Poor driving by some older snowbirds creates problems

In the April 27 edition of the Bradenton Herald, Pat Ridgeway expressed her shock at the lack of enforcement of traffic laws in Florida.

I was born and raised in Florida and have lived off and on in Bradenton for 41 years. I am a small business owner and truly recognize and appreciate our visitors from the north who are the majority of my customers.

However, instead of criticizing local law enforcers who put their lives on the line, perhaps a little introspective analysis should be undertaken. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen an elderly driver stop in a lane of traffic because they have become confused as to which way to go.

Now we are debating removing the traffic circle on Jacaranda in Venice because it is too confusing to some drivers. Too confusing? If you can't handle a traffic circle, it is time to hang up the keys.

And, if our elderly drivers just drove close to the speed limit, our traffic congestion would be greatly relieved. Driving 25 mph in a 40-mph zone is not acceptable, is dangerous and causes accidents.

Yes, that was probably me "racing at high speeds" going around you, even though I am going the speed limit.

If you want our law enforcement to do a better job at keeping our roads safe, I would suggest daytime roadblocks like DUI stops but instead identify the very elderly who are incapable of and should not be driving a 3,000-pound vehicle. Age discrimination? Absolutely!

Mike Kantor

Bradenton

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Poor driving by some older snowbirds creates problems ."