very bad accident in an intersection i normally travel through

One dead after fatal accident in Pavilion Saturday
i was in this intersection about 20 minutes before this happened. the tractor trailer involved had a green light, and the car involved had a red light. the car was being driven by a 81 year old man. i think the accident is sad, anytime loss of life is involved. i do feel bad for the truck driver who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing his job. i question why we allow 81 year old people to drive on public roads unchecked. i believe that people that hold even a class D after a certain age should have to go through a medical evaluation and carry a medical card, just like a CDL holder. something should be in place to ensure someone who has no reflects left, and is blind as a bat is NOT driving anymore. the system that is in place now, anything goes..... and this is the result.

im sure glad i was not in the intersection when they happened.

 

Ya don't pay attention to traffic signals, signs, as your absolute guide. You get killed that way.
I've even told a judge....on a lousy ticket. When I get a green light. It doesn't mean go. It means look to make sure some poor person isn't or can't stop. Then I can go. Need to get it through people's mind what makes a good driver.
I learned above driving a Taxi at night. Could have gotten killed 10 times a year if we didn't.

I've looked in many cars that weren't doing good. An old person who is trying as best they can. I can only show grace.
I had a great aunt who had her license taken away. Mostly because she was old. Way over into retirement in Vancouver. I admit. Partly because she spent most of her life living in the boonies of Canada. Didn't drive much. Spent her life as a nurse, working with her doctor husband.

 

still, some oversight of senior drivers on the road wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

I was sitting at a red light once when an elderly woman pulled the ol' mixed up the accelerator with the brake pedal, came shooting out of the gas station into the street, hit the curb on the opposite of a curved street, and went all the way around the curve in oncoming lanes going up on two wheels every time the tires hit the curb. There definitely needs to be driving tests after a certain age.

 

Older drivers are safer drivers and insurance studies and rates prove it.
Typical knee jerk comments after a viral accident story that mentions age.

 

Middle aged drivers.... Yes.... But when you reach a certain age I believe abilities go backwards. I knew a few milk truck drivers that were still driving a semi in their 70s and still doing a capable job. I knew quite a few truckers when I was a receiver before I had my CDL. My job was to unload their milk trucks.

 

This is really not an elderly thing, sit at any intersection and count how many cars pass thru the red light, also note your best guess at there age. I do agree and have taught my kids, Green means look not go. check rt, chk lft, chk rt again then proceed with caution.
Maybe I approach signals or intersections in general different being a Bike rider as well.

 

There are certainly people of all ages that should not be driving no doubt. Safety is just about deciding how much of a police state do you want to live, freedoms and choices come with risk's. as unfortunate as that maybe. Back to cant legislate common sense or judgement.
Before I had my eye surgery I had stopped driving, still had my medical and CDL A (scarey) then I had my vision restoed to 20/20 thru modern medicine, and now I find it really scarey that I meet and passed my CDLA and Med Cert needing cataract surgery.

 

where is Pavilion??

 

Not from what I have seen. They were safer 20 years prior.

Who is it that stops right in the middle of an off-ramp lane to take a leak? Who is it that slows down to 10 mph a block before they need to make a turn? There is a difference between being "cautious" and being "clueless". I'm not saying it's inevitable, some people do better than others, some people loose it at 70...