My take on elderly drivers in NJ and what we should do about it

I'm never one to tell someone what they should and shouldn't do when it comes to things they feel they're capable of handling. However, I do have a different take when it comes to those behind the wheel. Especially elderly drivers who tend to get confused more and more behind the wheel as they age.

However, one has to ask. Are the elderly truly the biggest problem on our roads? As surprising as this might sound, I don't think the elderly are our biggest issue.

That's not to say what happened in Lavallette should be ignored. A death occurred because a 93-year-old driver confused the gas for the brake (read more about this story here).

So before I dive into what I think is a bigger issue on the road, let me first address my thoughts on the elderly drivers.

a rear view mirror on a car reflecting a line of cars

Elderly retesting

This is nonnegotiable. We must retest them to ensure they're still fit to drive. And I would take it a step further and require yearly testing with licenses that are only valid for one year.

As for that cut off age? I'd say 80 and up. And I know, a lot of seniors will push back claiming they're OK. And I believe some of them are. Just take the test and show us.

So yes, I do feel something needs to be done about elderly drivers. But like I said earlier, I don't think they're our biggest issue on the road.

Photo by Slade Lapusnak on Unsplash

The less experienced are also a problem

Younger, less experienced drivers are also an issue, and I do think part of the issue is how we test them. In my opinion, our road test is way too easy and needs to be made more challenging.

Also how we age in general. Our abilities could be dramatically different from age 30 to age 40 due to health reasons. And that could also hamper our ability to manage a vehicle.

But again, that brings us back to how we test our drivers. Maybe all of us should be retested every 10 years to ensure we remain fit.

Maybe in our 70s we retest every 5 years, then every year once we hit 80. And yes, make the drivers test more realistic to match the conditions we really drive in.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.