The recent debate over how to deal with elderly drivers needs some perspective.

It's painful to hear about any pedestrian fatality, and the recent case involving an elderly driver is no exception.

But taking a knee-jerk approach by requiring even further restrictions on senior drivers is not the way to go.

Indeed, numerous studies show that elderly drivers pose a far less risk of causing accidents than young, inexperienced drivers. A 2001 Rand Corp. study found that drivers ages 18 to 24 accounted for just 13 percent of licensed drivers, yet caused 43 percent of accidents. Meanwhile, seniors 65 and older, who accounted for 15 percent of licensed drivers, caused just 7 percent of accidents.

Hawai'i already requires drivers 72 or older to renew licenses every two years, rather than the eight-year-period for drivers 24 to 72 that goes into effect in November. And that makes sense.

In responding to the call for even tighter restrictions on elderly drivers, State Sen. J. Kalani English was on the mark in noting: "We can't legislate awareness."

To be sure, elderly drivers whose vision or reflexes have declined should think twice about hitting the road. Families have a role to play here, in encouraging safety first and recognizing when a loved one might be ill-equipped to drive.

That will ensure a far better solution than imposing unwarranted restrictions across the board.