Perhaps It's Time to Give Up the Keys? (Dick van Dyke)

CallMeKate

CallMeKate

Well-known Member
Location
Mid-Atlantic US
I hope no one's posted this yet, but I don't see it. Dick van Dyke was in another car accident and has been injured (although it doesn't sound life threatening or anything.) Crashed into a gate. He's 97. 97! Wasn't he pulled from a fiery crash 8 or 10 years ago? Maybe he should consider hiring a driver? I know it's hard to give up independence like that, but there comes a time, doesn't there? :cry:
 

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Yes, I just checked... that other crash was in 2013. My goodness, that decade flew by. When I said "8 or 10 years" I thought it probably wasn't that long so I went to check. :eek:
 
My father in law lost his license after 90 when he went into a ditch while driving at night in the country at the side of the road and rolled his car. But he studied, practiced and regained it. In the end he needed assisted living and lost it again. I know from riding with him as a passenger he was past being safe driving either for himself or others. It was processing speed. He. Couldn’t merge onto a freeway without a leap of faith.
 
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This reminds when I was a Trooper on road patrol on I-81 in PA and I received a call that another driver reported a drunk driver and gave the mile marker number. That was about 6 miles in back of me, so I thought I would sit and wail until he passed me. It didn’t take long until the car passed me going about 50. Most drivers on that interstate go about 80 or above, so I pulled out and got behind him and watched him as he drove. After the third time when he went off the road on the curbside, I flipped on my lights to pull him over, but he wouldn’t stop, so I called for backup and then hit the siren for a few seconds and he still didn’t pullover. I pulled up alongside of him and he looked over at me and I could tell this man was old. My backup arrived, so I told her to ride his tail and I was going to move to the front and we’ll both turn on our lights and that should stop him. I told the other Trooper that I thought the person driving was very old and having a medical issue. Once we got him on the side of the road, I asked if he saw my lights behind him about 7 miles back. He said “No.” I asked him if he heard my siren and he said “No.” I looked at his license and saw that he was 92 y/o and had no insurance.

He lived with his 69 y/o daughter about 10 miles away, so I had him park the car and I took him home. I asked the Trooper if she would call for a tow truck and stay with the vehicle until the truck arrived and have it towed to his address. When I got him home, I spoke with the daughter and she told me that he wouldn’t give up his driving privileges. I told her, I would write him a citation and he will have to go before a judge who will more than likely pull his license. She said “Good.” She told me no one in her house would ride with him if he was driving. I had to go to court to testify before the judge, who ordered a physical and after the report would decide whether to pull his license. (The doctor can also do it.) I checked back about a month later and the doctor and the judge sent letters to PENNDOT requesting his license be pulled. He sent them in, but wasn’t happy about it. The daughter told me that he told her that the state is taking away his freedom.

Sorry for the story being so long.
 
911 said:
This reminds when I was a Trooper on road patrol on I-81 in PA and I received a call that another driver reported a drunk driver and gave the mile marker number.
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Sorry for the story being so long.
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I enjoyed the story and I have a feeling this happens a lot more often than we realize. I-81 PA, eh? Wonder how many times I may have passed you over the years? :unsure: I can honestly say I'm glad we never got to meet. 🤭 @911
 
Alligatorob said:
I dread the day when I have to "give up the keys"

Had a 95 year old neighbor, her son finally took the car away after she ran into a church. She always claimed it was the church's fault...
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I dread that day too, Rob. I used to tell my kids they would have to pry my keys from my cold dead fingers but I've gotten smarter as I've gotten older and I will turn them over when the time comes. :rolleyes:

Years ago my step-grandfather had to have a visit from the local sheriff to get his keys. I don't think that could happen today but back then things were much simpler and more efficient. :ROFLMAO:
 
My BFF, age 70, recently sold her car because her glaucoma has worsened and she lives alone. She's navigating via local buses, walking and Uber/Lyft. Considers it a new life adventure. ❤️

Hoping when it comes time for me to cough up my keys, self-driving cars will have improved to the point where I can move seamlessly into that mode of transportation. Fingers crossed.
 
When I got out of the hospital, after a long stint, I was weak, and not too with it. I figured if I drove really slow, I could handle driving. I was out on a road with a 55 mph speed limit. I was doing 25-30. People were passing me by, and they were doing stupid things to get around me. It dawned on me that if I couldn't do the speed limit, I really shouldn't be on the road. If I didn't kill myself, I was probably causing others to be stupid. So, I stopped driving till I got better. That was hard to do. It's like becoming a small kid, again.
 
Giving up your license is like giving up your freedom to many people. I’m sure for some that it is hard to do and become dependent on another person, especially if you don’t have family close by.
 
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