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My heart is breaking for this family. A man who had his license revoked 15 years prior, killed a young woman. It happened in a small town and many people knew he should not be driving, yet nobody stepped in to stop him. Perhaps they thought, he is driving the same route every day, it will be OK?


86 years old and now in jail.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-meaghan-brown-parents-criminal-negligence-driving-1.5310408?fbclid=IwAR1RNndrXQSWU8vHgWnn4MDrIdPUYriIDo2OxEs1dfphnb8dafhdmodzolY

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CM, it’s definitely NOT bad manners to confront someone who has no business driving! I wish it wasn’t so darn hard to get them to stop driving. I’ve mentioned before but my dad totaled his 3rd car this year and unfortunately it was a pretty valuable classic that he has sunk a lot of money in to over the years! His doctors are aware of his cognitive issues and yet as far as I know, none of them have sent a request to the DMV to have him re-evaluated. I do know that they haven’t decided he should not be driving. He hasn’t received anything from the DMV so I don’t believe his doctors have notified them. It’s maddening. Infuriating. Not the doctors but the fact he won’t stop driving! I try to reason with myself and convince myself that giving up driving is painfully difficult for anyone, it’s the loss of freedom but i always come back to the fact that after after totalling 3 cars, he should be willing to stop driving! Perhaps I’m being unreasonable there but it’s how I feel about it.

I read about that motorbike collision the other day I think. Isn’t the driver the wife of a US....shoot what’s the word....US diplomat? I think it was a diplomats wife and apparently for some god forsaken reason they are given immunity? Same crash right? I think she ought to face the judge and suffer the consequences! Or maybe you are talking about another crash? I know she killed a young man. I also read of one over the summer involving a YouTuber on an electric scooter and she collided with what we call a box truck here in the US but our friends across the pond call it a lorry I think?

Young people are just dangerous as elderly demented people. A few years before my MIL got sick, a woman in her early 20s who had had her license permanently revoked because she had a plethora of wreckless driving charges, was STILL driving and the police tried to stop her for a traffic violation at the end of my MILs street. Instead of pulling over, she hit the gas pedal and drove off at a high rate of speed and lost control coming around the corner, hit MILs partners truck that was on the street in front of the house and sent it flying towards the house!!!! It came to a stop inches away from the front window. My BIL and nephew were sitting in the couch which was in front of the window at the time. Nearly killed them both! She had no insurance either. I remember when she went to court for it, they asked MILs partner to speak about the victim impact but he wouldn’t do it. His only concern was milking his insurance for as much as possible.
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This isn't going to be popular, but another factor in both this and a headline news item we have at the moment is: young people on motorbikes who hit the car that killed them (rather than were hit by the car).

The Canadian driver was crossing lanes during a turn. Meaghan had just overtaken a car and was unable to avoid him.

In our news item (which is news for other reasons, but never mind that) the American driver was confused about which lane to drive in (we drive on the left), carried on for 400 yards down the right hand lane, and hit a motorbike head on, killing the 19 year old rider who was on his way to work. Her 12 year old son was in the car passenger seat at the time, Heaven knows what nightmares he's having, poor mite.

Had either rider been travelling less fast, they would have been able to avoid the collisions. I'm not suggesting and it hasn't been suggested that either was contravening speed limits, but speed limits don't remind you that if you can't see the route ahead well enough (while overtaking, for example) or you encounter something unexpected (like a car heading towards you in your lane), SLOW DOWN.

This does not stop me agreeing that it is NOT bad manners or unfair to confront a driver you KNOW is driving illegally; and in sweet Meaghan's case it seems the whole town knew. Shame on them.
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There was a follow up report that the man was driving his wife's car. There is discussion that she may be subject to a civil suit, as she knew he was not legal to drive.

More food for thought. Do you want to be held legally responsible if you allow someone to drive who should not be.
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This is what happens if one makes a commitment to save another person's life.
This is done while everyone has gone home saying NOTHING CAN BE DONE.

An elderly grandmother reports to me her Dil is drunk, and will be leaving to drive home soon. She has a recent history of drunk driving and accidents. Grandma tells me and no one else.

A call to her husband to come and get her. He can't and won't come.
I threaten to let the air out of her tires, and her husband says if you want to do that go ahead.

I do not do it myself, but the air is let out of her tires.

Raving like a banshee, the Dil calls AAA (auto club).

I am there to stop AAA and inform him that if he gets her back on the road, he will be held responsible for putting a drunk driver on the road. Suggest strongly he return after awhile when she has sobered up. He leaves.

The drunk Dil threatens to sue. And complains to the church where her husband works. The pastor investigates, calls the elderly grandmother who denies her Dil was drinking, and in fear, denies she reported the Dil to me. He calls a meeting to repair the accusations and rift between the church members. The Dil and her husband do not show. He tells me thank you for doing the right thing, but they may sue you.

I explain that I did not let the air out of her tires, and that I did not see her at all that day. All true.

The incident is dropped. The grandmother apologizes to me that she was afraid, so lied to the pastor. Time passes, but the Dil did not drive that day.

I no longer involve myself in dysfunctional families. But I am not someone who will accept the "nothing can be done" excuse, ever.
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Worriedincali. I absolutely know it's easier said than done because I had to do it. I'm not saying it is easy, I'm saying it is imperative.
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jkm999 the problem is, and if you’ve read the threads you should know this, is that’s its easier said than done. Many of us who have a parent who shouldn’t be driving have NO authority to sell the car. You can take away a physical driver’s license but that isn’t going to stop these hell-bent elders from driving. As with most things said on this forum, it is all easier said than done. Take the keys away and they can get a new key made. Disconnect the battery and they can have AAA or whatever road club they use come out to jump start it & guaranteed the tow truck driver will reconnect the battery and BAM! They are back on the road again.
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Yes. My brother had two warnings (he told me after the complete demolishing of his car, almost his life, almost the life of another). He was 85 in a place where he drove very little, but there is poor transit and a lot of heat. He wanted to keep driving and he did. He now thanks goodness he did not injure another, but it changed his life around forever.
I am afraid this is a lesson almost ALWAYS learned too late.
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Please post this article each time someone posts about how they are afraid to take away a parent's driving license. It's not just about taking the license but about keeping them from driving. Take the license AND sell the car. Do not let them have any access. This is a tragedy that was totally avoidable.
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Thanks for sharing.  That's really sad, and what a terrible way to spend one's old age.  

I see though that he's legally blind, so that may have been a more  determinative factor than his age.

I also become angry when I see that age is mentioned as a factor, given that accidents are also caused by distracted drivers, many of whom are younger people.     They're just as much if not more hazardous on the road that older people.
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