Keep Those Kiddos Safe

[Jer]

Because it is difficult to tell adults what to do, that's why. Same issue as forcing people to take their meds.

The difference here is we have licensing to assure that people are capable of driving. If they're not capable they need to have their licenses taken away and then actual penalties need to exist rather then 'Well, they're old so they didn't mean any harm' because lack of intent doesn't mean there's no threat.

I followed an old man home one night on highway 34 in Loveland. I called the local non-emergency # to report their plate # and a play-by-play of their actions which were blatant. If it weren't for several other drivers and pedestrians (yes, pedestrians) being alert there would have been several bad accidents. I thought that it was a drunk driver at first which is why I followed (from a safe distance) and called. The driver was going towards the same area of town I live in so I went ahead and stuck with them the entire time. The driver pulled up and opened up their garage and I expected to see some drunkard stumble out of the car. It was an old man who took several minutes to remove himself from the car. Gave plenty of time for a marked cruiser to show up. He stopped at me first briefly (had my description from dispatch along with extensive list of transgressions) and then parked in front of the old man's house and approached the garage where they talked for a while. I then heard him tell the man to have a good night as he walked away and got back into his cruiser and drove over to me. He basically said that the guy hadn't been drinking and therefore he wasn't going to do anything? When I pressed the issue slightly to find out why he basically said that he was a nice old man who seemed harmless. Dafuq?!? I never said the guy was a psychopath out looking for blood. That doesn't mean that a situation like what happened in the OP of this thread isn't imminent.

If they can 'make adults' be licensed to drive they can also make sure those with licenses are actually capable of driving. I'm not saying it's an easy fix but I'm saying that it's FAR more common than the media rhetoric about firearms and children. Just drives me nuts when I hear about things like this. The topic is a bit personal to me because about a year ago I had to take my mom's keys and it was a battle that lasted until she passed away. She was so damn sure that she was 100% capable of driving and they her motor skills and decision making was still intact but the reality was she was scary to ride with. Not everyone has a family member strong enough emotionally to step in when the time has come and driving is NOT a right unlike firearm ownership. I'm just saying that if people truly cared about the welfare of the children there's other areas where they could focus their efforts that would save more children.

I don't want to turn this into a heated debate about elderly drivers so I'll just leave this conversation at this and I have nothing more to add on the topic. I still would be curious about some of the details of the accident though if the OP has them.

[brutal]

Hoping for a speedy and full recovery.

We've gone through this with our youngest son TWICE. At 12, he was struck by a teenage driver while riding his bicycle. No broken bones, but 5 days in a coma and a TBI were the outcome. A helmet would have prevented this. At 16, he was low speed ejected from the rear seat (estimated @final roll) from a car high speed rollover. Nearly died. 30 days in Craig rehab and to this day still has issues. TBI, broken pelvis, shattered tibia, broken wrist, broken ribs, collapsed lung.

No child or parent should have to endure this, but living as a human being has its risks. Learn from it, and yes, try to keep your kids safe.

[fitz19d]

Sorry to the few on here, I think if still posting online you probably have your faculties.

But fuck old people driving. Living near hospitals i've seen so many cause accidents (and then usually after inspecting damage leave unreported, those were fun giving plates to police), get in near accidents etc. My favorite was this old dude, we help find his car. He comes back an hour later looking for his car. Doesn't remember us helping before.... ok, show him his car, not 5 mins later hes back again driving his car..... that's safe...

Round abouts? They stop in the circle seeing you a mile away when they coulda circles it 3 times before I arrived. I wont drive besides anyone after twice having me slightly ahead and they try to merge onto me... My R32 1/4 panel got all dented in while I was out of country by my parents geriatric neighbor. No proof but no it was them based on where parked, the damage, and that theyve done it before. But SOL a week after it happened.

Who is it you usually see doing literally 45/50 on the highway in the right lane (or sometimes left), some old bastard who cant figure out a frontage road. Doing that in a 75 is just not safe.

Had my share of seeing wrong way drivers and the like. Really I'd almost (I'm not but almost) qualify them as a greater hazard than drunk drivers. I'm amazed this recent target drive through wall incident was a dui not elderly.

[SuperiorDG]

I don't yet know all the details, but from what I heard it was pickup truck. The school zone lights were flashing but on this road there is not a requirement to slow down like in other school zones. They have taken him off the meds enough for him to visit with his parents and siblings so that is a good sign.

I just hate to see this kind of thing happen to a kid. Thanks for all the well wishes folks.

[Irving]

Jer and fitz, oh don't be fooled. I totally agree with you. I've taken keys before, and wanted to take the car to the scrapper, only to have someone else give them right back.

[Jer]

Jer and fitz, oh don't be fooled. I totally agree with you. I've taken keys before, and wanted to take the car to the scrapper, only to have someone else give them right back.

It's insane to me that we have a licensing system that is supposed to keep unsafe drivers from being able to legally drive and instead it's become a revenue source for anyone willing to give them money.

[WETWRKS]

Shouldn't there be a background check for auto purchases...if it saves just one child...just one child....


I knew an older fellow who rode around town on a bicycle because he wasn't allowed to drive based on meds he was on. He was about 20 yards off the road in a grassy area and got mowed down by a lady who was not supposed to be driving based on the meds she was on. Killed him outright.