Last week, an elderly man drove his car into the Cox Communications building here in town because he'd forgotten which pedal was the gas and which was the brake. Fortunately, no one was injured.

If you read the paper even semi-frequently, you've probably read similar stories regarding elderly drivers, and the end result is not always so fortunate. The American Institute on Aging reports people over 65 years old are the second most likely to die in car accidents, after 15 to 24-year-olds. It also reported that, despite the fact seniors are more likely to drive slower and use a seat belt, they are also more likely to sustain serious injury because of their frailty.

Many states are considering mandatory driving tests for people who are elderly. Many people feel this impedes on their freedom and argue there are many elderly people who can drive fine. If that's so, what's the harm in taking a test to prove it?

We've all seen someone driving too slow, possibly swerving or braking unexpectedly, and expected to see a drunk or someone on a cell phone behind the wheel. But if you saw an elderly person behind the wheel instead, would you be surprised? I wouldn't be.

As people grow older, their reaction time slows, their eyesight gets worse, their judgment of speed and distance decreases, and even dementia can set in. Here's where we encounter problems with mandatory driving tests: According to a July 22 article by HealthNewsDigest.com, driving tests don't check for diseases that affect the mind, such as Alzheimer's. This means, conceivably, someone can pass a driver's test with mild dementia. Does this mean they are a safe driver? Are they okay as long as they drive slow? I don't think so, and here's why.

While working at a grocery store a few years ago, one of the regular customers and her son came into the store. The man, who was suffering from dementia so badly he could no longer speak, was not wearing anything except shoes, a shirt and an adult diaper. The woman, who we knew as being a bit "muddled," got a shopping cart and began shopping like nothing was out of the ordinary. Soon after, customers began complaining about the man with no pants wandering around the store.

Finally, one of the employees approached the woman and quietly asked her if she'd noticed he wasn't wearing any pants. She said she hadn't, and swore up and down he was wearing pants when they came into the store. The security cameras begged to differ, and the woman is literally half the size of her son, so her eyes are about at his waistline. How could she not notice? I watched in amazement as this woman and her son got into their car and went home to find some pants. I remember thinking to myself, "This woman should not be driving."

Every time I hear of another senior citizen crashing into a building or ramming a crowd of people with their car, I cringe. Why doesn't the family step in and take the keys away from Grandma? I understand they might resent you for stealing their "freedom," but surely the cost of paying for a caregiver to drive them to the store once a week is far cheaper than paying for court costs if Grandma gets arrested for vehicular manslaughter.

Maybe I'm too young to understand what it's like to grow old, but when I think about the twilight of my life, I don't want to spend those years feeling guilty for causing harm or death to someone else because I forgot which pedal stops the car.

Losing the ability to drive does not mean someone is trapped in their home. There are many options available beside driving. Please, if you have a parent or grandparent who is having trouble driving, do the world a favor: get them to use public transportation, get a caretaker, drive them yourself or find them an apartment within walking distance of the store, if they can still walk.

Just don't let them drive.