A frightening video from Florida shows a car crashing into a busy supermarket, scattering shoppers in all directions. The 76-year-old driver hit the accelerator instead of the brake. Ten people were hurt, but amazingly, no one was killed. The car slammed into a baby stroller, but the 3-month-old baby suffered just a bump on the head.
The driver, Thelma Wagenhoffer, was charged with careless driving.
As the Grand Strand area continues to attract retirees, more older drivers are showing up on area roads. Folks at the Grand Strand Senior Center say it's difficult for some older people to admit they have a problem behind the wheel.
"That's probably the last thing people want to give up is their ability to drive," said Bill Richardson of Myrtle Beach.
Betty Cain of Murrells Inlet suffers from macular degeneration and has led a support group for people with poor vision.
She gave up driving years ago and said it felt like someone had cut off her legs.
"It was very difficult to know that I couldn't just go where I wanted to go when I wanted to go," she said.
For older drivers, the problem isn't just vision, but reaction time and motor skills. A recent study showed gas pedal accidents are more common in drivers older than 76.
Cain said it's a gradual transition for people to realize they are losing their driving skills and arriving at that conclusion is tough.
"It's very difficult. A lot of people go into a depression because of their limitations."
Cain said the hardest thing she had to do was ask for help, but there are many local groups offering transportation assistance and support.
For those struggling to decide whether to keep on driving, she has this question: "Do you want to save your life or the life of somebody else? And it could be both."
She said it's a delicate procedure to talk to someone about giving up driving.
"You don't want to hurt anybody's feelings and say, 'You're too old to do this or you can't do this anymore.' "
Cain said you need to find ways to encourage seniors to make that decision on their own, rather than forcing it on them.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 28 states have special requirements for older drivers. In South Carolina, drivers over the age of 65 must take a vision test every 5 years.
