My wife had a stroke about 1.5yrs ago. We had to disclose this when she renewed her license last December. It was sent to the medical advisory board. Her doctor submitted the paperwork in Feb of this year. Just now got a letter stating she is "medically approved", but said "We find it necessary for you to demonstrate your qualifications as a driver by passing a comprehensive examination". Has anyone dealt with this before? Assuming this is a road test? Thanks in advance.

My wife had to do this about 10 years ago, so the info may be dated. She had to get a letter from her doctor clearing her to drive, then she went into the DPS office and had to speak with an officer to explain what caused the exam to be scheduled. Then, she just took a driving test with the officer, like a 16 year old does, and it was all good.

Dad got a letter like that. He's 83 and has had 2 TIAs.

He went to renew his DL and said something about them. The letter went to the doc. But it was pointless. I had already told him no more driving.

Thanks. Do you recall if your wife had to parallel park? I think my wife will be fine with the exception of that.

No parallel parking in her test.

Thanks! Hopefully my wife will get lucky too.

I do about the same 50,000 miles per year mostly in Rural America. Some of the most dangerous drivers I've been around are those distracted by phones on narrow 2 lane roads driving 15-20 mph faster than speed limit.


With CarPlay and such in vehicles now there's no good reason to be looking at a phone while driving.

I agree with you on being torn. I drive a lot for my work. I have not met anyone on Texags that wasn't a like minded and intelligent and they tend to be surrounded with people of similar qualities. I know there has to be a standard set, but I think there are a lot of folks running around the roads that really aren't qualified to safely be doing that and they have no medical condition other than just being stupid or distracted. I have no experience with it OP, but I guess you have to do what you have to do to get her back on the road. I am also a small government guy but agree there are times when regulation and oversight is necessary, this probably isn't it, but the alternative is not getting to drive so....what are you going to do? I think it's dumb I had to take a class to get my CHL back in the day, but that was what I had to do so whatever. Sorry you have to go through the BS, but glad you have a reason to go through the BS if that makes sense.

An elderly relative is 90 and hasn't driven in several years. After a fall last year, in a wheel chair and has home health care. Her drivers license expired recently and the banks and others needed a current id to make needed changes.

She made an appointment and went to the local dps office to get a Tx id card. They had a crazy long list of requirements including marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.
She told them she didn't know if she had all the required documents and they told her she could simply pass the eye test and renew her drivers license. Done.

average_joker said:

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Too many people rusty on simple stuff like right-of-way and merging.

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I never heard of "zipper merge" until a few years ago. It's obvious that 99% of other drivers don't know or don't care

Regarding right of way, I have more trouble with idiots who won't take the right of way when they have it, than with people who take it when they don't

Mathguy64 said:

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Dad got a letter like that. He's 83 and has had 2 TIAs.

He went to renew his DL and said something about them. The letter went to the doc. But it was pointless. I had already told him no more driving.

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Similar thing happened to me. I got a Class A CDL in the 1980s. About 10 years ago I got a letter that I needed a USDOT physical exam to renew it. The doc said my BP was a little high, and because of my weight and me checking the box that said I sometimes fell asleep watching TV, I got put on probationary status. After a few more exams with slightly elevated BP they would no longer renew my CDL.

Thanks Uncle Sam.

CanyonAg77 said:

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Worse drivers are truckers on I-40.

"Knights of the Road" are now "anal orifices of slow in the fast lane while texting "

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I think this is also largely a factor of tighter USDOT laws on logs and enforcement of speeding on OTR trucks. There are not that many independent truckers left. Most are fleets, and they have governors for insurance reasons. (When was the last time you saw a trucker pulled over for speeding?). Some of these operators don't know they don't belong in the left lane and will try to pass only to hit the governor and get stuck there with the hammer down.

This. This about 1000 times. Rarely can I make 1 day of traveling that I don't have to avoid a collision, see the potential for a collision, or witness an idiot texting or typing on their phone as they weave on the road or sit at a traffic light screwing with their phone.
Age bracket? 90% teen to 30's. If you honk at them you then get the communication bird.

Mas89 said:

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An elderly relative is 90 and hasn't driven in several years. After a fall last year, in a wheel chair and has home health care. Her drivers license expired recently and the banks and others needed a current id to make needed changes.

She made an appointment and went to the local dps office to get a Tx id card. They had a crazy long list of requirements including marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.
She told them she didn't know if she had all the required documents and they told her she could simply pass the eye test and renew her drivers license. Done.

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This....

Having gone through getting my kids their licenses, I have no idea how ANY kid can get one without competent support. A kid on their own or without family support doesn't really have a chance in my opinion. Just getting all the documentation together is ridiculous.

My ex's grandmother has gotten into like 6 wrecks after she hit 75, I think a basic driving test should be a requirement

For sure. Even crazier after having a Texas drivers license for 70 plus years to have to provide all those documents at age 90 to get a Texas identification card when no longer driving.

This law is lacking in common sense. Which doesn't surprise me.

My dad's friend is 82 and still has his current IFR pilots license. He flies aerobatics in his Stearman once or twice a week (weather permitting). Still passes his annual flight medical with flying colors.
But he still, like all current qualified pilots, must also pass a bi-annual flight review.

Maybe do the same thing on cars AND boats? Wait for the revolt?
Emotional topics for sure.

This on number 1.

Bonfire97 said:

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Thanks. Do you recall if your wife had to parallel park? I think my wife will be fine with the exception of that.

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Offices vary on the driving tests; some do parallel parking, some don't. Find a way to plug in to the local network of parent groups - they are the ones who have the DPS info usuallly.

sam callahan said:

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So rather than a catch all at 70 or 75, why not have a trigger system?

Wrecks of a certain number or severity or certain amount of traffic tickets and you have to get reevaluated - at any age.

Sounds better than jamming up DPS officers with. 70 year olds with excellent driving records.

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Lots and lots of great drivers over 70. However, statistically the elderly will face a decline at some point. Not sure what the answer is, but a friend's father died after an elderly person mistook the brake for the gas in a hospital parking lot. He was run over, multiple internal injuries and died less than a week later. There needs to be some method of oversight.

This is one of the best post ever! True common sense prevails in your words.
Key words….. " for any driver" !! Heck yea!

Gunny456 said:

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I traveled/travel for a living. Put around 50,000 per year on vehicle. Frankly the folks over 65 actually took true drivers education and had to pass a driving exam with a DPS officer rather than the true joke bs they do now to get a license.
Most of the daily defensive driving I do to keep from having accidents involve teen to 30 year olds driving like they are making a fast and furious movie or texting while driving.
Understand what you are saying but my perception of danger on the highways rarely involves olds.

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Took drivers ed in 1964, my freshman year of high school at 14 years old.

Thinking of the logistics of this.....all the nearby DPS offices are already 6 months out for drivers tests....having every person over 70 getting an annual test will stress that just a tad

Rattler12 said:

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Took drivers ed in 1964, my freshman year of high school at 14 years old.

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They moved the age to 16 just before I turned 14. Of course, I'd been driving on the farm and rural roads since I was 6 or 7. Missed sign up for Driver's Ed at my high school, because they announced it when I was gone to a stock show, and closed it before I got back. Ended up driving my own car to the big high school at the county seat during summer school to take it, age 15.