GO Grandpa

[renovation]

Man, 85, Clocked at 100 Mph in Snow, Ice
An 85-year-old motorist lost his license and his Oldsmobile for a week and likely faces a hefty fine after becoming the oldest person snagged to date by a new Ontario law aimed at cracking down on street racers, even though he was just speeding.

The man, whose name was not released, was driving on a highway north of Toronto Wednesday when he was allegedly clocked doing 100 mph, 40 mph over the posted speed limit.

"He said he was going to the bank and shopping," said Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Cam Woolley, who noted snow and ice made road conditions treacherous at the time.

Under new provincial legislation, billed last year by Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino as a "shock and awe" campaign, drivers who exceed the speed limit by 31 mph or more stand to lose both their vehicle and license for one week, along with a fine of at least $2002.
Police statistics show that more than 2,300 drivers across the province have been charged under the legislation since it became law on Sept. 30, 2007.

Most of those charged have been men in their mid-20s to mid-30s. But in the past three months, 20 drivers aged 65 and older, including three women, have been charged under the new Ontario law.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080105/D8TVFIRG0.html
i think grandpa was reading the radio station seting on the radio :)

[uncledaddy]

Most of the elderly tend to drive extremely cautious to the point of being a danger to themselves and others in traffic so I really get surprised when I see a leadfooted senior. Too funny (of course that's until they get into an accident).

[DarkFury]

At that age... he probably wasn't afraid of death. :eek:

Take the keys away.... PLEASE!!!! :2far:

[Napoleon54]

Does not compute... why are they using mph instead of k/hr??

And for the sake of the speeders, I hope they've converted from Canadian to American dollars, 'cause otherwise that's a lot of money. :P

[renovation]

At that age... he probably wasn't afraid of death. :eek:

Take the keys away.... PLEASE!!!! :2far:
my step dad drove till 1 year before he died. and live the last 15 years of his life alone. he died at 91

[DarkFury]

my step dad drove till 1 year before he died. and live the last 15 years of his life alone. he died at 91
Exceptions for every rule...

More or less, past 75 to 80 years old, you gotta test them to prove their vehicular competence. Lives are at stake here. :eek:

[gwilks98]

Exceptions for every rule...

More or less, past 75 to 80 years old, you gotta test them to prove their vehicular competence. Lives are at stake here. :eek:

before you go enforcing something like that, you better make sure that you can provide them an alternative. Most seniors haven't the money for cab fair, and public transportation outside of major cities is usually horrible and unsafe.

[DarkFury]

before you go enforcing something like that, you better make sure that you can provide them an alternative. Most seniors haven't the money for cab fair, and public transportation outside of major cities is usually horrible and unsafe.
We have local bus services that are discounted for senior citizens, plus... if they can't pass the test (visual as well as some form of road test) then it is safer to take their keys.

Either way, some of these people drive as if they are the only folks on the road, totally oblivious to their surroundings... and honestly, they scare me (as I've seen a few pull right out in front of me without even looking...)

We took my Grandaddy's keys away... and he fussed about it. But eventually Alzheimers made him forget about it. :shrug:

[uncledaddy]

I agree with DF. I roomed with a 70 yr. old gentleman who was strong and could still take care of himself but the way his driving changed with age was scary. If you were having a discussion with him, he would literally stop/slow to talk as driving and talking was like having problems chewing gum and walking. he did drive fast and his hearing was very bad so if we traveled together, I drove as his driving scared the **** out of me.

[ShawnLee]

DF, while part of me agrees with you (ahem) the practical side of this is that you're never going to get this through the political process. This is a pretty key thing that the AARP gets defensive about - and one thing to know about the old folks is that they vote.

[gwilks98]

I agree with you on paper. It's safer. But let's see how you feel when you're run down and 70.

None of us knows what it feels like to be older. I respect all of your opinions here, but please don't forget that.

[DarkFury]

DF, while part of me agrees with you (ahem) the practical side of this is that you're never going to get this through the political process. This is a pretty key thing that the AARP gets defensive about - and one thing to know about the old folks is that they vote.
Well yeah... I know that the AARP is a strong voting faction and that such legislation probably won't see the light of day, but still... we as individuals within our own families can make sure that our older members don't endanger society when they become unable to properly operate a vehicle due to advancing years. But if it should pass... the testing would have to be fair to make sure that nobody was getting picked on by it.

Does it really (ahem) you to agree with me? :shrug:

[DarkFury]

I agree with you on paper. It's safer. But let's see how you feel when you're run down and 70.

None of us knows what it feels like to be older. I respect all of your opinions here, but please don't forget that.
Honestly, if I'm THAT run down, then I'll gladly pass my keys over. But that's not to say that I WON'T be run down at that age either. That is what the tests are for. :D

[Napoleon54]

If the AARP truly wanted to be a responsible organization, they'd run educational programs to inform their members about the dangers of driving when you're no longer able to do so safely. There's no shame in being responsible and choosing not to drive.

[ShawnLee]

Well yeah... I know that the AARP is a strong voting faction and that such legislation probably won't see the light of day, but still... we as individuals within our own families can make sure that our older members don't endanger society when they become unable to properly operate a vehicle due to advancing years. But if it should pass... the testing would have to be fair to make sure that nobody was getting picked on by it.

Does it really (ahem) you to agree with me? :shrug:
Well, I don't know - the internet is forever (barring a hacker taking out a few thousand posts), and God forbid that I ever decide to run for office (knock on wood) but if anything like that were to ever happen... Sheesh, I could imagine people getting mad about things I've written online but I'd rather not take on the AARP via the internet.

For that matter, if a church search committee looking to hire a pastor were to see some of what I've written? Yeesh.

[DarkFury]

Since I have no political aspirations... I do not fear these things. :heh: