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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 20, 2003

EDITORIAL
States must rethink screening aging drivers

Last week's horrific accident in Santa Monica, Calif., in which an 86-year-old driver mowed down a crowd at a farmer's market, renews a powerful argument that states don't screen elderly drivers with enough care.

The tragedy is not proof that most elderly drivers are dangerous. Far from it. But the number of drivers over 70 has increased 32 percent since 1991, and the number of fatal crashes involving this group has gone up 20 percent.

Teenagers, as everyone knows, are still the greatest threat, but with the population rapidly aging, the elderly raise more concern. Some people recognize their own dimming capacities and give up driving. But many simply hope they can compensate for fading eyesight, slowing reactions and diminished judgment.

The issue resists simplistic solutions such as banning drivers of a certain age, because we age at different rates. And as many families are aware, aging drivers often fiercely resist giving up their car keys and independence.

Twenty-one states require screening of older drivers, but that screening varies widely. California ignored such precautions in 1999, when it rejected a bill to require road tests for those 75 and older. In Hawai'i, renewal is every two years after age 72.

The Santa Monica accident can spur Hawai'i and other states to rethink the need for simple ways to spot dangerous drivers. In the case of elderly drivers, it's an issue that can only grow more urgent with time.