I am writing to clarify the misleading headline of the July 23 edition of the BDN article, “ Secretary of State Charlie Summers exploring tougher restrictions for older drivers in Maine.”
This article suggests that I am “targeting” senior drivers for “tougher restrictions” and seeking new legislation that will affect elder drivers. It also suggests that this initiative is further along in the process than it actually is. We are beginning to explore any and all resources that may be available for drivers to evaluate their current abilities and discuss how these skills may be affected by certain medical conditions or the aging process.
What I discussed was the challenge Maine currently faces due to the fact that we have the oldest population per capita in the United States. Maine has more than 189,000 drivers over the age of 65, roughly 20 percent of all drivers in the state. National statistics have shown that drivers over the age of 70 are involved in more fatal crashes per miles driven than any other age group except for teens. As secretary of state, it is my responsibility to address the needs of all drivers, regardless of age.
That being said, I have begun an exploratory process to see what opportunities might be available to educate the state’s aging drivers. My intention with the Senior Driver Initiative is not to “toughen restrictions” on senior drivers but to ensure that every driver is given the education and opportunity to enhance their driving skills, as needed, as we age.
It is crucial that I acknowledge and proactively address the needs of aging drivers, not only for safety reasons but to assist seniors in maintaining their independence in such a rural state. I want to ensure that elderly drivers are able to stay on the road as long as it’s safely possible.
AAA Northern New England is very active in providing information through its outreach programs to senior drivers. I am in discussions with our friends at AAA and also have met with various automobile dealers in an effort to establish a collaborative partnership with the secretary of state’s office. This partnership would bring AAA’s program, my own department and auto dealers together to provide educational opportunities and offer assistance to as many drivers as possible.
I would like to create an environment where drivers can learn about and see demonstrations of technology available in today’s automobiles, which may be beneficial to an aging driver, and have representatives available from my office who are knowledgeable about how certain medical conditions affect a person’s driving ability and help recognize both strengths and opportunities for improvement in a driver’s current skills. I believe that by working together we can reach the greatest population and make this program available at a local level.
I also want to make it perfectly clear that there is no pending legislation, nor has there been any legislation introduced, that would toughen restrictions on senior drivers. My initiative is solely for safety educational opportunities as it relates to the needs of Maine’s aging driver population. These educational opportunities would be available to those that think they may need some assistance or that would like to prepare for the future. They will not be made mandatory. “Tougher restrictions” implies that we are creating more mandates for senior drivers which is not what our effort is about.
I would encourage any reader to contact my office directly for more information or with questions at 626-8400 or via email at sos.office@maine.gov.
Charlie Summers Jr. is Maine’s secretary of state.
back peddle, back peddle, – I love that song. Charlie must have realized that some old people, whom he doesn’t want driving, might actually be voters, if they can get to the polls. Of course, between “cleansing” the voter rolls, taking driver licenses away, and repeating the GOP mantra that Maine is the oldest state, Charlie may have a hard time with the mature voter. Yet again, I can’t imagine how many young voters, those that are still allowed to vote in the 2 Charlie State, will want to vote for him either. That leaves the right aged guys and the bearded ladies.
Charlie, your lifeboat is leaking ! You state that you’re not making tougher restrictions and then turn around and try to make the arguement for more driver education, that they must have and pass, for these same older driver’s to keep on driving. Rowing a canoe in 2 direction’s at once is both idiotic and, as we all know in Maine, not going to get you anywhere but but looking like a fool. And in Maine we have 1 too many now in Augusta and we don’t need anymore !
Well said, Charlie. One simply cannot trust the BDN to get the message right, even when it is relatively straightforward as in this case.
Any chance the BDN has to marginalize Summers, they will jump at.
And I hope that the BDN will publicize any attempt by Summers to marginalize Maine citizens.
Here’s to hoping the solution you reach will be a more thoughtful and effective approach than your teen driving law changes. In that case, you increased penalties for violations but offered nothing else. This is not an approach that will reduce teen fatalities. It will simply make it harder for young people to find work and go to school. This at a time when unemployment among young Mainers is much higher than the general population.
The better approach for teen drivers would have been making penalties for adults tougher when they have impressionable children in the car. This is actually where kids learn how to drive and whether or not it is okay to speed or break other laws.
In the case of senior citizens, the challenge relates to the need to have difficult conversations regarding what they consider a fundamental liberty. Taking away driving privileges in Maine is akin to being fully dependent on others for your basic needs. You have your hands full to come up with a way to “encourage” older drivers to surrender their licenses or to provide support to their children who need to look out for their safety.
You might want to shelve this effort, Charlie. Seniors are among the only constituencies that are likely to support you. If you alienate them, you are left with support from only the most radical right wing Mainers. They are still too few in number to get you across the finish line.
I feel like Summers’ attack on young voters was misleading. What goes around comes around.
“education and opportunity to enhance their driving skills”, “provide educational opportunities and offer assistance”, “what opportunities might be available to educate the state’s aging drivers” More “newspeak” from Charlie. What he really means is that they are going to make getting a driving license more difficult for everybody over the age of 70.
Hard astern, Charlie. First, your unsubstantiated Voter Fraud, and now you’re for ridding the highways of the oldsters.
Both keyed to your Tea Party agenda of purging old and poor voters from voting. The Voter Fraud issue was a miserable wet firecracker that sputtered on a less than 3 percent total figure for the past decade, or, more. The ID tid bit is Tea Party ideological and Republican trick to keep the poor and minorities out of the voting booths.
Your latest flub dub to place older drivers under strict state monitoring, lacks reason, other than another attempt to restrict older people from driving – making it harder to reach that ballot box.
Your claims to substantiate such a move are identical to those in Florida, where the governor cried “Voter Fraud” with about less than 3 percent to back up his scream.
Your claim that older people are worse drivers and need to be monitored and schooled by a state supervisory agency, is on the same level.
In this week’s Weekly in the BDN., 41 of the 89 cases listed as being heard over a short period in Bangor District Court, were motor vehicle violations.
Seven violations in the 17-20 age group; 14 in the 20-30 age group; 9 in the 30-40 age group; 6 in the 40-50 age group; 3 in the 50-60 age group. And – this you will not like. There were just two violations by people in the 60-80 age group.
That kind of smashes your assertions about “elderly” or “older” people needing schooling. Of 41 motor vehicle violations only two involved people between 60 and 80 years of age.
You and Le Page grab headlines with your wild unsubstantiated allegations against the people in this state. Questioned on the validity of such statements you and Le Page are given plenty of space to add your customary “what I meant to say, was” – by the media. You, Le Page, and other Tea Party affiliates, are allowed to say anything and the media just broadcasts it.
Your goal to regiment older drivers goes unquestioned, even though you based your assumption on the fact that just two or three older drivers were involved in accidents, or, near accidents.
Definitely looks like a campaign piece. If it isn’t, Charlie, quit your day job and just campaign.