Mar 15, 2007 8:55 am US/Central
Lawmakers Want Vision Tests For Older Drivers
AUSTIN (AP) ―
Elderly Texans would have to pass a vision test every two years to keep their drivers license after age 90 under legislation given preliminary approval in the Texas House on Wednesday.
The measure, known as Katie's Law, also will require drivers over 90 to renew their licenses in person every two years for an $8 fee. Current law requires renewal every six years for a $24 fee, with online or mail options that don't require vision or driving tests every time.
The bill's author, Republican Rep. Dan Branch of Dallas, said the measure "hopefully will start the debate in Texas and be a first step in trying to sensibly deal with the late stage of driving."
The proposal has faced little opposition, but AARP-Texas has cautioned against discrimination. The group worked to remove a provision in the proposal that would have required a driving test as well as vision test to renew after 90.
"This is about finding a real balance between the ability of people to remain mobile while maximizing the safety on the highways of Texas," said Rafael Ayuso, spokesman for AARP-Texas.
The measure was approved in the House by a 115-10 vote. An amendment added during the debate would allow elderly drivers to skip to the front of the line when renewing their licenses.
The Senate also approved their version of the bill Wednesday, which would require a vision test at age 79 and the possibility of driving tests starting at age 85. Officers would have the discretion to order a driving test.
A compromise will have to be negotiated between the two chambers.
Almost 42,000 Texas drivers are 90 or older, according the Texas Department of Public Safety. In 2001, less than 1 percent of the reported traffic accidents in Texas were caused by those 90 or older, including 16 fatalities. During that same year, more than 18 percent of the traffic accidents in Texas were caused by drivers 20 and younger, including 827 fatalities, according to the DPS.
The legislation is nicknamed "Katie's Law" for 17-year-old Katherine "Katie" Bolka, a Dallas teenager who died last spring after her car was struck by a 90-year-old driver who was speeding and ran a stoplight that had been red for almost 30 seconds.
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