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General » rec.autos.driving » It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken
| It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken [message #795151] |
Wed, 20 February 2008 20:35 |
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I wouldn't post this, as these "accidents" are starting to sound all the
same now, but the Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA) site had TWO very-related
articles on their front page - hmmmmmmmmmmm. With recent crashes like this,
the Mass. politicians are demanding change in the way, when, and HOW OFTEN
the elderly are given road tests. As expected, there's much opposition with
the same old lame old usual arguments.
http://www.patriotledger.com/homepage/x1882916921
Elderly driver crashes car into Milton's council on aging building
By L.E. Campenella
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Feb 20, 2008 [at] 01:30 AM
Last update Feb 20, 2008 [at] 08:26 AM
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------
----
MILTON - An 82-year-old man on his way to an exercise class at the council
on aging crashed his car through a wall of the building.
Irving Freedman, of 4 Pagoda Road, was pulling into a handicapped
parking spot in front of the building around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday. Instead of
hitting the brake, he hit the gas, police said.
No one was hurt.
Freedman's 2007 Subaru Impreza wagon went over a sidewalk and some shrubs
and hit a handicapped parking sign before hitting the building.
"I heard the crash and ran to see what happened," said Nancy Stuart, the
council's outreach coordinator. "Chairs were all over the place and I could
see the front fender and headlights through the wall."
Stuart said Freedman is a regular visitor to the council building.
The car punched a hole in the wall about 3 feet high under a pair of
windows. On the other side of the wall is an activity room where senior
citizens participate in yoga, tai chi, and an exercise class Freedman had
planned to attend at 1:30 p.m.
The windows were unbroken, but the impact buckled a support beam along
the wall and roof.
Council Director Mary Ann Sullivan said it was lucky that no one was on
the sidewalk when the accident happened.
It was also lucky that the exercise class had not started, Sullivan said.
Chairs usually stacked four or five high against the damaged wall were
scattered across the floor of the activity room.
"If people were in here it could have been really bad," Sullivan said.
Police Chief Richard Wells said the accident is under investigation. It
is uncertain whether Freedman will be cited, he said.
It was the fourth accident in two weeks on the South Shore involving an
elderly driver.
<snip>
Gov. Deval Patrick weighed in as well, saying older drivers should be
tested to prove they still can safely handle a car.
Council on aging director Sullivan, who has been criticized by peers and
seniors for favoring testing in a recent article in The Patriot Ledger, said
Freedman's crash Tuesday illustrates why such measures are needed.
"We were just talking about it and here we are a few days later with a car
through the building," Sullivan said.
"Today we were lucky but some day somebody is going to get killed,"
Sullivan said.
<END STORY # 1>
I found it comical that the guy drove into the Council on Aging building -
ha!! Maybe convert some of the elderly that were there? See first hand how
scary drivers like this can be??
http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x1187142980
Study: Elderly drivers are the most dangerous
Death rate for those over 85 surpasses that for teenagers
By Kyle Alspach
GateHouse News Service
Posted Feb 19, 2008 [at] 05:22 AM
Last update Feb 19, 2008 [at] 05:31 AM
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------
----
ABINGTON -
At 63, Mary Burgo is a few years away from retirement, and a few decades
from the age when, if some lawmakers have their way, she'd be required to
take a road test to keep her license.
The aim is to keep roads safe for all, given that drivers 85 and older are
more likely than any other age group to be in a fatal car crash, according
to a recent report.
But Burgo shudders at the idea of losing what she considers her rightful
place behind the wheel.
"You can have my house, but don't take away my car," said the Abington
resident. "The day they take my wheels away, forget it. My car is my whole
life."
The battle between people like Burgo and groups like AARP and policymakers
intent on instituting stricter requirements for elderly drivers has taken on
added significance following a string of recent accidents and evidence that
increased age correlates with increased dangers on the road.
A study, produced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that
the rate for drivers age 85 and older is 14.5 deaths per 100 million miles
traveled. By comparison, 16-year-old drivers have a rate of 9.3 deaths per
100 million miles, according to the nonprofit group.
