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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Top Galleries: February 22, 2007 Oregon lawmakers may clamp down on senior citizen drivers By Aaron Clark The Associated Press SALEM — Kate Groh's three grandsons would have turned 5, 11 and 12 this year. But instead of birthday parties, the 52-year-old Salem woman will visit three small graves. Groh's three grandsons were killed in 2001 when an 83-year-old driver veered over from his lane and struck the car carrying the boys and their mother, who went into a coma but survived. Groh has made it her life's mission to reform Oregon's driver's license renewal laws for elderly drivers, which she says are some of the most lax in the country. "None of us want to be the person who takes grandma's keys away. No one wants to get written out of the will," Groh said before a House committee on Wednesday, speaking in favor of a bill that would toughen the license renewal process for older drivers. "This takes it out of the family's hands." The bill would force drivers 75 and older to renew their licenses every four years rather than the standard eight, and require they pass eyesight and driving tests to prove they are capable behind the wheel. Though elderly groups such as the AARP oppose the legislation, advocates like Groh say it's imperative to keeping Oregon's roads safe. As a group, drivers 75 and older account for a small percentage of the 35,000 to 40,000 reported crashes in Oregon each year. In 2002, the latest year for which statistics are available, they accounted less than 4 percent of accidents, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. But the group's accident rate, when based on the number of miles traveled, is only slightly less than 16- and 17-year-olds. "There are many older people who are not being monitored by their family or friends," said Vicki Berger, R-Salem, one of the bill's sponsors. "It's terrifying out there on those highways. This is a reasonable provision for elderly drivers." But some groups contend it's unfair to target people based on their age. They say all motorists should be forced to undergo the same renewal exams regardless of age, to prove they have the physical and mental abilities to be safe on the road. "We are supportive of in-person renewal and screening and testing for everyone," said Rick Bennett, 58, of Lincoln City, who testified in opposition of the bill for AARP. "When I'm driving I'm not concerned about someone who may be a little older than me, I'm concerned about the people who may be a little bit younger than me." Bennett said he would support a program similar to one that is being tried in neighboring California, where all drivers renewing their license — regardless of age — are required to pass a series of cognitive and functional tests that demonstrate their ability to drive. But the elderly also account for a disproportionate amount of those killed in accidents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an education and research organization, elderly drivers have the highest death rate per miles driven because they injure more easily than younger people. The number of drivers 65 years and older in the U.S. is expected to double to 70 million by 2030. Current Oregon law stipulates that drivers renew their licenses every eight years, and motorists 50 and older are required to take an eye exam. But most states require a renewal every four or five years. Groh said that bill would give Oregonians greater oversight of the licensing renewal process and save the lives of both older and younger drivers. "I hope that when I'm 75 I'm terrific behind the wheel, but when I can't, I'll hang up the keys." Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising: Debt Help Inkjet Printers Payday Loans Free Ringtones Debt Consolidation Security Systems Debt Relief New Hampshire Primary Advertisement: Copyright © 2007 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Del.icio.us