And Another...

As pols talk, senior eyed in horrific crash

Even as Beacon Hill lawmakers weighed hitting the brakes on elderly drivers with mandatory road and vision tests, yet another octogenarian was involved in a crash that critically injured a woman yesterday.

The horrific wreck unfolded yesterday in Woburn, where police expected to charge an 83-year-old Malden man with negligent operation and are seeking to revoke his license after his car slammed into a Chrysler Sebring driven by a 78-year-old Woburn woman, said Sgt. Robert Giannotti.

I understand all too well that the plural of anedote is not data. However, I've had enough Q-tips pull this same crap on me (usually when I'm on the Harley) that it's worth noting these events.

This is one of those cases where our personal failure to perform an unpopular task is going to result in a bad law (or laws) being passed. Our unwillingness to confront older drivers about their deteriorating skills will eventually blow up on us, with poorly thought-out, reactionary laws being passed that will inevitably erode our freedoms even further. This is practically a foregone conclusion...

Because this:

State Rep. Joseph F. Wagner (D-Chicopee), co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation, promised “comprehensive” legislative action regarding the issue would be taken by Labor Day.

is a frightening thought. "Comprehensive" legislation. I doubt it. Reactionary and short-sighted, perhaps. But our politicans have shown precious little spine in taking on the powerful AARP lobby, so we can only surmise that there will be a "zero-tolerance" type no-brain law passed that will not affect the whiteheads one whit but will inconvenience the rest of us...

That is all.