To the editor:
In the Eagle-Tribune story, "Baddour: Bill on elderly motorists will pass this year" (July 1), AARP's position on pending legislation to improve road safety is misrepresented, stating we "oppose laws that are already on the books in many other communities."
AARP strongly supports House Bill No. 2241, An Act Relative to Impaired Drivers, which was favorably released last week from the Public Safety Committee. The bill would improve medical reporting of unsafe drivers to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and as seen in other states, help reduce crashes.
But House Bill No. 2241 is only a first step. As part of the Safe Roads Now coalition of more than a dozen elder advocates, medical professionals, law enforcement, academics and others, AARP has called for a comprehensive solution to improve road safety that focuses on ability, not age. Safe Roads Now, and AARP, have recommended 14 points to achieve this goal, centered on in-person license renewals throughout a driver's lifetime, and new screening and testing that focuses on an individual's ability to drive. Identify those drivers with problems and test them more frequently.
Today, people are living longer, healthier lives. The aging of our population will have wide-reaching impact on everything from health care, housing and work to transportation. We need to fix the driver licensing system in Massachusetts to make the roads safer for everyone. And we need a comprehensive approach that provides alternatives when driving is no longer the best option. When it comes to transportation policy, AARP's goal is to make the roads safer for everyone.
Deborah Banda
State Director
AARP Massachusetts
