90 YO driver backed in to me

[kmbkk]

Originally Posted by dori.

yeah that'll go over well... anyone affected by it will cry age discrimination

should really be for everyone, since there are tons of idiots out there regardless of how old or young they are

I completely agree with you! I think people should have to renew their license every 5 years, and be required to pass either a short written test or practical driving test.

Probably the most failed question would be:

-If a stop light turns yellow, should you:

A. Slow to a stop
B. Speed up to beat the red light
C. Continue your current speed and slam on your brakes at the last
second
D. Ignore the yellow light and continue through the intersection after
the light turns red

[Sirnice]

I would feel better if it's every 1 -2 years. If someone is 90, 5 years is a long time when your eye sight and other abilities degrade.

Originally Posted by kmbkk

I completely agree with you! I think people should have to renew their license every 5 years, and be required to pass either a short written test or practical driving test.

Probably the most failed question would be:

-If a stop light turns yellow, should you:

A. Slow to a stop
B. Speed up to beat the red light
C. Continue your current speed and slam on your brakes at the last
second
D. Ignore the yellow light and continue through the intersection after
the light turns red

[kmbkk]

Originally Posted by Sirnice

I would feel better if it's every 1 -2 years. If someone is 90, 5 years is a long time when your eye sight and other abilities degrade.

I guess I should have specified, I meant every 5 years once you get your license. As for more often, maybe at age 70 or so you could go to every 2-3 years.

[dj_mallu]

Pictures or didn't happen.. jk

[dori.]

Originally Posted by kmbkk

I completely agree with you! I think people should have to renew their license every 5 years, and be required to pass either a short written test or practical driving test.

Probably the most failed question would be:

-If a stop light turns yellow, should you:

A. Slow to a stop
B. Speed up to beat the red light
C. Continue your current speed and slam on your brakes at the last
second
D. Ignore the yellow light and continue through the intersection after
the light turns red

there really isn't a single right answer to that question, but C and D are most certainly wrong. Depending on the situation A or B may be right.

I actually think the most failed question would be any question concerning the flow of traffic at a 4 way intersection with stop signs.

[Want.FR-S]

Originally Posted by quik1987

There should be a maximum driving age just as there is a minimum.....

You are young so you can say this. Remember this statement when you are 75 and think again. Do you want your driving privilege taken away because you are old?

Originally Posted by whaap

You've got old people that drive like the one who hit the OP and then you have old people that drove like Paul Newman did near his final years.

What should the maximum age be??

Originally Posted by goke186

Rather than a Maximum driving age how about at a certain age you need to take refresher coarses/drive tests? seems better than taking licenses away from everyone over 80 years old

I think that is an idea and it may be implemented by states/provinces. When you reach a certain age, your reaction time becomes slow and your reflex also suffer. But people grow old differently, so that is not a blanket statement saying that getting old and no license for you. However, have to re-test the license seems a good motivator to keep elders to practice their reflex and attentions while driving, keeping them safe for sure.

On the other hand, let's see the ages of people *who* cause the accidents, and why so many middle or young age drivers cause the accidents? Because they over-estimate their ability and reaction time and thus causes accident.

[drifter]

Originally Posted by No Quarter

I saw him starting to back out of his driveway (apparently he didn't look to see me), so I stopped, gave him a friendly toot on the horn to let him know I was there. He just kept backing up, so I leaned on my horn...but he kept coming. I tried to get into reverse, but ended up in park instead as he hit me. The conversation that ensued was bizarre. He refused to exchange papers, his reasoning was that I was overreacting, the damage could easily be fixed with a can of spray paint. The damage is small, creased front bumper and cracked paint on bumper. I ended up having to call the cops. They wrote a police report, it took them 10 days to do it. Finally got the report and went to the auto body shop. The estimate to repair is $1,060.29. Basically, new bumper, paint new bumper and replace. Next stop was to his insurance company, they are being difficult, saying that there is nothing they can do because their insured has never reported the accident. I just handed them the police report and said...here it is, he hit me, and you will pay to repair my car!

My anger is toward this guys family for still allowing him to drive

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by czar07

insurance in the US seems retarded. In Australia, if someone hits me and I go through my insurance company, i dont pay the deductible, THEY do. If its my fault, only then do I have to pay something.

For most of the policies out here, you pay your deductible, and when the accident is determined to not be your fault, the Ins. company will refund it. Usually takes about a week.

