"Hey! Get off the road Gramps!" This is a statement I have heard many drivers reefer to when driving along side the elderly. I myself am a spectator when it comes to driving and I had always thought that the rude name-calling was a form of ageism from my generation. As I began to pay more attention, even my mother who is 50 years old would often get irritated driving behind a senior citizen. I wanted to find out if it was simply that a society was too impatient for it's elders, or if these older drivers were really causing problems on the road. I chose two journal entries of contrasting views and tried to come up with my own solution to this problem. Melanie Crane has written For Safety's Sake, which as it states in the title, goes into depth on how unsafe it is for seniors to continue driving. While Rodger Cobb brings up the pros and cons to this sensitive subject with; Are Elderly Drivers A Road Hazard? Together they made me understand the dangers and importance of driving while aging.
             Although the two author's view points that I have chosen to discuss, do not concur with each other, they do come to an agreement that 65 years of age, is the customary age for identifying a senor citizen. The facts also state, that there is today a majority in the percentage of elderly Americans, there are half as many teenagers in correlation. Recent progress in medicine and technology also keeps the number of older Americans increasing in percentage, making the number larger each passing year. Melanie Crane stated; from 1987 to 1997, their numbers strengthened 2.1 times as quickly as the rest of the population. Furthermore, this increases the population of elderly drivers. Crane added that with this increased population there are increased risks, in 1997 when the elderly only held 13 percent of the population, they held 18 percent of automobile accidents. Crane driving home her point turns to the fact that by 2030 it is ...