An elderly woman drove in the wrong direction for about 3 miles on the southbound 5 Freeway in Irvine the afternoon of June 13, 2009 before getting assisted off the freeway by California Highway Patrol officials, The Orange County Register reports. Thankfully, there were no collisions and no personal injuries. No one, including the elderly driver, was hurt during this scary episode. Apparently CHP officials began getting calls about the wrong-way driver who was driving a red Toyota or Honda. The woman was headed north at about 45 mph in the carpool lane and center divider shoulder of the southbound I-5 near Alton Parkway and then continued past Barranca Parkway, the 133, and Sand Canyon Avenue. Officers got her off the freeway within minutes of stopping her car. It's not clear whether the elderly woman was cited or arrested.
Of course, I'm extremely relieved that no one was injured or killed as a result of this elderly woman's wrong-way driving. This incident could have easily resulted in a catastrophic Irvine car accident. I trust CHP officials who are investigating this case are looking into who this woman was, whether she had a health condition or mental condition that caused her to become disoriented. Whatever the cause of her disorientation, this was a frightening incident and it is very fortunate that no one was injured.
There has been a series of recent Southern California car accidents involving elderly drivers. This incident reminds us yet again about the important issue of our aging driving population. California now has almost 3 million drivers who are 65 years or older, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. A recent study by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds fatality rates for drivers begin to climb after age 65. In 2005, about 11 percent of fatal traffic accidents in the United States had involved drivers 65 or older.
In this particular case, I would be interested to know if this woman was eligible to drive at all. Had she been previously involved in any car accidents? Did she even have a driver's license? If she had a driver's license, I certainly hope it is suspended or revoked if this episode was the result of a serious health condition.
California laws do not require elderly drivers to pass road tests for renewing their driving licenses. I believe these tests are extremely helpful in identifying senior drivers whose physical ability or mental awareness is not what it used to be. Such requirements are clearly overdue and will be critical to help prevent the tragedies we have witnessed over the last few months.
SLS Consulting