Your life could be changed in a single instant by uncontrollable external forces, like the incompetency of other people. This danger is especially prevalent on our roads today.

I was driving down the street when my car was struck by a vehicle of oncoming traffic, which was driven by an elderly woman. As a result of her failure to follow simple traffic laws, I sustained injuries which will require surgery to heal. This incident has severely negatively impacted my quality of life. The other driver was also injured and at her vulnerable old age, I assume her life has also been detrimentally affected. 

This personal experience is not isolated — it's part of an alarming trend that needs immediate attention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): in 2017 over 290,000 older adults were injured in motor vehicle accidents in the United States; drivers over 70 years old have a higher crash death rate; and motor vehicle crashes were the cause of 36% of work-related deaths of people over the age of 55. This is not about age discrimination, but rather the focus is on ensuring road safety for all users.

I AM CALLING UPON LAWMAKERS: please implement mandatory safety and competency testing or evaluation for all senior drivers as a part of the driver’s license renewal process. Such measures will help identify potential age-related health issues and changes that can affect one’s ability to drive, such as vision impairment or cognitive and physical decline. 

In implementing this testing we can create safer roads for everyone, while also ensuring that our seniors safely maintain their independence and privilege to drive. By preventing the allowance of incompetent drivers on our roads, we can protect all users of the road: motorists of all ages (including the elderly themselves), children, bicyclists, even pedestrians, and so on.

Following my recent car crash, I cannot perform easy everyday tasks and I am unable to function at normative levels due to constant pain. I believe that the mental, emotional, and physical trauma and suffering from the crash, in addition to the collision itself, could have all been prevented. It is far too often that people are injured and killed in motor vehicle accidents involving the elderly. Join me in advocating for this cause and LET’S CREATE CHANGE before you find yourself or a loved one in a similar situation to mine…

Please sign this petition today if you believe in promoting SAFER ROADS through mandatory preventative safety testing for senior drivers!