Don’t Single Out Older Drivers . . .

Last November, 15-year-old Brentwood High School student Brandi Mitock lost her life after being hit by 96-year-old motorist Byron Cox. Cox was sentenced to serve probation and pay $5,000 in restitution. Brandi’s friends and family promptly launched a fight to toughen the driver’s license renewal process for motorists 75 and older. A bill in the state Senate sponsored by Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles) would require people 75 and older to take written, eyesight and behind-the-wheel tests; the term for renewal would shrink from four years to one year as the driver grew older. RACHEL FISCHER spoke about the bill with a senior rights activist and a high school student who knew Brandi.

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JULES DRAZNIN

76, a retired journalist and journalism teacher from West Los Angeles. He is active with the American Assn. of Retired Persons.

About two months ago, I was called to Tom Hayden’s office as a member of the American Assn. of Retired Persons’ State Legislation Committee and the Los Angeles County Commission on Aging. At that time, I told Hayden that I could possibly support this bill if there were some changes that made it less about age discrimination. But Hayden appeared very indifferent to our side when I tried to talk to him.

This society treats aging as if it was a disease. I had an accident recently in which a woman in her 50s totaled my car. This lady said that if I hadn’t been such a good driver, she would have been killed.

This bill is unfair in that it would isolate seniors, by taking away their driving privileges in Los Angeles. It would be like a death warrant to not be able to drive in Los Angeles.

I have no argument with a system in which all drivers are reexamined periodically. But singling out one group, older people, does not make sense. I met Brandi Mitock’s family at this meeting with Hayden. What happened was a terrible tragedy. But to punish all seniors for that, well, I’ll oppose it.

As you get older, you become a nonentity in society. But you don’t lose your marbles past 70. I do exactly the same things I’ve been doing for years: play golf, volunteer in the community. I’m still very attuned with what’s going on with the outside world.

And at 76, my driving hasn’t changed a bit. In fact, it’s better, because I’m more cautious. And there are a lot of people like me out there.

A lot of younger people that I see drive unsafely, with one hand on the wheel and one hand clutching a cell phone. It’s ridiculous that Hayden has been quoted as saying that we seniors are “in denial” about our driving difficulties. The frequency of testing drivers should be based on functionality, not age.

What about the impact this will have on seniors as a group? What if many can no longer drive to the market? As for the funding they say would be put toward transportation programs for those no longer able to drive, I say, “Show me.” They need to do more study on the issue.

As for those DMV statistics that say that drivers 65 and older are involved in 17% of fatal crashes and cause 60% of the accidents, frankly I don’t believe them. Numbers can be manipulated. There are other ways to alleviate the “problem” of older drivers, such as the AARP’s “55 Alive” program, in which drivers are voluntarily retrained.

This proposal is a very severe measure. This age group is too stereotyped as it is. And believe me, as the baby boomers age, they’re going to make a big issue of seniors’ rights.