I am so tired of people stereotyping older florida drivers!

[DanDombrowski]

They've been talking recently about more "strict" eye tests to get elderly people off the road in florida ever since some old woman ran over a kid in a parking lot. They're really gonna get it now.

This just makes you say......WOW.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1021body,0,1052330.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Driver, 93, rolls through St. Petersburg tollbooth with body embedded in windshield

Associated Press
Posted October 21 2005, 6:24 AM EDT


ST. PETERSBURG -- A 93-year-old driver apparently suffering from dementia fatally struck a pedestrian, then continued driving through a toll booth with the man's body on his windshield, police said.

Ralph Parker of Pinellas Park drove for 3 miles Wednesday night after striking the 52-year-old pedestrian with his gold 2002 Chevrolet Malibu, severing the man's right leg, police said.

A toll taker on the Sunshine Skyway saw the body stuck through Parker's windshield and notified police, Traffic Homicide Investigator Michael Jockers said.

Authorities did not identify the pedestrian.

Parker was hospitalized overnight with minor scrapes, and was expected to be taken to an elder care facility, Jockers said.

Charges were not likely to be filed, because Parker did not appear to know what had happened, where he was nor the correct date, said Bruce Bartlett, chief assistant in the Pinellas-Pasco County State Attorney's Office.

``He may have somewhere in his mind have realized it was a crash, but immediately forgot about it,'' Jockers said.

Police took Parker's license, which he renewed in 2003.

``That was the one thing he had, to get in his car and just drive for the sheer enjoyment of driving,'' Jockers said. Parker lived alone after his wife died in 1998, according to authorities.

A spokesman for the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said the agency would conduct its own inquiry into whether Parker, who otherwise had a clean driving record, should have had a license.

Seniors age 80 or older must pass only a vision test when renewing a Florida driver's license.

[granit_silber]

They've been talking recently about more "strict" eye tests to get elderly people off the road in florida ever since some old woman ran over a kid in a parking lot. They're really gonna get it now.

This just makes you say......WOW.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1021body,0,1052330.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Driver, 93, rolls through St. Petersburg tollbooth with body embedded in windshield

Associated Press
Posted October 21 2005, 6:24 AM EDT


ST. PETERSBURG -- A 93-year-old driver apparently suffering from dementia fatally struck a pedestrian, then continued driving through a toll booth with the man's body on his windshield, police said.

Ralph Parker of Pinellas Park drove for 3 miles Wednesday night after striking the 52-year-old pedestrian with his gold 2002 Chevrolet Malibu, severing the man's right leg, police said.

A toll taker on the Sunshine Skyway saw the body stuck through Parker's windshield and notified police, Traffic Homicide Investigator Michael Jockers said.

Authorities did not identify the pedestrian.

Parker was hospitalized overnight with minor scrapes, and was expected to be taken to an elder care facility, Jockers said.

Charges were not likely to be filed, because Parker did not appear to know what had happened, where he was nor the correct date, said Bruce Bartlett, chief assistant in the Pinellas-Pasco County State Attorney's Office.

``He may have somewhere in his mind have realized it was a crash, but immediately forgot about it,'' Jockers said.

Police took Parker's license, which he renewed in 2003.

``That was the one thing he had, to get in his car and just drive for the sheer enjoyment of driving,'' Jockers said. Parker lived alone after his wife died in 1998, according to authorities.

A spokesman for the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said the agency would conduct its own inquiry into whether Parker, who otherwise had a clean driving record, should have had a license.

Seniors age 80 or older must pass only a vision test when renewing a Florida driver's license.
Dan,
I'm not sure what the sterotype is in this article.
I grew up in Florida (Jacksonville) and can attest to the hazard that SOME older drivers become (albeit there are more of those hazards in FL). I can't remember how many times I had been tooling down the road at the speed limit and a retiree or snowbird pulled out in front of me and accelerated to 15mph!
The bigger problem when I was growing up was the accident that was caused by an elderly driver, but didn't involve said driver. The cops looked around and found the teenager and blamo it's his/her fault.

Personally, I think that if the man had been diagnosed with dementia and still chose to get behind the wheel, they should throw the book at him. (i know they can't because he's not competent to stand trial) There's no way in the world that he should have had a license with dementia. He should at least be financially liable for some, if not all, of the damage.
-ashley

[DanDombrowski]

Oh, I was being sarcastic about the stereotyping, because this is exactly the stereotype that everyone has about older florida drivers :) Just trying to make a catchy title.

I personally think they should make EVERYONE show they're competant, and not like normal DMV tests, I mean like in Sweden where you have to have registered training with a professional before you can get your license. But hey, thats just me.

I guess the tough part about taking away someone's license with Dimensia is that if he lives alone, no one knows he has it until something like this happens. Some people have it where it comes and goes, so again, nobody knows.

[Interceptor]

I personally think they should make EVERYONE show they're competant, and not like normal DMV tests, I mean like in Sweden where you have to have registered training with a professional before you can get your license. But hey, thats just me.
Here in Croatia you have to be 18 or older to start the training with a registered instructor + if you wear glasses or contact lenses you have to repeat your medical exam every two years. Oh yeah, If you're 65 or older, you have to have medical exams every 5 years.

[uscharalph]

Oh, I was being sarcastic about the stereotyping, because this is exactly the stereotype that everyone has about older florida drivers :) Just trying to make a catchy title.

I personally think they should make EVERYONE show they're competant, and not like normal DMV tests, I mean like in Sweden where you have to have registered training with a professional before you can get your license. But hey, thats just me.

I guess the tough part about taking away someone's license with Dimensia is that if he lives alone, no one knows he has it until something like this happens. Some people have it where it comes and goes, so again, nobody knows.
Good luck with that. I've stopped thinking that would ever happen.

