The 64 Thousand Dollar Question . . . . . .

[HairOfTheDog]

Should  periodic Eye tests, dexterity tests, as well as Driving tests be mandatory for renewing a Driver's license for people over a certain age?

Now comes the 64 Thousand Dollar question, what age should that be.
65, 70, 75, and possibly even yearly for those over 80?

However, not only age can hinder the competent fitness of a driver. Younger drivers can be severely injured in their daily lives, sometimes leaving permanent impairment to their driving ability.
How should/could they be identified and handled?

What are your pros and cons thoughts on how to handle this sensitive subject?


 

I think it's realistic and fair to consider and address the impacts of aging on people's ability to drive competently and safely.  However, it's not realistic or fair to assume that all 80-year-old drivers pose a potential threat greater than their 18-year-old counterparts on the road, for example.  

Drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 (especially drivers aged 16 to 19) cause way more accidents than drivers 65 and older (by raw numbers and percentages) -- younger drivers are more likely to speed, more likely to be distracted by passengers, more likely to disobey the rules of the road, more likely to drink and drive, more likely to be distracted by their phones, more likely to drive in hazardous circumstances, etc.  https://www.trafficsafetystore.com/blog/...accidents/

So, if the goal is to reduce car accidents, raising the minimum age or increasing the laws/testing requirements -- which are state-by-state, not national -- for younger people would very likely go further than prohibiting or increasing the testing requirements for older people at present.   However, with rising life expectancy and declining birth rates, there will be a higher percentage of seniors on the road in the next couple of decades.  

Anyway, several states have laws making it more difficult for the elderly to renew their licences than for other drivers (increased renewal frequency and vision testing, in-person only, etc).  Starting at age 70, renewals in the District of Columbia, for example, must be done in person and drivers must also have certification of physical and mental competence from a doctor. State by state:  https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/natio...213818.htm