GOLDEN AGE OF DRIVERS: 50-YEAR-OLD'S HIT HIGHEST LEVELS EVER

THE OLD RUSTY NAIL

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

This title caught my eye the other day when I was reading the Web news.  I stopped taking my local newspaper some time ago because of poor delivery service and the reduced content, many articles of which were my favorites.  So now I get my news from the Web, radio, and TV.  I was drawn to this title because I am always interested in old people not that 50-year-olds are old. Still the Golden Age in the title suggests that there might be something of interest for us mature people.  Suggesting 50-year-olds as part of the Golden Age bothers me a bit because when I was 50 I did not consider myself even close to being you know, old.

As I have written many times before I began to feel different when I reached the ripe-old age of 80, which is telling me that I have arrived at the Golden Age.  Still including these youngsters into my group does give us a lot more political clout.  There are 93.5 million licensed drivers 50 years and older.  Of those 3.48 million are 85 and older which shows that during those 35 years 90 million drivers were no longer driving.  I am sure most of those have died but some are not capable of driving anymore because of this old age thing.

Dividing 90 million by 35 shows that about an average of 3.6 million stopped driving each year.  Of course not many stopped driving in their 50s, more in their 60s, a lot more in their 70s and a much greater number in their early 80s.  I would guess that as many stopped driving the first half of the 80s than did in the entire 70s decade.  And, let’s not forget that half of these drivers had died by the age of 80. Of course as we get more old people we get more old drivers.  This article noted that by the year 2045 there will be an increase of 77% in drivers over 65. Of course I will not be one of them.

This figure should not be surprising as more people are living longer.  I read the other day that people born now half will live to be 100.  My goodness who will support them if they retire at age 65.  This retirement age is interesting.  I guess it is now something like 66.  The Democrats do not want it to be raised but the Republicans want it to eventually get to something like 70.  I am a Democrat but in this discussion I agree with the Republicans that this so called retirement age should be increased and I think 70 is a good age. 

I retired from the federal government when I was 68.  I didn’t want to retire but my job was going north to Ohio from San Antonio, TX and who wants to live in Ohio during the winter.  Even the summers can get pretty hot there.  In fact, I enjoyed my profession so much I would have worked until I was 75.  I was indeed lucky enjoying my job, well lucky is not the word I should use.  I graduated from Veterinary School in California when I was 24 and ready to enjoy my own animal practice.  I did practice veterinary medicine for six years, four of those I had my own practice.  I hated every minute of it.  But, I kept at it until one day I decided enough is enough.  I sold it and with my family returned to the University of California at Davis where I had graduated from Veterinary School.  Eventually from there, I earned my MS and then my PhD making my life-long career with the US Air Force in Texas as a scientist. 

As a researcher I could not get to work soon enough, I enjoyed my work that much.  So, clearly I worked at finding a profession I really enjoyed.  And, I am so pleased that I did not stay with my animal practice.  The couple who bought my practice, both are veterinarians stayed with it and retired in the same town.  He became the mayor which I supposed I would have become if I had stayed there.  They loved that kind of work – you know it takes all kinds.

They retired and started to travel the world.  In my profession, I traveled the world as part of my job so when I retired I wanted to stay home.  Oh well…

As, I look back on my life, which I think most old people often do, it has taken so many twists and turns, some of which were made by good choices and some not so good.  In doing this reminiscing I wander how I would have done my life differently.  And, I am not so sure I would have made many different decisions even those I think are my bad ones.  Certainly, when I made those choices, at the time they made loads of sense and certainly not snap decisions.

Getting back to driving now when I am an old person, I think I am a better driver than when I was younger.  I do not speed, I pass other vehicles with more care than I use to, and I think I break fewer laws.  Of course everyone breaks traffic laws as there are so many that not doing so is really impossible. I notice when backing up and passing I am more careful than when I was younger.  I have a friend who has a new car which on the dash shows a picture of what is behind her.  I guess it is helpful but I know that if I had something like that I would still turn around in my seat and look behind me before I started to back up.  You know old dog new tricks.

I guess I feel less pressure driving than when I was younger.  By pressure I mean getting in front of that guy in front of me for some unknown reason.  I find myself sometimes driving behind someone who is below the speed limit.  A few years ago that would have been unthinkable.  When I realize I am doing that I smile knowing that I am saving gas by driving a bit slower.

Thoughts of old people are different than younger people for some reason.  I guess one reason is that we have learned some things most of which have been for the better. And too we have made dumb mistakes while driving which we don’t want to repeat.  Yes, we have learned from those mistakes so I think old people without any form of dementia are probably the best drivers.

I know I will get an argument from some insurance companies and I remember a couple of years ago Chris Mathews from Hard Ball on TV was very out spoken about the dangers of people in their 80's driving cars.  Certainly this is a serious form of age discrimination and I am sure when he reaches 80 he will change his mind.  As I keep writing about, nobody understands being old nor what people are capable of when they reach 80 until they live that long and begin to experience the Golden Age.

 11/18