"By per mile driven, (drivers 85 or older) are the most dangerous group on
the road," said David Rosenfield, a Chicago lawyer and former editor at the
Elder Law Journal.
But Deborah Banda, director of the AARP in Massachusetts, said there is an
obvious reason why the death rates are so high.
"The fatality rate higher in that group because they tend to be frailer,"
Banda said.
In Massachusetts, there are about 81,000 drivers ages 85 or older, according
to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
That represents 2 percent of the total driving population of 4.7 million
drivers.
For ages 75 and above, there are 336,000 drivers - or 7 percent of total
Massachusetts drivers.
Rosenfield defended measures, such as those in Illinois and New Hampshire,
that require elderly drivers to be tested before renewing their licenses.
"That's not age discrimination," he said. "That's just smart."
State Sen. Brian A. Joyce of Milton has long championed a measure to require
that drivers 85 and older pass a road and vision test every five years.
Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, even
if it's unpopular.
The debate comes on the heels of a recent string of crashes in Southeastern
Massachusetts involving elderly drivers.
Last Thursday, an 89-year-old Taunton man was killed when he drove into
oncoming traffic. Authorities said he may have been suffering from a medical
problem at the time.
On Feb. 5, an 86-year-old driver lost control of his sport-utility vehicle
and critically injured an 8-year-old girl who was outside her school in
Randolph. The same day, a 76-year-old woman hit the gas pedal instead of the
brake and struck the side of a post office in Hingham.
A 79-year-old retired East Bridgewater fire chief may be charged for
crashing his pickup truck into a car in Whitman in December, killing the car
's 55-year-old driver.
A 76-year-old Rockland woman has been charged with motor vehicle homicide by
negligent operation after she drove her car into Brockton Hospital in
October, killing a doctor and a secretary who were working in the radiation
department.
<END STORY>
This is a new one for me... "The fatality rate higher in that group because
they tend to be frailer." Oh, please.
And this study mentions NOTHING of the deaths and injuries CAUSED by these
older drivers. I guess the AARP doesn't want anyone to see THAT study. It
would probably make your head spin!
John B.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795184 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 01:09 |
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John B. wrote:
>
>Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
>special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, even
>if it's unpopular.
Screw it. ANNUAL written and driving exams for EVERY driver. That
might help remove the incompetent drivers between the teens and the
seniors.
--
People don't confuse me with someone who cares.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795212 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 04:39 |
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795217 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 05:23 |
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On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:39:14 -0800, Scott in SoCal <scottenaztlan [at] yahoo.com>
wrote:
>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:47 -0500, David Poole
><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>>John B. wrote:
>>>
>>>Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
>>>special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, even
>>>if it's unpopular.
>>
>>Screw it. ANNUAL written and driving exams for EVERY driver. That
>>might help remove the incompetent drivers between the teens and the
>>seniors.
>
>Unless the tests get a LOT harder, it won't make any difference.
If you removed all the incompetent drivers from the road, the welfare roles
would multiply many times over and this country would go into a deep economic
depression.
The self-driving car, promised for 10 years from now, will be the only workable
answer to this, if they can indeed get them to work.
Driving, as simple as it is, is still beyond a whale of a lot of people...
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795245 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 13:32 |
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Scott in SoCal wrote:
>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:47 -0500, David Poole
><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>>John B. wrote:
>>>
>>>Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
>>>special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, even
>>>if it's unpopular.
>>
>>Screw it. ANNUAL written and driving exams for EVERY driver. That
>>might help remove the incompetent drivers between the teens and the
>>seniors.
>
>Unless the tests get a LOT harder, it won't make any difference.
The nice thing about an increase in testing frequency is that you can
also enforce a gradual increase in testing difficulty. Those that fail
to cut the mustard are removed from the driving population gradually,
before they become a statistic.
--
People don't confuse me with someone who cares.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795246 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 13:34 |
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Dave Head wrote:
>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:39:14 -0800, Scott in SoCal <scottenaztlan [at] yahoo.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:47 -0500, David Poole
>><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>>>John B. wrote:
>>>>
>>>>Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
>>>>special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, even
>>>>if it's unpopular.
