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The rates set by the insurance companies for drivers involve the following factors:
Age, gender, marital status, mileage driven per year, driving experience, driving record, use of the automobile for business, for commuting to work, or for pleasure or their combination.

The age factor extrapolated, I got the following results:

Drivers up to the age of 24 pay the highest rates.

Drivers from 55 to 65 pay the lowest rates.

Drivers 75 to 85 and up pay rates comparable to those up to the age of 24.

I hope that this is food for thought.

Thanks,
Manny

Shamil,

As much as I'd really really hate to admit it Driving isn't exactly a "right". Frankly it's somewhere in the gray area between privileged and right, but that's easily debatable.

In any case, this is not about removing the rights of, or otherwise hindering the elderly. It's about protecting the public and the elderly from themselves. Please note, my statement said we should begin testing them yearly. I didn't say we should simply yank away their licenses. Nobody can deny that elderly drivers are a major hazard on the streets. If they can determine they can still operate a car in a safe manner then by all rights they should keep it.

Fact: As you age your visual acuity drops exponentially.
Fact: As you age your reflexes and ability to react to a rapidly changing environment slows exponentially.
Fact: As you age your ability to drive in a straight line at constant speed wavers.
Fact: As you age your ability to match the flow of traffic disappears.
Fact: A drunk driver has better reaction time then the majority of drivers over 65.

Elderly drivers are DANGEROUS to everyone on the road. They need to be periodically tested to ensure they don't kill themselves or someone else.

My Grandfather is over 65 and I fear for his life every time he drives. He's been driving his whole life, he spent the last 30 years being a cab and livery driver and despite all that experience he's started to miss turns and randomly slows down in the middle of traffic because he looses his sense of speed. I don't want him to get hurt, I don't want him to hurt someone else.

When I reach that age if I can't prove my reflexes are up to snuff I'll gladly give up my license. There are SO many options for elderly people to get around, not having a car is hardly a major blow to their freedom. In fact for an elderly driver in New York it's pretty much cheaper to take Car Service whenever you need it then to pay insurance and all the other costs of upkeeping a car today.

So please don't think I'm out to get old people. I'm just injecting some cold hard logic into an emotional issue.

What makes the 20 year old girl an arrogant bitch? Lets for one second consider that in New York State and City that going STRAIGHT at a Green Light gives you the RIGHT OF WAY over someone making a turn, especially a LEFT TURN across the flow of traffic. She can't possibly see the opposing traffic light. She couldn't know that it was lit green. If eye witness accounts are true and the light was malfunctioning then it's neither of their faults. In an alternate scenario if there was no green arrow at all but simply a green in both directions the Elderly driver would be at fault because he has to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn.

The ONLY scenario in which you can place the girl at fault is if she ran the red light. She didn't. End of story.

Oh, and I'll even toss you a cookie here and admit the following. If she was older, and had more experience, and he was younger and had better reflexes and vision, then they both might have reacted to avoid the accident.

What of bunch of losers talking about taking away driving rights from people who are 60. Maybe that arrogant bitch in her 20’s was not paying attention. Arthur B I hope you lose your right to drive at that age so that you have less freedom of movement and be confined to one room.

Are we proposing taking licenses away from the elderly? But then you'd deprive them of Country Kitchen Buffet. If you deprive the Elderly of their Country Kitchen buffet they would wither away like a flower without sunlight.

"Without country kitchen buffet, the old people will be powerless."

You know whats hilariously ironic? I'd rather get in a plane with a 65 year old pilot, then a car with a 65 year old driver.

i am far from confused about how that intersection works. i agree that it would cause more congestion but the way it could work is if they make it for a longer period of time not 15 seconds but a minute for the traffic to turn. i like it just fine the way it is doesnt mean its safe. one other problem there is when people turn they dont look for people crossing then the make a turn end up stopping in the middle of the oncoming traffic and that make it more dangerous. good point about older folk getting more tests at a certain age no matter what anyone says as you get older your reaction slows like being able to avoid a kid running into a street or ball or some jerk that that cuts you off. they should make a simple reaction test like that game in the arcades with the hippos and the hammer and you have to hit a certain amount lol.

Local: I think you're confused. The Green Turn arrow is supposed to shut OFF before the East bound Green light goes on. While it's still legal to make a left turn the normal rules apply and the turn would be made when its safe! There is no reason to add a red left turn arrow. That would cause MAJOR congestion over there.

Vito: Yes 60 is ELDERLY. In fact I'm of the mind that around that age its time to start testing drivers YEARLY to allow them to keep their licenses. Yes, I'm a very strong believer that the elderly should not be driving vehicles of any kind.

By the way, I'm 26.

the light it not broken the light turns green for west bound traffic first so people can turn then east bound turns green but you can still turn. it needs a red turn signal so you cant turn left. it would be safe if people knew how to drive and pay attention but most dont.

Arthur, 60 is elderly?! You definitely don't come from, or hang out with my crew! lol.

Coincidentally, the Traffic Light at Bedford and Shore Pkway was off yesterday but I just called 311 for that one! :-D

Sorry for the delay on the update, but I've been out all day and unable to get to my voicemail (new phone. forgot the number). I updated the story with the information from Arthur's voicemail - but just saw it here in the comments.

Thanks a lot, Arthur. It helps to keep the community informed, and I'm sure people ought to be checking out that light situation soon.

Ok. Now that I'm home...

Local Broker has it right. The Van was making a left turn from Emmons to Shore Blvd. The driver was an elderly man (Approx 60 in age according to Eye Witness). The driver of the Honda was a girl in her 20's and was going East on Emmons. According to the witness BOTH had a green light. The Van had the Green Arrow and the Honda had a green light. The light is not supposed to turn green till the green arrow shuts off.

I spoke to the witness over the phone, he works at the Atlantic Deli right on that corner. I called the place to ask if anyone witnessed the thing and got lucky. I gave Ned the witnesses name in my voice mail (I left the paper i wrote it on in my car so I don't have it now) and he gave consent to be quoted on the site too.

i take take that turn and drive through that intersection pretty much every day for the last ten years and it is absolutely horrible the way the traffic lights work. when you turn left onto shore from emmons it should only be on a turn signal not just a green light. it look like the honda was going straight and hit the white van that was turning but thats what i get from just one picture.
speaking of lights whats up with the new light they put up on neptune ave between east 12th and coney it creates such bad traffic coming from emmons and coney.

I sent Ned an update after I did some investigating. It's in his vmb right now :-).

This is so sad.