This is a online news clip from August 22, 2008:
NEW YORK (AP) -- An infant boy delivered prematurely after his traffic agent mother was struck by a van and pinned under a bus has died, authorities said Friday.
Sean Michael Justin Sanz had been in intensive care since he was delivered by Caesarean section shortly after a runaway van hit his mother on August 14. He weighed 3 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.
His mother, traffic agent Donnette Sanz, survived the delivery but died about an hour later in an emergency operating room. She was seven months pregnant.
The van, driven by a 72-year-old man with what authorities say is a long history of driving offenses, hit Sanz when she was crossing a Bronx street on her lunch break. The impact sent her flying into the path of a yellow school bus, which ran her over. About 30 bystanders helped hoist the 5-ton bus from her body in a rescue that made the front pages of the city's tabloid newspapers.
"He meant everything to me," Rafael Sanz said of his tiny son. "He died in my arms."
Sanz had harsh words for the van's driver, Walter Walker: "I hope he really does rot in hell. I hope he dies a horrible death."
This is just another reason there must be regulations surrounding elderly drivers. At what cost do we continue to permit ill-prepared drivers to cause tragedies????
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Click here to see a clip from CNN on senior driving mishap
Another reason why reform on senior driving regulations is needed!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Indy 500 in Calgary
If anyone has been to Calgary, they know of the Deerfoot 500. Calgarians are some of the fastest drivers I have ever seen or met in my life. My friend Janie has a little Sunfire and the speeds she drives, I never though a Sunfire was capable of! At one point on our drive to Okotoks, we were cruising along at a mere 150km/hr! Now I self admittedly am a backseat driver, but at 150km/hr who isn't??? What amazes me even more, they are in total control at these speeds. They can manage to smoke, eat, drink coffee and drive! It is rarely you will see an accident or a mishap from these high speeds on the roadways of Calgary. Bravo to Calgarians who drive the Indy 500 each day. Perhaps some of the other cities with Canada's worst drivers should take note: Richmond, BC & Halifax, NS.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Driving to Saint John with Grandpa
Driving to Saint John today gave me a mini heartache. Grandpa in front of me decided to abruptly brake at 100 km/hr and turn left. Isn't there a guideline as to the distance one should safely signal and then brake??? Most people are courteous to do so but perhaps when you age your brain forgets the rules???
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
quality of life
Once again the back injury strikes again. I awoke at 1am on Monday morning to find I could not move my legs, my back or any part of my body. It took 45 minutes to arise from the bed before my husband rushed me to hospital. I get there to find out I have an inflamed tendon, suspected as a result of my previous injury. I now am on some prescription drugs with nauseating side effects. I walk like I am 100 years old and cannot stand, sit or lay for anymore than 15 minute intervals. My nights are sleepless with constant interruptions from the pain. Never cold or hot compresses ease the pain and the medication is constant.
It has now been more than 14 months since my accident and after thinking I was free and clear of any long term effects, I must think again. I continue to see the elderly driving around my town who should not be driving, making mistakes, taking chances. How long before our system does something about the unjust they cause to innocent victims like me? I'm 36 going on 100.
It has now been more than 14 months since my accident and after thinking I was free and clear of any long term effects, I must think again. I continue to see the elderly driving around my town who should not be driving, making mistakes, taking chances. How long before our system does something about the unjust they cause to innocent victims like me? I'm 36 going on 100.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Driver's License Testing for Seniors
Why?
I was a victim of a car accident that left me immobilized for up to 6 months due to a senior citizen rear-ending my car. Everyday that my feet hit the floor off my bed I had pain somewhere in my body.
What?
It wasn't an ordinary day. It was the Friday before Canadian Thanksgiving and I was off to work to finish up before a week's worth of holidays. I decided to treat myself to a Starbucks latte before making my usual drive to work. I was stopped at a red light signal and was watching one of the largest 18 wheelers I had seen in a while make a left hand turn in the intersection. THEN I heard it the largest bang of all and my car started sliding. With both hands on my wheel I started steering to the right to avoid the turning truck in the intersection but the pure velocity of my vehicle would not allow my tires to respond. My seat had broke from the impact and I was struggling to hold myself up against the wheel and steer out of harms way. Out of no where a small pickup truck had rammed me from behind and ploughed my vehicle into this intersection of horror. I lay in fear as my vehicle had finally come to rest against the side and underside of the cab of the 18 wheeler. I was in shock and immediate pain was shooting through my lower back and upper body from the seat belt impact. The man from the 18 wheeler had screeched his vehicle to a stop and I could feel the vibrations of his engine through my entire body. He turned off his engine and ran around to my passenger door to see me. He asked if I was alright and I said no. He was calling for help. He told me to lay still. When paramedics arrived they tore open my door with great effort and laid me on the stretcher. Upon answering their questions, the man that had hit my car from behind had surfaced with his walker in tow. I could feel my blood start to boil and knew exactly why he had hit me. If he had trouble walking, what was he doing driving a multi-ton vehicle? He obviously had mobility issues so he would have serious troubles responding to quick action situations.
