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Comment by baron816 | Hacker News Reader

Well, probably the right thing to do for large trucks and suvs is to reclassify them so that you need a commercial license to drive them.

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You know you can go buy a 45’ motorhome that weighs multiples of the heaviest SUV, and drive it home on a standard driver’s license? Last time I renewed my WA license, it was online and the eye test for my retirement-aged eyes consisted of a checkbox that asks, “your eyes aren’t shit, are they?”

I’m not arguing, but more pointing out that what you want will never happen.

Yeah, my dad has one. It's terrifying. Even for him. These are commercial vehicles with a residential façade, but they are not maintained like commercial vehicles. If they weren't such a money hole I imagine they'd get popular to a point where they'd be restricted. As of now, they're not enough of a problem across a wide enough geographic for people to notice.

omfg I would love that. Like literally force manufacturers to put air brakes on anything above a certain weight limit and demand additional certification to operate one. Full Disclosure: I own four vehicles that would trigger this requirement, each for different reasons, and would be whistling and smirking in the DMV line to take the commercial test.

A commercial driver has a physical every year, severe restrictions on how they can drive, hours behind wheel, etc. But if you have 2 cataract surguries, oncoming dementia, and a body full of arthritis that can barely move, you can drive a 50' Class A Motorhome to your winter home in the South.

That person clearly can’t walk so that’s why they have to drive, right?

Sounds utterly ridiculous I agree but there's something to be said for 60+ years of muscle memory, otherwise olds rocketing motorhomes off of cliffs or augering into the side of the local walmart would feature more prominently in the local news. Quit picking on paw paw and keep the fight where it belongs: suburbanite pavement princesses must die.

There are also countries that reduce the time a license is valid starting at a certain age and that require a medical test for renewal at all ages. IIRC Spain does that.

Or you know you could just veer entirely off-topic and turn this into some kind of ageist food fight. That's an option too I suppose.

No paw paw can go to hell where they belong.

I hope you live to be 90. :)

Exactly. A lot of these people forget that they will be old too someday. Treat the elderly like shit now, you'll be treated like shit later.

(Also, I love the Half-Life reference in your username btw. ;) )

My class D (most typical) driving license is good to 26K pounds.

That seems crazy high to me, but then again, I’m hard-pressed to choose exactly the right lower value that would “perfect”.

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