[Want.FR-S]

Originally Posted by No Quarter

I saw him starting to back out of his driveway (apparently he didn't look to see me), so I stopped, gave him a friendly toot on the horn to let him know I was there. He just kept backing up, so I leaned on my horn...but he kept coming. I tried to get into reverse, but ended up in park instead as he hit me. The conversation that ensued was bizarre. He refused to exchange papers, his reasoning was that I was overreacting, the damage could easily be fixed with a can of spray paint. The damage is small, creased front bumper and cracked paint on bumper. I ended up having to call the cops. They wrote a police report, it took them 10 days to do it. Finally got the report and went to the auto body shop. The estimate to repair is $1,060.29. Basically, new bumper, paint new bumper and replace. Next stop was to his insurance company, they are being difficult, saying that there is nothing they can do because their insured has never reported the accident. I just handed them the police report and said...here it is, he hit me, and you will pay to repair my car!

It seems no one actually asked this question to OP: Why did you stopped when you see he backing onto you? Was there any way for you to escape the hitting? Was he backing onto you suddenly?

Just a curious mind.

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by dori.

there really isn't a single right answer to that question, but C and D are most certainly wrong. Depending on the situation A or B may be right.

I actually think the most failed question would be any question concerning the flow of traffic at a 4 way intersection with stop signs.

The answer you need for the test is A.

The law requires you to slow down and stop for a yellow *if* it can be done safely, otherwise proceed (at current speed) through the intersection. Speeding up to squeeze through a yellow is a no-no.

IRL, though, if you're right at the intersection when the light goes yellow most peoples' natural instinct is to step on it a bit to avoid getting hit by cross traffic jumping the green. As a rule, though, it's best to keep an eye on stale greens and assume you're going to be stopping so you're ready when it goes yellow.

[No Quarter]

Originally Posted by Want.FR-S

It seems no one actually asked this question to OP: Why did you stopped when you see he backing onto you? Was there any way for you to escape the hitting? Was he backing onto you suddenly?

Just a curious mind.

OK...let me see if I can explain...
I was in a congested residential zone, speed limit is 20mph. As I am coming up the street, I see a PT cruiser on the left side of the street with it's brake lights on and at the very end of his driveway. Because I do drive defensively, I slow down to maybe 10mph not knowing what this car is going to do. Sure enough, I see the reverse lights come on and he starts backing out. I stop, give a toot on my horn. I assumed at that point, he would have stopped and either pulled back in his driveway, or at least acknowledged me somehow. No response at all from the driver, he just continued to back up. (Keep in mind that there was still plenty of room for him to back up into the street). So he is backing up....and backing up....and backing up (he's going slowly, like most old people do when backing). I now begin to realize he doesn't know i'm there. There is still maybe 12 feet between us at this point and I now lean on my horn...but he is still backing up. Now 6 feet till impact, I try to get into reverse...to late, he hits me.

I never expected him to have to back up so much as to hit me, there was plenty of room. By the time I realized he had no clue I was there, I figured the lean on the horn would stop him. It was a slow motion horror scene in my eyes. I never expected him to hit me.

[raul]

Originally Posted by No Quarter

a can of spray paint

[Want.FR-S]

Originally Posted by No Quarter

OK...let me see if I can explain...
I was in a congested residential zone, speed limit is 20mph. As I am coming up the street, I see a PT cruiser on the left side of the street with it's brake lights on and at the very end of his driveway. Because I do drive defensively, I slow down to maybe 10mph not knowing what this car is going to do. Sure enough, I see the reverse lights come on and he starts backing out. I stop, give a toot on my horn. I assumed at that point, he would have stopped and either pulled back in his driveway, or at least acknowledged me somehow. No response at all from the driver, he just continued to back up. (Keep in mind that there was still plenty of room for him to back up into the street). So he is backing up....and backing up....and backing up (he's going slowly, like most old people do when backing). I now begin to realize he doesn't know i'm there. There is still maybe 12 feet between us at this point and I now lean on my horn...but he is still backing up. Now 6 feet till impact, I try to get into reverse...to late, he hits me.

I never expected him to have to back up so much as to hit me, there was plenty of room. By the time I realized he had no clue I was there, I figured the lean on the horn would stop him. It was a slow motion horror scene in my eyes. I never expected him to hit me.

You may say this before: it was like you were chased by a guided missile towards at you on the congested street. There is no way except for the back, but it was too late.

Some people may be trouble minded by other stuff and not knowing the outside world. In this case I would say the other person simply thought the street was empty. Who in the right mind would back up the street for a distance?

[No Quarter]

Of course, at the time I was trying to get into reverse, there was no consideration as to if there was anyone behind me. There wasn't, but how ironic would have it been if I had got into reverse and then backed into someone behind me?