Law would provide crucial note of caution
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RE “WOMAN, 89, charged in accident that killed girl, 4’’ (Page A13, June 16): A child is dead, and an elderly person will suffer for the rest of her life from the knowledge that she was the alleged cause. Was it inattention, poor vision, confusion between the brake and gas pedals? Was it age-related, or could any driver have made the same mistake? Our sympathy goes to both families, as we wonder how such accidents can be prevented. If we are in our 80s, do some of us think, “There but for the grace of God’’?
I wonder why senior organizations, auto insurance companies, and we seniors ourselves do not all support the bill in the Massachusetts Legislature to require road testing of drivers after a certain age. Of course it would not prevent every accident, but it might save a life, and it might save an older person from a terrible trauma. If I ought not to be on the road, please let me know, and, difficult as it may be, I shall look for the strength and wisdom to arrange my life accordingly.
Mary E. Schenke
North Chatham
