Car Wrecks are Scarey or Driving & ADD, a Poor Mix.

Recently, Laurie and I have been talking about the need for annual driver's testing for persons within certain age brackets. Although we have not necessarily agreed upon the specific age for these tests, we both agree that until a driver reaches maturity they should be tested annually. Likewise as they begin slipping into old age where reflexes slow and eyesight diminishes, we contend that testing should again be implemented. Jason refers to those elderly folks who can't turn their necks to adequately see what's going on as Frogheads. I add that so you can visualize.

At any rate, there comes a point when drivers are no longer safe for the road. This is why my grandmother, Nana, used to ask me to drive her on errands rather than my grandfather, Poppa.

I maintain that from 25 to 65 people are fine, but otherwise, they should be checked out to see if they are fit for driving. Of course this is age discrimination, but so is not being able to vote, drive cars, carry fire-arms, drink alcohol, and etc. until certain ages. So, is gaining social security benefits at certain ages. The fact of the matter is that the safety of the driver and everybody else on the road is at stake. My system still allows for forty years of uninterrupted, untested driving privileges.

Laurie adds an additional caveat.

This weekend, as I was driving my family to Versailles for the KY Methodist Home's annual day, I was involved in a car accident. Of course, the first question everybody wants to know is "Is everybody alright?" Yes, and we were all wearing our seat belts. The younger two were in car seats. Laurie and Cooper, although belted, were not in car seats. Secondly, people typically wonder, "is the car alright?" Well, I drove it 60 more miles to Versailles and then back and I'm not having it fixed. So, it is alright enough, or 'alrightish' if you will. The third question is always something to the effect, "were you at fault or who was at fault?" Suffice it to say I was the only car involved, so... you decide.

As I approached the intersection, the sun was shining and all the lights, red, yellow, and green all appeared to be lit up. Further, the truck in front of me also appeared to have his taillights lit up. All of this was due to the sun shining in that direction. None of this caused me to decelerate. I was observing and drawing the attention of my children to the pumpkins for sale at the roads edge.

In returning my attention to the road and traffic, I discovered that the red pick-up truck had stopped for the light. I on the other hand was not prepared to do so, at least not in timely enough of a manner. So, I braked and steered to the median at the right of the truck. Of course this was too little too late and I proceeded through the intersection. In an attempt to avoid the traffic coming from the right, I again veered, this time to the left. This was a mistake. As I lost control of the vehicle and it turned 180 degrees, Ainsley was panting OhOhOhOh. While Laurie, who incidentally was riding in the back seat between Elan and Ainsley, attempted to calm her.

Ultimately, we went over an embankment and landed on the left side of the Highway facing the opposite direction we were intending to travel. I got out of the vehicle a little shaken myself and attempted to survey the damage. I got back in moved the car to a more level spot and again got out to check for damages. As I was doing so, Laurie lunged forward to put the car in park, a positive precaution which I had failed to implement.

After picking up pieces of the car body and placing them in the trunk, I got back in the car and drove around this person's yard attempting to find a means by which to once again access the highway, which fortunately was available at the opposite end of the large piece of property. In one respect, that I was able to drive over the embankment and through the yard and back down the steep incline to the driveway, I was glad I was in my trusty AWD Subaru Outback. On the other hand, in that I partially tore-up a car, I wish I had been in my crappy Volvo wagon.

So, back to the original point. Laurie contends that persons with ADD should be required to pass a drivers test annually. But, from personal experience, I don't think it would help.