NY drops eye test for driver’s license renewal

View Comments (20)

• Just before I moved to FL from NJ, an old man did that same thing at the bakery around the corner from me.

  • When I was real young my Grand Daddy drove his old Teraplane right through our outhouse – right on through and just kept on goin like nothing happened. Never could figure out why his car smelled funny.

    That old coot shoulda never been behind the wheel of a car – heck he couldn’t see nothin two feet in front of him, always smakin into things and then sayin “pardon me” – like that chair was havin it’s feelings hurt or something.

• This happened twice over Thanksgiving in Palm Springs. The first time a woman drove into a jewelry store, then on Thanksgiving Day some old fart drove into a barber Shop.

• We just had a story in San Antonio, and older woman in her 70's tried to park outside a local restaurant, hit the gas instead of the brake and created a new drive in. Maybe we should have tests for being able to tell the gas from the brake, since that seems to be a common accident.

• Crap. My father just missed out and he is angry. The eye doctor told him he could no longer pass his eye test well enough to drive. He was angry at his family and the eye doctor because he was an accident free driver for over 60+ years. Now an eye test is no longer needed he could get behind the wheel with his walker and drive once again!
  I can't wait to tell him.

• We'll soon be reading about Grandma mowing down dozens of folks attending a fleamarket somewhere or attending inhouse coffee at the dunkin donuts. Drive thru just became drive-in.

• As my legally blind Mom's doctor told her-"technically you can drive, but not on my street."

• You have to take an eye test when you renew your license in FL. But since it is now a 10 year license, more people will likely slip through the cracks.

  • And every time somebody in a state legislature comes up with the idea of retesting people over 70 on a regular basis, AARP comes unglued. Lives are lost because of this kind of stupidity.

• It`s about time. Everyone knows eye tests discriminate against people that can`t see.

• I was more shocked to just see that NY even required a license to operate a MV at all - I mean, what's up with that??? Sounds kinda racial and prejudiced to me, requiring the folks to carry a document to operate a motor vehicle???? 0bama is gonna have to encourage a march on NY DMV offices to end this practice!!

• I'm curious what the law is in other states. We take eye tests when we get a driver's license for the first time in Kentucky starting at 16, but you don't have to take one for a renewal. I haven't taken another one since, 30 years, they just automatically renew your license. I've heard that some states make eye tests and even driving tests mandatory once you get to a certain advanced age.

  • Here in Minnesota, every 4 years, they make me read whatever line on the eyechart.

    • I don't have to go in often for renewal, it's usually just sent in the mail here in California. But when I DO go in, I have to read the chart. Good thing it's so far away, or I'd never figure it out.

      • Florida requires you to go in and renew. You have to get a new photo on your license. No way out of photo licensing in FL now. Plus, I keep my CDL active, so I have to go in regardless.

        • Even with my CDL, I only get called into the office in person about once every 12 years or so. The picture on my license is so old, I have short hair. And I was only in the office for that one because I lost my license, and was there to get a replacement.

          As bad as the drivers are out there, it wouldn't bother me to go in for a complete inspection once every 4 years or so, if I thought some people would lose theirs due to incompetence.