Once you earn that license, it's yours for life. Should drivers be re-tested to determine their driving capability? Take our poll, or leave your comments below.
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9 Comments
By James on November 8, 2009 9:39 AM
Those with the highest scores should be allowed to exceed speed limits by 10mph as an incentive for excellent driving skills.
By dale on November 8, 2009 2:53 PM
After age 60, drivers should be tested every 5 years.. NO expections
By JAT on November 11, 2009 3:24 PM
Interesting proposal, James, but the people with the lower scores will still be having accidents into which the high scorers will now be plowing that much faster...
While we're proposing changes to the licensing laws: A Drivers License shall be valid for only four out of five years and cannot be renewed (with a re-test) until the licensee has gone a full year without a drivers license.
That ought to end our ruinous reliance on the single occupant car and spur some serious transit alternatives!
By Jay on November 12, 2009 11:57 AM
Drivers that think they can drive are most likely the motorist that cause the most problems on the roads today. Driving requires much more than operating a motor vehilce. Driver licenses are generally renewed every five years and not only should a better developed written test be taken a road test by a competent administrator should be required as well. I'm a driving safety instructor for heavy trucks. I know!
By Ronald Harris on November 15, 2009 4:42 PM
If driving on our highways is a privilage an not a right then we need to take a long hard look at measuring driver skills?
Based on our current technology, we should develop driving simulators with critical driving experiences similar to aviation flight simulators.Testing would be prerequisite for beginning drivers and elderly drivers, the latter based on statistical research such as health,medication and driving records.
By Duane on November 18, 2009 10:44 AM
Since many drivers do not recognize that their personal driving skills may have diminished with age, I strongly believe that beginning at a specified age (70?), each renewal should be dependent upon a road test by a qualified examiner.
I have never been retested since earning my driver's license so many years ago, and indeed would welcome an invitation by my state's licensing department to prove that I am still qualified to drive safely. 70 is not that far away for me...
By Neal Schindler on November 18, 2009 10:58 AM
I agree with Duane, but I think the cost of retesting so many people is probably prohibitive.
By John on November 21, 2009 9:17 AM
Pilots are retested every two years in the worst case (flight review), and sometimes more often due to company or insurance requirements. And they're tested in real-world conditions -- low visibility, simulated instrument and engine failure, and less-than-optimal conditions (e.g., gusty crosswind landing).
A similar regime applied to drivers would save lives, but would probably revoke the licenses of at least half the currently-licensed drivers. Politicians, however, are short-sighted people pleasers, so we'll continue with the simple-to-test "biped with a pulse" standard.
By Honey Pie on November 28, 2009 6:56 PM
There are no standard driving evaluation tests for doctors to give to people who have become ill or disabled. Repeat: No Standard Tests.
Scary.
It's a physician's judgment and they often err on the side of having someone keep, rather than give up, their license.
Drivers over 65 should be tested regularly by state DMV. It's all we got, we need to use it.