Elderly Drivers Are a Major Risk to Self, Others

According to Missouri Highway Patrol Crash Reports http://www.mshp.dps.mo.gov, there have been 10 fatal accidents involving drivers over the age of 70 that have occurred from Oct 22, 2009, to November 16, less than one month. In researching the crash details of each accident there has been a common denominator with nearly all of these accidents. The elderly individuals driving made a bad error in judgment which caused the accident and the elderly person lost their life or the life of their passengers.

Here are three examples of elderly drivers who made fatal mistakes at the wheel:

Naomi Jenkins, 76, of Tuscumbia, was driving her Ford Focus in Miller County on Highway 52 at VFW Road. Clara Schulte, 88, of Eldon, was riding as a passenger. Naomi made a left turn into the path of Tina D, Murphy, 40, of Linn Creek, and caused her vehicle to hit Naomi's car broadside. Naomi's passenger Clara died at the scene, and Naomi sustained serious injury. Tina's injuries were described as moderate.

Ida Wall, 82, of Wichita, Kansas, was driving her Buick Lesabre on October 26 in Jasper County on Highway 43. At Highway 96, two miles north of Joplin, she failed to yield to a Toyota Tundra driven by Vincent Martinez, 37, of Joplin. Ida's LeSabre was struck in the side, killing her on the scene and placing her husband Earl Wall, 87, also of Wichita, Kansas in critical condition. Her husband died later at the Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Vincent Martinez, the other driver, sustained only minor injuries.

Elizabeth Creed, 80, of Cairo, Missouri, was driving her Mercury in Randolph County, Missouri on U.S. Highway 63, a two-lane highway. She was in the right driving lane while Brandon Banuet, 33, of Blackwater, was driving in the passing lane. Elizabeth attempted to turn left from the driving lane and crossed into the lane of Banuet, causing him to strike her vehicle. Although she did not cause injury to the other driver or any passengers, she lost her own life and was pronounced dead at the scene.

These types of accidents have Missouri drivers concerned about the liability created when elderly drivers are allowed to obtain a drivers license. According to Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle and License, drivers who are 70 years old or older "receive a 3-year driver license that expires on the applicants date of birth in the third year after the date of issuance" and "Renewal applicants are required to take a road sign recognition test in addition to the vision test." http://dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/license.htm. Yet so much can happen to the health of the elderly in 3 short years. Many protesters argue that they should be required to take a physical driving test every year in order to keep their driving privileges.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/olderdrivers/ older drivers do have higher rates of fatal crashes than any other group, except young drivers. The insurance companies claim "this is partly because older individuals are simply less likely to survive a serious injury". What they don't measure is how likely an elderly person is to cause the accident in first place. The institute predicts "by 2030, people age 65 and older are expected to represent both a quarter of the driving population and a quarter of fatal crash involvements." The alarming rate of elderly drivers has become such a major issue with people that they have posted a new Facebook page dedicated strictly for "Citizens against elderly drivers". You can join their public Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2213727837 They currently have 44 members.