem99-2009]

My room mate when he turnt 55 turnt in his license as we talked about it. He has health issues so I said at table you are not fit to drive. I don't want to upset anyone but there comes a time when you MUST give up yer license and sell the car. There is mass transit,OSTS bus or some means of transportion for our seniors and disabled who can't drive.If not there should be.Some will lie just to keep a license to drirve,It is not a right to drive, States grants the license and state can take it fron the driver.

[manner6]

Older drivers should have alternatives to driving themselves around. Perhaps vans that pick them up at their homes or a system of volunteer drivers.

[barbaraf4]

It could be worse....in England, your drivers' license is issued for life.

[concerned4u]

I hope that Mr. Wallace will truly know when it is time for him to give up his keys. If not, I hope that he has a loved one who will be able to make the decision for him and that he will respect their counsel.

It is obvious to me that Ms. Grimes should not have been allowed behind the wheel of a car. Where were her family members in helping her get around town without getting behind the wheel of a car that became a deadly weapon in her hands. She killed a beautiful young woman who had so much promise.

Katie's parents should be commended for what they have done to protect the citizens of Texas with the passage of Katies Law. The price they have paid is far too dear, tragic and irreconcilable in my book.