A Danvers detective photographs this single car vehicle, which crashed through a Danvers Walmart June 2. The car was driven by a 93-year-old man who accidentally hit the gas instead of the break. Four people were taken to area hospitals. (Photo by Mark Lorenz/Salem News)
The Massachusetts Legislature is considering increasing the licensing requirements for older drivers following a bizarre spate of accidents where older drivers were behind the wheel. The June 13 accident in Stoughton that resulted in the death of a 4-year-old girl may just be the boiling point for the issue. But as the state considers mandatory eye testing based on age alone, some are calling for a more widespread reform that targets drivers in specific risk groups outside of age.
This week, Behind the Headlines sits down with Elizabeth Dugan who teaches at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. She’s also author of “The Driving Dilemma: The Complete Resource Guide for Older Drivers and their Families.”
Dugan and the group Safe Roads Now are asking the legislature to rethink a bill that will be heard before the state’s Joint Committee on Transportation this Tuesday.
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Noah R. Bombard is the new media editor for The Eagle-Tribune in North Andover. He is a former award-winning newspaper and magazine editor who has been covering news in Massachusetts since 1997.