2008 Woodie Awards
The Real Deal: Older drivers just as problematic as teens
Paul McNeill
Issue date: 10/31/06 Section: Opinions
While driving there are two groups of people most of us hate to share the road with: old people and teenagers. That's especially true if a teenager is making love to our rear bumpers or an old person is doing an impression of a snail in front of us.
Fortunately, state and federal governments try to neutralize the negative effects of teenage drivers. Unfortunately, they do little to curb blue hairs behind the wheel. With restricted licenses and laws that prohibit drivers under 18 from talking on cell phones, (like the ban those goes in effect here Dec. 1) lawmakers help keep teenagers under control. And they enact these restrictions "for the teenagers' own good."
Politicians have statistics on their side. Virtually every study on young drivers proves a teenager behind the wheel is a bad idea. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Web site, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Common sense says no one under 18 should be allowed to have a driver's license.
However, if the politicians want to go by the numbers, and if they are truly concerned about the safety of our highways, they are ignoring other statistics - probably on purpose. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says on its Web site, "There's cause for concern when older people drive because they have higher rates of fatal crashes per mile driven than all but the youngest drivers."
Teenagers and people over 70 drive the least amount of all drivers, yet are involved in the most fatal accidents. Of course, negligence is to blame for many teenage deaths and frail bodies at fault for fatalities of older drivers, but if lawmakers really are concerned with saving lives why aren't more restrictions placed on the elderly?
We've all read or heard stories in recent years about old people plowing through fruit stands or crashing into a 7/11. A 90-year-old woman drove through a red light and rammed a school bus so hard it fell over on Sept. 29th, injuring 11 students between the ages of 8 and 14. As of Oct. 25th California police were trying to decide whether to press charges against the 90-year-old driver. If the driver had been 19 is there any doubt charges would've already been filed?
Fortunately, state and federal governments try to neutralize the negative effects of teenage drivers. Unfortunately, they do little to curb blue hairs behind the wheel. With restricted licenses and laws that prohibit drivers under 18 from talking on cell phones, (like the ban those goes in effect here Dec. 1) lawmakers help keep teenagers under control. And they enact these restrictions "for the teenagers' own good."
Politicians have statistics on their side. Virtually every study on young drivers proves a teenager behind the wheel is a bad idea. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Web site, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Common sense says no one under 18 should be allowed to have a driver's license.
However, if the politicians want to go by the numbers, and if they are truly concerned about the safety of our highways, they are ignoring other statistics - probably on purpose. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says on its Web site, "There's cause for concern when older people drive because they have higher rates of fatal crashes per mile driven than all but the youngest drivers."
Teenagers and people over 70 drive the least amount of all drivers, yet are involved in the most fatal accidents. Of course, negligence is to blame for many teenage deaths and frail bodies at fault for fatalities of older drivers, but if lawmakers really are concerned with saving lives why aren't more restrictions placed on the elderly?
We've all read or heard stories in recent years about old people plowing through fruit stands or crashing into a 7/11. A 90-year-old woman drove through a red light and rammed a school bus so hard it fell over on Sept. 29th, injuring 11 students between the ages of 8 and 14. As of Oct. 25th California police were trying to decide whether to press charges against the 90-year-old driver. If the driver had been 19 is there any doubt charges would've already been filed?
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