>>>
>>>Screw it. ANNUAL written and driving exams for EVERY driver. That
>>>might help remove the incompetent drivers between the teens and the
>>>seniors.
>>
>>Unless the tests get a LOT harder, it won't make any difference.
>
>If you removed all the incompetent drivers from the road, the welfare roles
>would multiply many times over and this country would go into a deep economic
>depression.
Eliminate welfare, and make charity something it should be: up to the
(paying) individual to decide whether or not they wish to participate.
That way the lower end of the spectrum dies out, just like in the
natural kingdom.
>The self-driving car, promised for 10 years from now, will be the only workable
>answer to this, if they can indeed get them to work.
>
>Driving, as simple as it is, is still beyond a whale of a lot of people...
Which is why we need to stop making provisions for the actions of
stupid people.
--
People don't confuse me with someone who cares.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795248 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 13:49 |
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On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:34:04 -0500, David Poole <dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com>
wrote:
>Dave Head wrote:
>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:39:14 -0800, Scott in SoCal <scottenaztlan [at] yahoo.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:47 -0500, David Poole
>>><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>John B. wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
>>>>>special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, even
>>>>>if it's unpopular.
>>>>
>>>>Screw it. ANNUAL written and driving exams for EVERY driver. That
>>>>might help remove the incompetent drivers between the teens and the
>>>>seniors.
>>>
>>>Unless the tests get a LOT harder, it won't make any difference.
>>
>>If you removed all the incompetent drivers from the road, the welfare roles
>>would multiply many times over and this country would go into a deep economic
>>depression.
>
>Eliminate welfare, and make charity something it should be: up to the
>(paying) individual to decide whether or not they wish to participate.
>That way the lower end of the spectrum dies out, just like in the
>natural kingdom.
It won't change the fact that these people would not be working and would still
be consuming the necessities of life, for free. There would still be an
economic depression, unless you're talking about just letting them all starve
to death, which is not going to happen in the USA.
>
>>The self-driving car, promised for 10 years from now, will be the only workable
>>answer to this, if they can indeed get them to work.
>>
>>Driving, as simple as it is, is still beyond a whale of a lot of people...
>
>Which is why we need to stop making provisions for the actions of
>stupid people.
Hey, human capability is what it is. There are always going to be accidents
caused by driving errors. If you want to throw 'em all in jail, then...
they're still not going to be working and they're still going to be consuming
for free, and there will still be an economic depression...
Self-driving cars, or an incredible building boom in public transportation,
would be the only things to effectively deal with this problem. The public
transportation would also probably be a drag on the economy.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795272 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 16:03 |
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795273 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 16:06 |
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken [message #795274 ] |
Thu, 21 February 2008 16:08 |
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On Feb 21, 10:03=A0am, Scott in SoCal <scottenazt... [at] yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:34:04 -0500, David Poole
>
>
>
>
>
> <dont.email... [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
> >Dave Head wrote:
> >>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:39:14 -0800, Scott in SoCal <scottenazt... [at] yahoo.=
com>
> >>wrote:
>
> >>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:47 -0500, David Poole
> >>><dont.email... [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >>>>John B. wrote:
>
> >>>>>Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing=
> >>>>>special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interes=
t, even
> >>>>>if it's unpopular.
>
> >>>>Screw it. ANNUAL written and driving exams for EVERY driver. That
> >>>>might help remove the incompetent drivers between the teens and the
> >>>>seniors.
>
> >>>Unless the tests get a LOT harder, it won't make any difference.
>
> >>If you removed all the incompetent drivers from the road, the welfare ro=
les
> >>would multiply many times over and this country would go into a deep eco=
nomic
> >>depression.
>
> >Eliminate welfare, and make charity something it should be: up to the
> >(paying) individual to decide whether or not they wish to participate.
> >That way the lower end of the spectrum dies out, just like in the
> >natural kingdom.
>
> Not all will just give up and die; some will actually start WORKING,
> doing the same sorts of bottom-of-the-barrel jobs that illegal aliens
> are now doing. And, since there will be real Americans competing for
> those jobs, there will be fewer jobs for the wetbacks; if there are no
> jobs for them, the wetbacks will stop coming here.
