On June 1, Alice Fielding was taking a break from her job at a Walgreens in Peoria, AZ. Fielding was sitting on a bench in the parking lot when an 87-year-old woman mistook the gas pedal for the brake and struck Fielding with her car.

Fielding received treatment from paramedics at the scene but died later at the hospital. There have been no criminal charges against the driver, who claimed to be "confused and disoriented" from the accident.

Arizona Elderly Driving Regulations

In Arizona, one in five drivers is over the age of 65. Elderly drivers aged 75 and older have a higher accident rate than any other age group except teenagers.

For a state with such a large population of elderly drivers, Arizona has very few regulations in place to ensure that senior citizens are able to drive safely. Arizona physicians are not required to report at-risk drivers to the authorities unless the information is subpoenaed or admitted as evidence in a criminal trial.

Arizona law only requires that seniors aged 65 and over must pass an eye exam every two years. For a non-restricted Arizona license, a person must pass the exam with 20/40 vision. Restricted licenses may be granted to those whose vision is 20/60 or better.

Currently, 32 states have no additional requirements for senior citizens renewing their licenses.

Move to Require Road Testing Rejected

Arizona State Representative Mike Gleason, 74, filed a bill last January that would require all drivers 75 and older to pass both road and vision tests every two years. The bill met heavy resistance from the state's large senior population and failed to pass into law. Many senior citizens feel that further regulation of their driver's licenses would be a restriction of their freedom.