State Senator Steven Baddour announced his support for mandatory road and vision tests for individuals who reach 85 in light of a series of recent crashes involving elderly drivers. Baddour indicated support for a bill filed by Senator Brian Joyce that would make road and vision testing mandatory for drivers 85 and above, and held out the possibility of lowering that age threshhold as well as adding provisions that would allow family members to request testing. From the Herald:
“Everything’s on the table in terms of how you address this,” said Sen. Steven A. Baddour (D-Methuen), co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation, which has a hearing showdown scheduled for this morning.
“Clearly it’s all of these high-profile incidents that have grabbed people’s attention, and that have caused us to pay attention as well,” Baddour said, referring to five horrific crashes involving elderly drivers in recent weeks.
Transportation Committee House Chair Joe Wagoner is predicting a bill by Labor Day.
Bill Manzi.com 
This is a very touchy subject that directly effects the largest voting block. I applaud Senator Baddour for tackling it. However, the fact of the matter is that as we age our eyesight becomes weakened and distorted. When that is combined with slower reflexes it is a receipe for disaster as recent tragedies have proven. This problem will be exascerbated by the sheer numbers of seniors with the aging of the baby boomers. Good luck hammering out workable resolutions. This will not be easy and should be considered in conjunction with increasing access to public transportation.
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Your Honor,
It was my understanding, after reading about Baddour’s handling of the hearings, that he was attempting to get doctors to do the states dirty work and determine if an elderly person is physically or mentally qualified to have a license.
Is that true?
Jules
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