>
> Eliminating welfare is a win all around. I bet Ron Paul would have
> done it, too.
>
> >>The self-driving car, promised for 10 years from now, will be the only w=
orkable
> >>answer to this, if they can indeed get them to work.
>
> >>Driving, as simple as it is, is still beyond a whale of a lot of people.=
...
>
> >Which is why we need to stop making provisions for the actions of
> >stupid people.
>
> There are millions of illegal aliens in SoCal who live with 5 other
> families in 2-bedroom rented houses. Those who are too poor to afford
> cars take the bus or ride their bikes to work. Their replacement
> workers won't need to drive, and with all the increased ridership the
> public transit system will become healthy and even expand, leading to
> an upward growth spiral of more usefulness, more ridership, and more
> expansion.
>
> All it will take is a politician brave enough to get rid of welfare.
> --
> Please don't give financial rewards to trolls -
> DO NOT CLICK on any URLs containing "calrog.com"- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Christ on a bike, you sound just like me. I may have to reassess my
values now.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795397 ] |
Fri, 22 February 2008 02:46 |
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Dave Head wrote:
>On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:34:04 -0500, David Poole <dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com>
>wrote:
>
>>Dave Head wrote:
>>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:39:14 -0800, Scott in SoCal <scottenaztlan [at] yahoo.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:47 -0500, David Poole
>>>><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>>>
>
>>Eliminate welfare, and make charity something it should be: up to the
>>(paying) individual to decide whether or not they wish to participate.
>>That way the lower end of the spectrum dies out, just like in the
>>natural kingdom.
>
>It won't change the fact that these people would not be working and would still
>be consuming the necessities of life, for free. There would still be an
>economic depression, unless you're talking about just letting them all starve
>to death, which is not going to happen in the USA.
I agree, but the alternative is that the people who do work will have
to spend more and more time working to support those who don't.
Doesn't sound like the path to economic prosperity to me.
>>>The self-driving car, promised for 10 years from now, will be the only workable
>>>answer to this, if they can indeed get them to work.
>>>
>>>Driving, as simple as it is, is still beyond a whale of a lot of people...
>>
>>Which is why we need to stop making provisions for the actions of
>>stupid people.
>
>Hey, human capability is what it is. There are always going to be accidents
>caused by driving errors. If you want to throw 'em all in jail, then...
>they're still not going to be working and they're still going to be consuming
>for free, and there will still be an economic depression...
Jail would be worse, as the responsible among us would have to work
even more to pay for this.
>Self-driving cars, or an incredible building boom in public transportation,
>would be the only things to effectively deal with this problem. The public
>transportation would also probably be a drag on the economy.
For self driving cars to be effective, a massive change in our
infrastructure would have to occur. That in and of itself will require
more wasted effort on the part of the competent.
--
People don't confuse me with someone who cares.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795399 ] |
Fri, 22 February 2008 02:50 |
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Scott in SoCal wrote:
>On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:34:04 -0500, David Poole
><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>>Dave Head wrote:
>>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:39:14 -0800, Scott in SoCal <scottenaztlan [at] yahoo.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:47 -0500, David Poole
>>>><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>John B. wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
>>>>>>special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, even
>>>>>>if it's unpopular.
>>>>>
>>>>>Screw it. ANNUAL written and driving exams for EVERY driver. That
>>>>>might help remove the incompetent drivers between the teens and the
>>>>>seniors.
>>>>
>>>>Unless the tests get a LOT harder, it won't make any difference.
>>>
>>>If you removed all the incompetent drivers from the road, the welfare roles
>>>would multiply many times over and this country would go into a deep economic
>>>depression.
>>
>>Eliminate welfare, and make charity something it should be: up to the
>>(paying) individual to decide whether or not they wish to participate.
>>That way the lower end of the spectrum dies out, just like in the
>>natural kingdom.
>
>Not all will just give up and die; some will actually start WORKING,
>doing the same sorts of bottom-of-the-barrel jobs that illegal aliens
>are now doing. And, since there will be real Americans competing for
>those jobs, there will be fewer jobs for the wetbacks; if there are no
>jobs for them, the wetbacks will stop coming here.
