Should you report unsafe elderly drivers?
What should citizens do about acquaintances that should no longer be driving? In our condo, we have two residents who should not be on the road. They bump into pillars, can’t park and are clearly not driving safely. Both, however, are over 80 so presumably have passed the government’s over-80 renewal process. Suggestions?
The problem, you see, is that the “over-80” screening program for driving licences is almost as ridiculous as Ontario’s boating licence — which is a complete farce.
Assuming you’re not blind and haven’t a horrendous driving record, there are two main elements to the seniors’ program. First, you take a “group session” to remind participants that their reflexes aren’t as fast as they used to be. Well, duh!
Then the screening. Are you ready? To continue to drive, you must:
1: Draw a clock face on a blank piece of paper and place the hands at a preassigned time (Psst: it’s 11:10) and 2: Look at a bunch of random letters and, with your HB pencil, cross out each H. Or P. Or whatever.
Oh, and if you like, you can practice online before you go!
Seriously. I’m not smart enough to make this up.
If you successfully draw your little Timex and eradicate certain letters, you don’t ever have to get into a car, much less prove you can drive one.
Apart from being astronomically insulting, this program might work — if the intent were to winnow out those who own digital clocks. As a process for determining who’s capa- ble of shepherding 3,000 pounds of steel through a school zone, however, it’s difficult to discern how this can work.
And that leads to the problem you and many others face: what to do when someone has reached the stage when they shouldn’t be driving anymore, passes the stupid test, but won’t quit.
First, speak to them directly. Be gentle; remember that many seniors have been driving for 60 years, and their car represents not just convenience, but independence. Most people fear becoming dependent more than almost anything else.
But remind your friend or family member that they can likely take a cab wherever they want to go for less than the cost of owning a car. Help them install Uber on their smartphone. And remind them how horrible they would feel if they injured a child — or worse.
If this fails, the family doctor may help. In your case, dear correspondent, contacting the doctor is not an option; your bumper-bashers are mere acquaintances, and even if you know their doc’s name, he or she won’t talk to you. But for family members, talking to the doctor is an option — although in my experience, some doctors are reluctant to intervene, out of misplaced loyalty to those involved.
Which leads to the most draconian option. If all else fails, call the cops. I know — that’s a terrible thing to do to a nice old lady, much less a grumpy old guy with a shotgun under his bed.
But the consequence of police intervention is that someone’s going to be really, really pissed; the consequence of doing nothing may be that someone is really, really dead. Send your questions to star.ethics@yahoo.ca