Q: I realize that it may be difficult to know, myself, if I have become an unsafe driver. I have written a letter to my children telling them that when they say I should stop driving, I will.
Walter D’Ardenne
A: A big Roadshow salute to you.
Q: I read your column about how to get dangerous drivers off the road. You mentioned that older drivers are encouraged to take driver training and that bad driving habits can creep in over the years.
I have driven since the 1970s. My eyesight is not as sharp as before, particularly at night, and my peripheral vision is somewhat reduced.
Airplane pilots must take recurring training and check flights. Could the same apply to drivers?
An observer can spot bad habits or missing skills. However, there is the stigma of “Going back to driver’s school,” which is a challenge to the ego.
Michael Wright
A: You bring up a valuable point, though there does not have to be a stigma to refresher training.
Q: My wife took her written driver’s test at 70. She failed the test and quit driving that day. Use a written test to get them to quit.
Jeff Hack, San Jose
A: Good to know.
Q: My dad, an airline mechanic, drove nearly every day for many years from Sunnyvale to the San Francisco airport before retiring at 65. In his 80s, he still drove to the store. One day I rode with him on a test drive (and he knew it) to see how he was doing. I told him things I noticed he was not doing well, including checking his blind spot when merging. His argument (I had said it very nicely) was that he had checked. My response was that he barely turned his head and merged anyway. My argument (again nicely) was that he should consider that he could cause an accident at that point. I emphasized that we cared about him, but asked what if he seriously hurt someone else.
A few weeks later, my brother called, said that he and my dad were on the line and wanted to ask me a question. “Can Dad drive his car anymore?”
My answer was a firm NO. My dad complied and never brought it up again. We were lucky. I have heard about siblings taking keys away from a parent, then finding out they had a hidden set of keys and continued to drive. A large part of one’s freedom vanishes when you cannot drive, but my comment to my dad about possibly hurting someone brought closure.
Jim Petralia
A: Another valuable story.
Look for Gary Richards at facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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