According to the police department, if a driver is involved in a crash, police have the power to force the driver to re-take the driving test if any questions arise about their skills or knowledge of the road rules, regardless of their age. However, in this case, police admitted that the age of the driver influenced their decision.
It is known that drivers begin to self-regulate their own driving as they get older. They begin limiting their trips and driving only short distances. Yet, instances of poor driving by ageing drivers as seen in the Witherspoon case, suggest that authorities may at least need to develop strategies to address the issue.
In California, drivers aged 75 and over are not allowed to renew their license by mail. Some states don't let drivers renew their license by mail regardless of their age. However, a number of states are starting to seriously consider mandatory retesting for drivers aged between 75 and 85.
Older drivers can feel as though they are being discriminated against, yet there is no denying that as people age, their eyesight deteriorates and their reactions become slower. They often compensate for this by driving slower, as many of us will testify to when caught behind a slow car only to find out an older driver is behind the wheel.
Also, in their defence, research shows that older drivers are one of the safest cohorts on the road today.
Some safety experts suggest that while it might be reasonable to re-test drivers as they reach the age of 75, the wider driving population may benefit from being re-tested periodically. This would remove any claims of ageism, but may not be practical for authorities to implement; nor is there any evidence showing this would necessarily improve road safety outcomes.
References
1.'Driver who hit...' view