My thoughts exactly! It's my opinion that laziness and incompetence
have been bred into our native population. Level the playing field,
make people actually put forth effort to provide sustenance for
themselves.
>Eliminating welfare is a win all around. I bet Ron Paul would have
>done it, too.
>
>>>The self-driving car, promised for 10 years from now, will be the only workable
>>>answer to this, if they can indeed get them to work.
>>>
>>>Driving, as simple as it is, is still beyond a whale of a lot of people...
>>
>>Which is why we need to stop making provisions for the actions of
>>stupid people.
>
>There are millions of illegal aliens in SoCal who live with 5 other
>families in 2-bedroom rented houses. Those who are too poor to afford
>cars take the bus or ride their bikes to work. Their replacement
>workers won't need to drive, and with all the increased ridership the
>public transit system will become healthy and even expand, leading to
>an upward growth spiral of more usefulness, more ridership, and more
>expansion.
>
>All it will take is a politician brave enough to get rid of welfare.
I believe too large a percentage of the population believe they are
entitled to it for such a politician to be successful.
--
People don't confuse me with someone who cares.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795400 ] |
Fri, 22 February 2008 02:51 |
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Scott in SoCal wrote:
>On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:32:22 -0500, David Poole
><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>>Scott in SoCal wrote:
>>>On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:09:47 -0500, David Poole
>>><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>John B. wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
>>>>>special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, even
>>>>>if it's unpopular.
>>>>
>>>>Screw it. ANNUAL written and driving exams for EVERY driver. That
>>>>might help remove the incompetent drivers between the teens and the
>>>>seniors.
>>>
>>>Unless the tests get a LOT harder, it won't make any difference.
>>
>>The nice thing about an increase in testing frequency is that you can
>>also enforce a gradual increase in testing difficulty. Those that fail
>>to cut the mustard are removed from the driving population gradually,
>>before they become a statistic.
>
>The only flaw in your plan is cost. States like AZ are so strapped
>for cash that they let some drivers go for FIFTY YEARS between tests.
>How are they going to pay for all the additional staff and facilities
>that would be required to test EVERY driver EVERY year?
Driving, last I knew, is a privilege. Access a fee for the exams, and
fine the ever living hell out of those who operate motor vehicles out
of compliance.
--
People don't confuse me with someone who cares.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> br [message #795415 ] |
Fri, 22 February 2008 03:46 |
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795416 ] |
Fri, 22 February 2008 03:50 |
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795430 ] |
Fri, 22 February 2008 04:13 |
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Scott in SoCal wrote:
>On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:51:18 -0500, David Poole
><dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>>Scott in SoCal wrote:
>
>>>The only flaw in your plan is cost. States like AZ are so strapped
>>>for cash that they let some drivers go for FIFTY YEARS between tests.
>>>How are they going to pay for all the additional staff and facilities
>>>that would be required to test EVERY driver EVERY year?
>>
>>Driving, last I knew, is a privilege. Access a fee for the exams
>
>Political suicide. Everyone believes that driving is a right, and if
>you pass those costs along to drivers directly, or take away too many
>licenses due to failed tests, the people will bitch and moan that
>their ability to earn a living is being infringed.
Offer an incentive to score well on the tests; above a certain level
and you get a significant break on your insurance premiums as a
"certified safe driver." Those who fail pick up the tab by paying
higher premiums. Involvement in ANY reported accident, regardless of
if you're at fault, automatically puts you into the higher premium
category. People that can't make the connection between cause and
effect aren't going to be smart enough to know how to vote at election
time anyway.
>>and fine the ever living hell out of those who operate motor vehicles out
>>of compliance.
