Personal Narrative: Gaining My Grandfather's License

Elders are great people, but their driving skill may not be too great. Elders should take a driving test every year, for one reason there would be a decrease in car accidents. Many people have been killed by the lack of the elderly peoples driving skills, also because elders should be reminded how to drive because of their fragile health.

Your senior loved one should not be driving if they have not had their eyes checked in the last two years. You should also make certain that the windows and mirrors in the vehicles are kept clean to insure they can see properly out of them. If you notice any hearing difficulties, address this with your senior loved one so they can make sure they can hear well enough to respond when driving.

Transportation is an important aspect in the senior’s population when it comes to getting around to places like their doctor appointment or their daily morning program. Many older adults that do not have a family member to take them around depend on the public transportation such as buses, train, and taxi. In Boston, The MBTA provide a special program called The Ride that provided transportation to the elderly with a low cost. There are also other senior insurance companies that also provide their transportation through other transportation company. More than 20% of American at age 65 years old and older do not drive according to the federal government’s National Household Travel Survey (Abrahms, 2013) and in America, there about 8.4 million

Majority of the information found relates to medical testing (their physical ability to drive). The South Australian My Licence website states that “You will be sent a Certificate of Fitness in the mail and asked to visit a medical practitioner for a medical assessment if: you have a medical condition recorded against your driver’s licence that is subject to a periodic review or you are aged 70 or older and hold a licence for a class of vehicle other than a car e.g. heavy vehicle or motorbike.” The same source also goes on to state that a practical driving assessment is then required “if your medical practitioner feels it is necessary to help determine your fitness to drive. It is a short drive of about 30 minutes; it is not the same as the test that new learner drivers undergo to obtain their provisional licence…. It primarily looks at the ability of the driver to control the vehicle and demonstrate safe driving on the road in light to medium traffic while complying with road rules.” This source validates this key finding as it is evident that there is no compulsory ability test for car class licence holders as they age to elderly drivers, however there is the possibility of sitting a test dependent on medical conditions. This in turn helps to answer as to whether elderly drivers should have road rules specifically applying to

The mental and physical capabilities of older drivers are an increasing issue that can affect how someone drives. States are making the format for getting a driver’s

There are many laws put in place when it comes to driving, yet most people do not follow these laws. “Any licensed driver under the age of 18 is subject to provisional restrictions. For the first 12 months, a driver must be accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian, an instructor or another licensed driver who is at least 25 years old…” is a law that can be found in regards to

This could be where the problem starts because although the elderly want to be independent and live on their own, most are not completely capable of this and need the assistance. The unavoidable process of aging will happen to

I believe the most pressing issue facing the aging population on a daily basis is financial security while living on a fixed income. Aging individuals’ sources of income include Social Security, employment, private pensions, and assets. The median household income for those 65 and older in 2007 was only $27, 798 (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011). I chose financial security as the most pressing issue facing the older population because it influences several other areas. Sources of income for the aging population are sometimes insufficient to maintain proper housing, may cause health problems, and restricts access to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The difficulty that the lack of financial security can pose for an aging individual leads

o keep a record of good driving is a challenge. When something goes wrong on the road that involves driving issues, several factors come to mind. Had the driver been driving without insurance? Or had he figured in an accident but had no insurance at the time of the incident? And was there any time he had stayed behind the wheels after several drinks of alcohol? Perhaps, he too had failed to show proof of insurance at a random check by the state police on the highway? Call it luck,had he likewise been ticketed for serious traffic violations? The result is, this driver now labors to find an automobile insurance. Similarly, his driving now puts him among the high-risk drivers on the road. It is pretty sure he needs not just an ordinary auto insurance

We have all had the experience of being stuck behind someone that is either driving too slow, swerving, or breaking way too early; then when we drive up next to them its 9 times out of 10 an elderly driver. I believe that at the age of 75, and older, maybe even a little younger, yearly driving, medical, and vision exams need to be done to renew their licenses. This process can reduce the number of accidents involving seniors, and even help to reduce road rage situations for other drivers on the road. Now I am not trying to say that all accidents are caused by seniors, because younger drivers are responsible for, and are involved in a greater number of serious road traffic crashes than seniors. (Carvel 2002) The point I am trying to make is

“An eighty-six year old man killed ten people and injured more than seventy when he drove his Buick into a crowded farmers market in California. In Florida, an eighty-four year old woman drove her car through a window of a Sears and into a cash register and employee” (Murphy). Sadly enough, instances like these are becoming more and more prevalent and require immediate action. It is imperative that a more comprehensive approach be taken when deciding the competence of elderly drivers. Laws must be put into action to mandate and administer testing and re-examining of the skills and eligibility of this group. Equally important, we must consider those who will no longer be able to drive, and ensure their transportation and occupational needs

The dangers most elderly drivers create can be prevented. Older people may consider driving the "last connection to freedom and independence"

At the beginning I attributed the ever so subtle “no” from my grandfather to the lack of experience I possessed as a new driver. Going up and down our short drive way for the past six months had allowed me the confidence to take on the real roads. As I began to gain more experience I became a bit wiser knowing it could not just be my inexperience that was bothering my grandfather. No one else had a problem with my driving. My paternal grandmother, quite honestly, loved when I drove with her. It allowed her a break, from chauffeuring around my siblings and I. In the passenger's seat she could relax, enjoy the radio, and take in the scenery. Even my uncle, recovering from a heart attack and all, acknowledged I had

A lack of finance is the first reason that the elderly should receive free bus rides. A majority of elderly is limited in their finance after they got retired; they are sometimes even not able to pay their fundamental living needs such as medicine and groceries. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 12% seniors are living at the poverty level, and their income become lower and lower with increasing age; therefore, they would have difficulty in their constant expenses such as healthcare, housing, food, and so on. About 14.2% of all these expenses are spent on transportation. The National Council on Aging shows as well that the elderly are struggling with housing and health bills, lack of access to

If you ever told my Granny that she could hurt herself while driving, you better brace yourself for a tirade that could last for days. Little did she know, elderly people are as much a danger to themselves as they are to others. In a car crash, the