Retest Elderly Drivers in the State of New York!
- by: The Stoldt & Ziegler Families
- recipient: New York State Assembly
(Just as a reminder: THIS IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK! Other state signatures are appreciated but won't count in the petition itself. Thanks!)
Have you ever been on the road, simply minding your business, when an elderly person, barely able to see over the steering wheel, suddenly pulls out in front of you as if to not see you? You're forced to slam on your brakes, and out of pure rage, you lay on your horn as he or she drives 10 miles under the issued speed limit. That's when you begin to ask yourself if he of she is able to hear the blaring horn. Or better yet, if these people should even be on the road.
In June 2010, Michael A. Stoldt, a local of Lancaster, NY, died in a tragic motorcycle accident. An elderly man carelessly made a left-hand turn, neglecting to see Mike coming straight towards him on his bike. Due to an elderly man's lack of vision and cognitive ability skills, Mike's children will never really get to know their father, and his wife will never experience another tender moment with her soul mate.
In an effort to raise awareness, the family and friends of Michael Stoldt are gathering signatures to petition the government for the retesting of driver's licenses of those who are no longer capable of driving in the State of New York. As noted by a number of driver's safety programs, as we age, it is only natural that specific functions related to driving skills may decline. These functions include vision, hearing, reaction time, and cognitive and motor abilities. Due to an increase in vehicular accidents year after year, it has been an ongoing issue whether the elderly should be re-tested annually in regards to keeping their driver's licenses.
It is our time, now more than ever, to make a difference. Please help us in supporting our cause and prevent someone you love from falling under the statistics of a careless elderly driver.
(And just as a side note, the topic of elderly drivers has nothing to do with the drunk drivers or with the young drivers on our roads. Those are separate issues needed to be dealt with on their own, and this is its own problem that we hope to address. Thanks so much.)
We the undersigned are writing to express our concern for the number of unsuited elderly drivers on the New York roads today. It has become an increasing subject of debate, as more and more innocent New York State residents lose their lives in vehicular accidents due to the negligence of these senior citizens. It only seems conventional for the elderly to be retested annually in regards to keeping their driver's licenses so as to prevent unnecessary, untimely deaths of those who cross their paths. With this, we strongly urge you to follow in the footsteps of past state governments in the retesting of elderly drivers in our wonderful state of New York. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.
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