This is a good idea. At age seventy, you have lost a step. Point #2 should be to have some kind of driver education in the schools or someplace. People don't know how to drive. The problem is that nobody has taught them.

This would be discrimination. The worst and most dangerous drivers are males in their teens and early 20's. But, we want to harass the old folks? Nice. Don't our governments (local, state and federal) incompetently legislate enough of our lives? You want to give them more to do (poorly)?

Seems sensible to me, especially in light of some of the recent instances of elderly drivers causing deadly accidents. Conversely, teenagers account for a disproportionately large amount of the traffic accidents on the Nation's highways, so stronger restrictions also need to be established there as well.

if they have done something that warrants it. some people are as with it at the end of their life as at any other time.

You hate to take away a persons independence, but for the sake of safety it must be done. I'll flip this as well by suggesting yearly tests for drivers between the ages of 16-21. Take a look at the accident records for this age group. There's a reason for the high insurance rates on this age group as well.

Oh God yes...ive have thought this a million times! Start with Aisians and women.

I think this is a good idea, but since a person's eyesight starts to deteriorate at around 40, why not make it every 4 or 5 years, up until about 65-70?

Absolutely! I keep having close calls with snowbirds and other assorted oldies who can barely control their bladder, much less their giant Buick deathmobile!

As we age, our eyesight, reflexes, short term memory...everything starts to go. I think a yearly testing is a good idea. As CanadaSucks points out, the DMV is backlogged...but I think it would be worth the extra money to staff appropriately/add more DMV's. Lets say crime is up in a city...the remedy would not be to look the other way because you don't have the dough. You need to make cutbacks elsewhere to help solve this key issue or it will run out of control, because guys know their chances of getting caught are slim. Now I'm not sure that having elderly drivers around is as big an issue, but it is certainly worth some consideration. If situations such as Randyman mentioned become more frequent, we will certainly see some sort of measure taken.

. . .interesting idea. .. but think of the backlog it would cause at DMV's already backlogged. This has tax money written all over it. How about just checking their eyesight periodically?

Well, you could try, but at that age, a lot of them would forget that they had an appointment at the DMV...

Great idea! At least once a year.

Good idea. Older drivers are a hazard or are just annoying. Problem is, you'll double the lines at the DMV with the tests. Also, some older folks do need to get around.

I think this is definitely a good idea, especially after the incident here in Los Angeles about a year or so ago, where a older man plowed through a crowd in a Santa Monica Farmers Market, stepping on the gas in a panic instead of the brakes. I don't remeber how many people died, but I remember a baby was killed as the car ran over the stroller, with the baby in it, as the young mother watched in horror. I do know that several people were injured. This was just one of the worst and most high profiled case, but there are many more. I don't think it is age discrimination. An annual or biannual check, including a Doctors recommendation, would beneficial to everyone.