>
>Sheriff Joe could give them all pink pajamas and put them in tent
>cities in the desert. :)
Fine by me; that sweating might help those with obesity issues. :-)
--
People don't confuse me with someone who cares.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #795438 ] |
Fri, 22 February 2008 05:27 |
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken [message #795569 ] |
Sat, 23 February 2008 03:05 |
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On Feb 20, 11:35=A0am, "John B." <j... [at] computac.com> wrote:
> I wouldn't post this, as these "accidents" are starting to sound all the
> same now, but the Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA) site had TWO very-related
> articles on their front page - hmmmmmmmmmmm. =A0With recent crashes like t=
his,
> the Mass. politicians are demanding change in the way, when, and HOW OFTEN=
> the elderly are given road tests. =A0As expected, there's much opposition =
with
> the same old lame old usual arguments.
>
> http://www.patriotledger.com/homepage/x1882916921
>
> Elderly driver crashes car into Milton's council on aging building
>
> By L.E. Campenella
> The Patriot Ledger
> Posted Feb 20, 2008 [at] 01:30 AM
> Last update Feb 20, 2008 [at] 08:26 AM
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------=
-=AD-
> ----
>
> MILTON - An 82-year-old man =A0on his way to an exercise class at =A0the c=
ouncil
> on aging crashed his =A0car through a wall of the building.
> =A0 =A0Irving Freedman, of 4 Pagoda =A0Road, was pulling into a =A0handica=
pped
> parking spot in front of the building around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday. Instead o=
f
> hitting the brake, he hit the gas, police said.
> =A0 =A0No one was hurt.
> =A0 Freedman's 2007 Subaru Impreza wagon went over a sidewalk and some shr=
ubs
> and hit a handicapped parking sign before hitting the building.
> =A0 =A0"I heard the crash and ran to see =A0what happened," said Nancy Stu=
art, the
> council's outreach coordinator. "Chairs were all over the =A0place and I c=
ould
> see the front =A0fender and headlights through the =A0wall."
> Stuart said Freedman is a regular visitor to the council building.
> =A0 =A0The car punched a hole in the wall about 3 feet high under a pair o=
f
> windows. On the other side of the wall is an activity room where senior
> citizens participate in yoga, tai chi, and an exercise class Freedman had
> planned to attend at 1:30 p.m.
> =A0 =A0The windows were unbroken, but the impact buckled a support beam al=
ong
> the wall and roof.
> =A0 =A0Council Director Mary Ann Sullivan said it was lucky that no one wa=
s on
> the sidewalk when the accident happened.
> =A0 =A0It was also lucky that the exercise class had not started, Sullivan=
said.
> =A0 =A0Chairs usually stacked four or five high against the damaged wall w=
ere
> scattered across the floor of the activity room.
> =A0 =A0"If people were in here it could have been really bad," Sullivan =
=A0said.
> =A0 =A0Police Chief Richard Wells said the accident is under investigation=
.. It
> is uncertain whether Freedman will =A0be cited, he said.
> =A0 =A0It was the fourth accident in two weeks on the South Shore involvin=
g an
> elderly driver.
> <snip>
>
> =A0 =A0Gov. Deval Patrick weighed in as well, saying older drivers should =
be
> tested to prove they still can safely handle a car.
> =A0 Council on aging director Sullivan, who has been criticized by peers a=
nd
> seniors for favoring testing in a recent article in The Patriot Ledger, sa=
id
> Freedman's crash Tuesday illustrates why such measures are needed.
> "We were just talking about it and here we are a few days later with a car=
> through the building," Sullivan said.
> =A0 =A0"Today we were lucky but some day somebody is going to get killed,"=
> Sullivan said.
>
> <END STORY # 1>
>
> I found it comical that the guy drove into the Council on Aging building -=
> ha!! =A0Maybe convert some of the elderly that were there? =A0See first ha=
nd how
> scary drivers like this can be??
>
> http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x1187142980
>
> Study: Elderly drivers are the most dangerous
> Death rate for those over 85 surpasses that for teenagers
> By Kyle Alspach
> GateHouse News Service
> Posted Feb 19, 2008 [at] 05:22 AM
> Last update Feb 19, 2008 [at] 05:31 AM
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------=
-=AD-
> ----
>
> ABINGTON -
> At 63, Mary Burgo is a few years away from retirement, and a few decades
> from the age when, if some lawmakers have their way, she'd be required to
> take a road test to keep her license.
