Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Massachusetts Senior Driver Evaluations to Prevent Auto Accidents? (Part A)
Studies show that senior drivers make only 9% of the U.S. population and drive less frequently than other age groups, yet elderly drivers are responsible for 12% of all auto accident fatalities.
Senior drivers and teen drivers are the two age groups that statistically are more likely to cause a car accident than any other age group. Yet, in some states, teen drivers are the only group with age-specific licensing restrictions placed upon them.
Massachusetts Law Regarding Senior Driving
Massachusetts currently does not require senior drivers that are seeking to renew their license to take a skills test to demonstrate they are safe drivers. The state’s law “prohibits discrimination by reason of age with regard to licensing.” While the commitment to preventing age discrimination is a noble and just cause, some lawmakers wonder if “age-based reform” might help to prevent a rise in injuries or fatalities due to Massachusetts senior driver accidents.
Massachusetts State Senator Brian A. Joyce (D-Milton) has been trying for several years to introduce age-based reform into the state’s driving system. In early 2009, he re-introduced “An Act to Promote Safe Driving.”
According to the Canton Citizen, Sen. Joyce’s bill would require a driver to submit to simple driver re-evaluations beginning at age 85. Under his plan, elderly drivers would perform the evaluation every five years and would be required to:
- Pass a vision test, and
- Pass a road test
Current Massachusetts law requires only a vision test once every 10 years, Joyce said.
Though the state has been willing to place limits on teen drivers, such as restricting driving hours and requiring adult supervision in certain situations, there has been no similar age based reform for senior drivers.
Massachusetts is not alone in that respect. Illinois and New Hampshire are the only states that require senior drivers to perform a road test when seeking license renewal.
Continue to Massachusetts Senior Driver Evaluations to Prevent Auto Accidents? (Part B) >>
