[CJFusco]

It's a tough call, because the way most populated areas of the United States are set up, suburban areas rely so heavily on the use of automobiles to get to and from the resources we need. Unless you live in metro NY, Boston, Washington, etc., public transportation is a joke. The U.S. is not like many parts of Europe where cities and towns grew naturally from centuries-old townships, complete with local pubs and shops within walking distance. If you take away the American elderly's ability to drive, you, in many cases, condemn them to a very difficult lifestyle.

BUT, at the same time, elderly people should NOT be allowed to impede the safety of everyone else on the road. Sure, 16 and 17 year-olds are involved in a lot of accidents too, but crock this up to 1) lack of experience, and 2) a reckless attitude. It has nothing to do with lack of motor (no pun intended) skills, diminished eyesight/hearing, or senility. The more you let a 17 year-old drive, the better they will get (presumably... ). This is the opposite with the elderly.

When I see an elderly person swerving, driving 15mph on a 45-mph road, stopping in the middle of the road for no reason, blowing through red lights, taking left turns on red (saw this one the other day, she almost got creamed), pulling into traffic without looking... it terrifies me. I see both sides of the issue, but I really think the elderly should be retested to the standards which apply to new drivers.