>
> The aim is to keep roads safe for all, given that drivers 85 and older are=
> more likely than any other age group to be in a fatal car crash, according=
> to a recent report.
>
> But Burgo shudders at the idea of losing what she considers her rightful
> place behind the wheel.
>
> "You can have my house, but don't take away my car," said the Abington
> resident. "The day they take my wheels away, forget it. My car is my whole=
> life."
>
> The battle between people like Burgo and groups like AARP and policymakers=
> intent on instituting stricter requirements for elderly drivers has taken =
on
> added significance following a string of recent accidents and evidence tha=
t
> increased age correlates with increased dangers on the road.
>
> A study, produced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found tha=
t
> the rate for drivers age 85 and older is 14.5 deaths per 100 million miles=
> traveled. By comparison, 16-year-old drivers have a rate of 9.3 deaths per=
> 100 million miles, according to the nonprofit group.
>
> "By per mile driven, (drivers 85 or older) are the most dangerous group on=
> the road," said David Rosenfield, a Chicago lawyer and former editor at th=
e
> Elder Law Journal.
>
> But Deborah Banda, director of the AARP in Massachusetts, said there is an=
> obvious reason why the death rates are so high.
>
> "The fatality rate higher in that group because they tend to be frailer,"
> Banda said.
>
> In Massachusetts, there are about 81,000 drivers ages 85 or older, accordi=
ng
> to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
>
> That represents 2 percent of the total driving population of 4.7 million
> drivers.
>
> For ages 75 and above, there are 336,000 drivers - or 7 percent of total
> Massachusetts drivers.
>
> Rosenfield defended measures, such as those in Illinois and New Hampshire,=
> that require elderly drivers to be tested before renewing their licenses.
>
> "That's not age discrimination," he said. "That's just smart."
>
> State Sen. Brian A. Joyce of Milton has long championed a measure to requi=
re
> that drivers 85 and older pass a road and vision test every five years.
>
> Gov. Deval Patrick, who lives in Milton, said last week that imposing
> special requirements on older drivers is in the public's best interest, ev=
en
> if it's unpopular.
>
> The debate comes on the heels of a recent string of crashes in Southeaster=
n
> Massachusetts involving elderly drivers.
>
> Last Thursday, an 89-year-old Taunton man was killed when he drove into
> oncoming traffic. Authorities said he may have been suffering from a medic=
al
> problem at the time.
>
> On Feb. 5, an 86-year-old driver lost control of his sport-utility vehicle=
> and critically injured an 8-year-old girl who was outside her school in
> Randolph. The same day, a 76-year-old woman hit the gas pedal instead of t=
he
> brake and struck the side of a post office in Hingham.
>
> A 79-year-old retired East Bridgewater fire chief may be charged for
> crashing his pickup truck into a car in Whitman in December, killing the c=
ar
> 's 55-year-old driver.
>
> A 76-year-old Rockland woman has been charged with motor vehicle homicide =
by
> negligent operation after she drove her car into Brockton Hospital in
> October, killing a doctor and a secretary who were working in the radiatio=
n
> department.
>
> <END STORY>
>
> This is a new one for me... =A0"The fatality rate higher in that group bec=
ause
> they tend to be frailer." =A0Oh, please.
>
> And this study mentions NOTHING of the deaths and injuries CAUSED by these=
> older drivers. =A0I guess the AARP doesn't want anyone to see THAT study. =
=A0It
> would probably make your head spin!
>
> John B.
When I saw "broken record" in the title, I thought it was about
SADDAM! Sorry for butting it.
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| Re: It's like a broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> broken record <CHIK> bro [message #797625 ] |
Tue, 11 March 2008 07:39 |
|
On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:46:18 -0500, David Poole <dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com>
wrote:
>Dave Head wrote:
>>On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:34:04 -0500, David Poole <dont.email.me [at] microsoft.com>
>
>For self driving cars to be effective, a massive change in our
>infrastructure would have to occur.
Why? The self-driving cars that are supposedly coming are going to simply
navigate the roads that exist the way they are. No changes in anything should
be required except for the changes in the cars themselves that make them
autonomous.
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