You Think You Have Problems

[BoneheadNW]

Just saw this on CNN:

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) -- A 93-year-old driver apparently suffering from dementia fatally struck a pedestrian and drove for three miles with the man's body through his windshield, police said.

Ralph Parker was stopped after he drove through a tollbooth on the Sunshine Skyway, Traffic Homicide Investigator Michael Jockers said. The toll taker called police, he said.

Parker was not likely to face charges because he did not appear to know what happened or where he was, said Bruce Bartlett, chief assistant in the Pinellas-Pasco County State Attorney's Office.

"He may have somewhere in his mind have realized it was a crash, but immediately forgot about it," Jockers said.

The victim's leg was severed in the Wednesday night crash, police said. The man, whose name was not released, was 52.

Parker had renewed his license in 2003.

"That was the one thing he had, to get in his car and just drive for the sheer enjoyment of driving," Jockers said. Parker lived alone after his wife died in 1998, authorities said.

Bonehead

 

[Melensdad]

I know that there is a lot of discussion about restricting drivers licenses as age increases, but honestly I see no problem with ANNUAL renewals for anyone age 65 and over (and yes I do understand that MOST folks of that age are FINE).

• And I also think it is reasonable to have ANNAUL renewals for those folks aged 16, 17 and 18.
• And I also think it is reasonable to have ANNUAL renewals for anyone convicted of driving under the influence for 5 years after they get their privleges reinstated.
• And I also think it is reasonable for ANNUAL renewals for any non-citizen so we can have some sort of idea where they live (or at least claim to live).

Then again, the ACLU has a lot more power than I do and I'm sure they would object to everything I just wrote. I guess common sense will NOT prevail.

 

[BoneheadNW]

I know that there is a lot of discussion about restricting drivers licenses as age increases, but honestly I see no problem with ANNUAL renewals for anyone age 65 and over (and yes I do understand that MOST folks of that age are FINE).

• And I also think it is reasonable to have ANNAUL renewals for those folks aged 16, 17 and 18.
• And I also think it is reasonable to have ANNUAL renewals for anyone convicted of driving under the influence for 5 years after they get their privleges reinstated.
• And I also think it is reasonable for ANNUAL renewals for any non-citizen so we can have some sort of idea where they live (or at least claim to live).

Then again, the ACLU has a lot more power than I do and I'm sure they would object to everything I just wrote. I guess common sense will NOT prevail.

I agreee with all your points except the last one. No matter, it all comes down to money. All that testing would be cost prohibitive.
Bone

 

[Melensdad]

I agreee with all your points except the last one. No matter, it all comes down to money. All that testing would be cost prohibitive.
Bone

Driving is not a right. It is a privlege. The bearer of the financial burden would be the person taking the test. If you want to drive, you have to pass the test, to pass the test you will have to pay the fee. Most state's fees are very modest, typically about the same price as 2 to 4 gallons of gas, 2 cups of Starbucks fancy-pants coffee or 2 packs of cigarettes. That is NOT too much to ask people to pay for a full year of driving privleges, especially when you consider the people I am asking to pay fall into some of the HIGHEST RISK categories of drivers.

 

[ddrane2115]

Bob,

You are on the point. I agree completely. As for the cost to the govt, let some of those folks in jail, costing money, do some of the work. Some are there on traffic violations, wouldn't that be a hoot. I still wonder why we pay someone to cut the grass along the highways, and have folks sitting in jail that could be productive................and I know those that do it now would be out of work.