Driving the Generation Gap

I have to applaud the 17-year-old from Tujunga who wrote the “Proposes Changes to Law” letter to the editor published in last week’s paper. (You can read it at https://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/viewpoints/08/27/2026/letters-to-the-editor-363/.) This student felt strongly about a perceived safety issue, sat down and crafted a proposal to correct it and submitted it to the local paper for consideration by the readers. He could have just posted a rant online about his concerns but he chose to be thoughtful and proactive. And for that, he has earned respect from me.

However, I had to chuckle about the difference in this student’s perspective versus my own as a senior, an obvious generation gap in how we view unsafe drivers. In his letter, this newly licensed driver claims that there is a problem in California with “elderly” drivers over the age of 50.  He says that elderly drivers have difficulty seeing street signs, pedestrians and road hazards, and can’t remember the motor vehicle laws they once knew. The assumption is that this decline in ability leads to a high rate of fatalities. He hopes to remedy that.

The 17-year-old’s proposed solution to this problem is a new law enacting regulations on every driver age 50 and older. These drivers would be required to take a three-part test consisting of a vision screening, written test and behind-the-wheel driving every five years to retain their licenses. This is nothing new; the Dept. of Motor Vehicles already does this, albeit far less often and usually when problems are indicated.  

I don’t believe that we need a new law to restrict older drivers but rather look at better enforcement of the drivers who are currently wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods. Many nights I can hear racing on the freeway and on Honolulu Avenue. On a typical day, sporty cars are darting through traffic at high speeds and recklessly cutting off other drivers. I regularly encounter drivers turning right at a red light without even slowing down let alone stopping and looking both ways first. The violations are so plentiful that there are “only in Glendale” and similar videos devoted to the problem. These are not older seniors doing this; it’s more likely high school seniors or young adults.

Since the beginning of 2026, accidents in the Crescenta Valley that involved fatalities included two teenagers and a 20-year-old in a roll over crash, four early 20-year-olds went over the side of Angeles Crest Highway, a 21-year old struck a 66-year old pedestrian in a crosswalk and a 35- and 40-year old were rear-ended by a big rig truck on the 210 freeway. None of these were due to the forgetfulness of an older driver.

I would like to tell this young driver that being over 50 is not the road to the old folks home.  It’s a badge of honor. Personally, I am proud to have made it through 50 years of driving, never having harmed a single soul (including myself) with my automobile. The last accident I had was around 1984 when I hit a garage pillar at Sears and that was only because my foot got stuck on the clutch, and I couldn’t brake in time. My little Datsun pickup was none the worse for wear and no one was hurt by it, except maybe my pride. Back in the 1970s, drivers’ education and behind-the-wheel training were part of high school curriculum and students were all taught the rules of the road with strict, consistent guidelines. I still follow all of these rules. I have not forgotten them.  

I wish I had the same confidence in the capabilities of young drivers. Young people today often learn to drive from their well-meaning relatives who may not have had any formal training themselves. The instruction varies considerably. The generations of drivers since my school-based training seem to be lax about following basic courtesies like taking turns, using turn signals and stopping before a crosswalk.

Here is a reminder that as a community we can all do better. We need to be more careful on the road, especially near our schools, so that children can live long and happy lives like the older seniors who have been driving for decades. Let’s give them that opportunity by being the safest drivers we can be, whether youngish or not so young anymore.

Susan Bolan  
susanbolan710@gmail.com