How?
During my 6 months of physical therapy to bring my body back to normal, I constantly thought of the incident. Each time it brought me to the reason why this person was permitted to drive. Laws in most provinces in Canada require drivers to renew their driver's licenses every five years without testing. No testing is required to renew a license unless there could be cause and history to warrant, and most people are not even asked any questions on renewal. When a person first receives a driver's license, they are required to undergo a hearing and visual test. It seems peculiar to me that although the body ages through our years of driving, we're not retested for these basic elements again. It is nature that the human body experiences aging and normally changes, it happens to all of us. But why are people permitted to drive without ensuring they are capable of doing so? My goal is to ensure the safety for all, but particularly the innocent, safe drivers on the roads who are victims of our society's ignorance of aging. People are not permitted to operate a motor vehicle when they are intoxicated or under the influence of other substances, so why are people permitted to operate a vehicle if they have difficulties with normal every day movements? I am calling for driver retesting for people over the age of 60 years. I believe it should be a law and mandatory requirement to have a full hearing, mobility, reflex and eye test annually for driver's 60 years of age and older. People are not permitted to live on their own at certain ages due to their mobility restraints so why are they permitted to operate a vehicle?
I was a victim of a car accident that left me immobilized for up to 6 months due to a senior citizen rear-ending my car. Everyday that my feet hit the floor off my bed I had pain somewhere in my body.
What?
It wasn't an ordinary day. It was the Friday before Canadian Thanksgiving and I was off to work to finish up before a week's worth of holidays. I decided to treat myself to a Starbucks latte before making my usual drive to work. I was stopped at a red light signal and was watching one of the largest 18 wheelers I had seen in a while make a left hand turn in the intersection. THEN I heard it the largest bang of all and my car started sliding. With both hands on my wheel I started steering to the right to avoid the turning truck in the intersection but the pure velocity of my vehicle would not allow my tires to respond. My seat had broke from the impact and I was struggling to hold myself up against the wheel and steer out of harms way. Out of no where a small pickup truck had rammed me from behind and ploughed my vehicle into this intersection of horror. I lay in fear as my vehicle had finally come to rest against the side and underside of the cab of the 18 wheeler. I was in shock and immediate pain was shooting through my lower back and upper body from the seat belt impact. The man from the 18 wheeler had screeched his vehicle to a stop and I could feel the vibrations of his engine through my entire body. He turned off his engine and ran around to my passenger door to see me. He asked if I was alright and I said no. He was calling for help. He told me to lay still. When paramedics arrived they tore open my door with great effort and laid me on the stretcher. Upon answering their questions, the man that had hit my car from behind had surfaced with his walker in tow. I could feel my blood start to boil and knew exactly why he had hit me. If he had trouble walking, what was he doing driving a multi-ton vehicle? He obviously had mobility issues so he would have serious troubles responding to quick action situations.
How?
During my 6 months of physical therapy to bring my body back to normal, I constantly thought of the incident. Each time it brought me to the reason why this person was permitted to drive. Laws in most provinces in Canada require drivers to renew their driver's licenses every five years without testing. No testing is required to renew a license unless there could be cause and history to warrant, and most people are not even asked any questions on renewal. When a person first receives a driver's license, they are required to undergo a hearing and visual test. It seems peculiar to me that although the body ages through our years of driving, we're not retested for these basic elements again. It is nature that the human body experiences aging and normally changes, it happens to all of us. But why are people permitted to drive without ensuring they are capable of doing so? My goal is to ensure the safety for all, but particularly the innocent, safe drivers on the roads who are victims of our society's ignorance of aging. People are not permitted to operate a motor vehicle when they are intoxicated or under the influence of other substances, so why are people permitted to operate a vehicle if they have difficulties with normal every day movements? I am calling for driver retesting for people over the age of 60 years. I believe it should be a law and mandatory requirement to have a full hearing, mobility, reflex and eye test annually for driver's 60 years of age and older. People are not permitted to live on their own at certain ages due to their mobility restraints so why are they permitted to operate a vehicle?
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