Bad judgement seen in drivers of all ages

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Regarding the Tuesday letter, “What does it take then to lose license?”: The writer states that “there are many more drivers over the age of 65 than there have been in the past and it’s time that our system recognizes it” and begins testing elderly drivers.

The writer needs to check out a few of the statistical facts, which are a matter of public record. Age alone is not a determining factor when it comes to poor judgment. There are many drivers over age 80 that I would feel much safer riding with than a good portion of the 20- to 40-year-olds I’ve seen driving while they are reading, playing with a computer, text-messaging, putting up hair, applying make-up, talking with a hand-held cell phone and any number of other distracting practices at freeway speeds during a “bumper-to-bumper” commute.

Seldom if ever have I seen an older person doing these things on the road. As for physical and/or mental acuity, few seniors have a problem with being made aware of any debilitating factors that may be to the detriment of their driving ability. Again, there is no excuse for poor judgment, or outright stupidity while behind the wheel of a 4,000-plus pound projectile on the roadway, at any speed.

Kelly Chambers

Snohomish