Mike Davis

@byMikeDavis

On Gov. Chris Christie's weekly NJ 101.5 FM radio show last week, Spring Lake resident "Mario" asked if there'd ever be legislation requiring older drivers to take a road test.

"I don't think it's a bad idea. I do think it's something we should all be concerned about," Christie said.

For the first time since I found out Christie was a Mets fan, I'm on board with him.

This isn’t a column where I’m going to yell about the little old lady in an Oldsmobile, only her Marge Simpson-style hair visible above the steering wheel.

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For every person like that, there's a woman like my 90-year-old great aunt, who regularly gets herself to Atlantic City and back to sit upon her throne as Queen of Slots.

That’s the thing when it comes to driving: Everyone’s different – especially at different points in our life. And it should be perfectly OK to recognize that.

New Jersey isn’t some sort of last bastion for senior citizen rights. When it comes to keeping unsafe drivers off the road, we're behind the curve.

YOUR TURN: Should senior citizens have more stringent driver's license renewals? 'Like' us on Facebook and tell us in the comments.

This is a very sensitive topic, so let's break it down.

The first four years

At its core, a four-year renewal cycle is fine. It's a little on the short side – only Vermont has the option for a shorter cycle – but I'm fine with it. It keeps the process fresh.

When you turn 70, you have the “personal option” of changing to a two-year renewal cycle – as if anyone would take them up on that.

I fail to see why the state can't simply do away with that silly "personal option" and institute a mandatory two-year renewal cycle. If the main goal of renewing driver's licenses is safety, it should be a no-brainer.

In the blink of an eye

I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 13 years old, the first 10 years or so mostly so I could read the classroom chalkboard (remember those?). As I’ve gotten older, my vision – while admittedly not that bad — requires me to wear eyeglasses simply to read something 15 feet away.

But, according to the Motor Vehicle Commission, my eyes are just as good today as they were on my 17th birthday.

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New Jersey requires a vision test once every 10 years, the largest gap for any state that requires them (and shame on the 10 states that don't).

Twenty-one states require a vision test at every renewal. And another 17 states – which allow drivers to renew online or by mail during every other cycle -- require vision tests for in-person renewals.

None of us likes getting older, but it's the only certain fact of life. We get older. Obviously, failing vision isn't as certain as aging, but what's the harm in simply double-checking?

Wild in the streets

But I firmly believe that, as with any skill, driving is a tool that requires practice. And while teenagers undergo dozens of hours of training before receiving their permit, I don't think it's enough.

We forget things. We cut corners. It's natural

But in 49 states the only people taking road tests are newly-minted drivers. Only in Illinois are more road tests administered, to drivers older than 75 renewing their licenses.

Here's your unpopular opinion of the day: I think intermittent road tests should be required not just for senior citizens, but for all drivers. If we have to get our vision checked once every 10 years, why not make it a complete overhaul, with a new vision test and new road test to boot?

When I took an online defensive driving class in February, I re-learned subjects and skills I had completely lost since my 17th birthday. And there's a good chance those subjects and skills will be gone by this time next year.

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If you live in the suburbs, maybe you don't need to parallel park very often. And how many times have we watched someone make a 12-point K-turn, muttering, "Who gave this person a license?"

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There is no easy solution. When the state began allowing drivers to renew their licenses by mail, we were genuinely excited. But maybe one day of annoyance – waiting on line, taking a vision test, waiting on another line, taking a road test and waiting on yet another line – isn't the worst thing in the world.

Because like every parent tells their child at some point after their first speeding ticket or fender bender: Driving isn't a right. It's a privilege.

Send questions, comments, road tips and angry rants to Mike at mdavis@gannettnj.com. Click here to sign up for Mike's weekly "Road Sage" newsletter.