I don't buy the idea that improving the public transportation system will eventually have people dump their cars for the bus or subway. People don't like to be controlled, having a car means freedom. Plus the fact, I know a few people who wouldn't ride the subway because they don't want to seat beside a smelly person or someone who is coughing. I remember a time when a colleague was always sick (allergies, colds, flu) and the partner told her to buy a car instead of riding the subway. My boss said you caught that flu from riding public transpo.
(Yeah right!!!) Having a car is a status symbol for some people, public transpo is for poor people only. Public transpo is just a band aid not a solution.
Funny thing is, people are up in arms when the subway increases their fares, start saying I'm going buy a car cause the Toronto Transit increased their rates and yet they will actually line up to buy $1.50 worth of gas or pay $50 in parking fees with no complaints at all. I don't get it!
I think you can be an impaired driver at any age. Raising the age of who or who can't drive won't solve anything. That's not going to solve anything, if they want to drive like a maniac, they'll do it. Plus the fact, in a multi-cultural country such as the US and Canada, there are some people who immigrated from countries that there are no traffic rules in place. Yes, they pass the driving test but they are back to their old ways once they get their license. In fact, I have a colleague who drives like he does back home and just laughs at me when I lecture him about it. He goes "Well, just as long as you can safely manuever your way into traffic, you won't get into an accident. I have never been in an accident the way I drive." Sure, how many time I rode with him and he brakes a lot cause he tries to beat the red light or go into traffic without even letting the approaching car pass first before going in. He said "If he hits us, he is the one at fault because he saw us and should have applied the brakes." I go, "Yeah, that maybe true but what if we are both dead by then, no amount of money or compensation can bring us back." Eversince, I never ride with him again and he got upset with me because I kept turning him down. I'd rather bring my car to a downtown meeting and pay a huge parking fee than ride with him. In fact, he got two speeding tickets that he won in court and have been bragging about it eversince.
We should consider older drivers as well, if you want to bump up the age of who can drive, you should have an age limit as well. I know it's discrimination but there are some older folks out there that shouldn't be driving anymore. I love my grandpa but he is very stubborn, my relatives keep telling him they'll pay for a driver just to get him off the road but no, he wants to drive. In fact, he is driving an SUV and drives like a teenager and he insists in driving me and my wife around town. He has athritis and I know for a fact, that sometimes your hands or feet goes numb (I am afflicted with the ailment as well, I'm young
, runs in the family) when the weather or temprature changes. I'm afraid his reflexes is not what it used to be.
I think stricter penalties should be placed for impaired driving, not just attending a lecture, fines, how about suspending their license for ten years, can't buy a car, those who allow impaired drivers whose license were suspended to drive their car should also be fined or have their licenses revoked as well, imprisonment, if possible. I know the latter is difficult to impose since our jails will be too crowded.