[romus]

what do you mean sweden, my friend? Entire Europe is like that. Take Germany for example, where you have to have a specific number of hours of night driving, snow, rain, autobahn driving etc. When you go for your final test, not one but TWO professionals are sitting behind you. And when you have made your licence there, (and some 2500-3000 Deutsch marks later) you are a professional driver and not a person thats "safe to start gathering driving experience".

I agree with that way of getting licence completely. People here in Australia are having it way too easy, and i hear in the US is even easier.

[romus]

Hey interceptor, kako je?

[Interceptor]

Hey interceptor, kako je?
Hej romus :) Ide nelose, kako je u dalekoj zemlji Australiji? :)

Nisam znao da ima jos netko na ovom forumu tko zna HR! :)

[Derek A.]

what do you mean sweden, my friend? Entire Europe is like that. Take Germany for example, where you have to have a specific number of hours of night driving, snow, rain, autobahn driving etc. When you go for your final test, not one but TWO professionals are sitting behind you. And when you have made your licence there, (and some 2500-3000 Deutsch marks later) you are a professional driver and not a person thats "safe to start gathering driving experience".

I agree with that way of getting licence completely. People here in Australia are having it way too easy, and i hear in the US is even easier.

Last time I was in Australia the classes were pretty hard and the driving test was a bear. New drivers have to run around with big yellow and red signs in the windows.

In Michigan - it takes nothing to get a license - in fact its so easy half the populus just doesn't bother to get one in the first place.

[romus]

haha i didn't know it was THAT easy.

Yes the orange/yellow "L" plates are still in...I dont know when you've been here last time but it's getting ever harder apparently, yet we have less and less people on the road who seem to know any road rules. Maybe because I've seen a lot tougher that i think this here is a one-afternoon kinda thing. Did you know in germany the test book is of a yellow page tickness and u can fail only 1 question? Is ridiculous but it works, best drivers in the world according to some.

[romus]

Od skoro sam ovde na forumu :) Nije lose ni ovde. :)

Let's change to english before they start throwing rocks at us :)

[dacoyote]

Od skoro sam ovde na forumu :) Nije lose ni ovde. :)

Let's change to english before they start throwing rocks at us :)

LOL

[angrypancake]

My driver's test was the biggest joke. All you have to prove is proficiency in parallel parking, 3-pt turn, and uhh being able to drive the damn car. For my parallel park the instructor (who was obviously still drunk from the previous night) had me perform the task at the end of a dead end road, with no actual curb, just grass meeting gravel for the deliniation of pavement, and best of all? No freakin car. He was like just imagine that there's one in front of you and one behind you, and park. So, yeah, uhhhh, riiight.

[romus]

oh my god!

haha

[romus]

ive read this article of how rich chinese come to germany and for several grand get keys to some of the fastest german beauties for couple days of joyride, and, are unleashed on finest roads in the world (at the same time chinese roads being ones of the deadliest in the world). They've been sighted clogging the overtaking lane (a huge NO-NO in germany), disobaying just about every rule and my favourite - reversing on autobahn when missing the exit...reversing! Boy!

[632 Regal]

I won my Licence in a box of Cracker-Jacks...that was a great day for me!

[Interceptor]

Od skoro sam ovde na forumu :) Nije lose ni ovde. :)

Let's change to english before they start throwing rocks at us :)
Sticks'n'stones won't hurt my bones :)

[dacoyote]

I won my Licence in a box of Cracker-Jacks...that was a great day for me!

Is that where you found your woman also?

[Interceptor]

Is that where you found your woman also?
LMAO :)

I think Jeff finally met his match!

[guinness]

A few years ago, when I was living in Pensacola Fl I got rear ended by a little old lady driving a Land Yacht. When I got out to look at the damage with her husband I saw some older damage that couldn't have been from the accident, wel we asked her about it and her ans was "oh that's from the last guy I hit". Then a few months later I got Front ended at a stop light (I didn't know you could get front ended!).

[genphreak]

ive read this article of how rich chinese come to germany and for several grand get keys to some of the fastest german beauties for couple days of joyride, and, are unleashed on finest roads in the world (at the same time chinese roads being ones of the deadliest in the world). They've been sighted clogging the overtaking lane (a huge NO-NO in germany), disobaying just about every rule and my favourite - reversing on autobahn when missing the exit...reversing! Boy!Is it true that in Germany you need a doctor's certificate to own an automatic transmissioned car? I like that one too, letting people drive cars with a stop and go pedal just be-littles the dangers and importance of the task.

[infinity5]

Is it true that in Germany you need a doctor's certificate to own an automatic transmissioned car? I like that one too, letting people drive cars with a stop and go pedal just be-littles the dangers and importance of the task.

That sounds like crazy talk to me. Anyone in the know?

[romus]

Not sure, but brother, hardly anyone drives automatics there and you CANNOT make your licence on automatic - has to be manual, period. If you can't drive manual, guess what u gotta do before u fork 2500-3000 out? :)

In germany 7 series are manuals too, which is here unthinkable. I had a guy argue with me that im looking for a 535 manual in vain coz there simply arent any...Says only 3 series exist with manual. I said okeeeey, i drove a 735 manual there mooorooon.

Wouldn't know for sure that you need doctors certificate but brother, it wouldnt surprise me in the least coz it does sound like one of "those" rules.

Edit: If you're able-bodied and especially younger, people do wonder WHY you drive an automatic if you tell them u do, that i know of. Automatic is rather seen as an driving-aid there, i would say. Been a few years since i've been there, but i lived there long enough to know this :)