New Driving Laws
...For example, there might be a perfectly healthy 67 year-old one day, and the next day that person might have a minor stroke without realizing it. This stroke can affect many aspects of ones life without even knowing it. The ability to react in a timely manner to something unsuspected could drop radically. When this happens, the 67 year old person is no longer suitable for driving, although because of California’s driving laws, he or she may be able to keep their license for at least another 5 years. When a California driving license expires for a senior citizen, all that is required for a renewal is a simple written test. No matter the age, all one has to do is pass a written test and sometimes even the test can be avoided. If passed, the senior citizen is given a new license that will last him or her another five years. Five years is a very long time. A lot can happen in five years. Ones health can change immensely in a five year period no matter what your age. This is unacceptable. Within that five year period, the only way someone will be reevaluated is if a family member recommends stricter testing or a doctor steps in and requests it. Not everyone is under supervision all the time. Not everyone has a family member or doctor who can intervene if an unexpected health problem occurs. Everyone has seen it before, the slow driver on the freeway that is swerving in and out of two different lanes. We fear our own safety and the safety of our passengers so we make sure to get a far distance away. As we pass the swerving car up, we notice that it is an elderly person behind the wheel, who appears to be shorter then the height of the steering wheel. Everyone has been in this situation, and everyone always wonders how that person still has a license. Well the answer is, three years ago, when that driver was in much better physical and mental health, his or her license was renewed. Although, as we can all see, a lot has changed in those three years. Even if the driver recently renewed his or her license, the senior only had to take a written test. He or she could be half blind, but as long as the memory is still ok, there should be no problem in passing the written test. Again, this is unacceptable. When I asked my grandmother questions about my great-grandfather and his license issues this is the story she told: Your great-grandfather, who is now 87 years old, has to have a nurse live with him and take care of him due to a stroke he had a few years back. He has had eye surgery in both his eyes and they are still not considered perfect vision. His hearing is shot and he needs to wear a hearing aid, although he hardly ever does. Last year his driving license expired. He drove himself down to the DMV and they told him he needs to take a written test in order to renew his license. The grumpy old man that he is, he refused to take the test. He stated, “I am 86 years old, have been driving every day since I was 15, there is no way I need to take a test.” The DMV told him if you do not want to take a test, that is fine, but you do need to speak with a DMV Official. He was sat in a private room, waited 5 minutes for an “official” to come. The “official” asked him three questions about how to handle different driving situations. After all was done, his license was renewed for another five years. This outraged our family, and we knew he was in no shape to continue driving. I was forced to take away his driving license and the keys to his car, probably the hardest thing I ever had to do. If it was only up to the state, your grandfather would still be able to drive. He would be putting hundreds of people at risk everyday, if by now he hadn’t already been in an accident that might have taken his li...