ADias

I know people older than 75 having fun driving 911s and other sports cars, often with better driving skills than many younger folks. Many will be in Monterey next week.

Partsguy

I would have to disagree, it does matter what you drive. 3 and a half years ago my wife and I were on our way home from our sons' band competition driving on the PA turnpike NE extension. I was in the right lane, tractor trailer in the left lane doing about the same speed, but with the uphill grade, he was slowing down and I was keeping a steady speed. He never looked, moved over into my lane and PIT manuvered me at 65mph. He turned me sideways in front of him and I proceeded into the concrete barrier seperating the north and south bound lanes. He then grabber the same spot that he hit the first time with the trailer tires on the opposite side and spun me back into the concrete divider and from the into the guard rail on the opposite side of the road. The guard rail was pushed back 3 feet and that was the last thing I hit. I am here today for 1 reason, the car I was in was a Volvo. If I had been in my pick up or SUV, we would not be here today. I can still see the mark I made on the concrete, the green paint was 60 feet long and still visible today.

Bonster

Partsguy . . . I am very glad you survived! I was in a very bad one being rear-ended in a Miata by a guy driving a Suburban hauling a boat. This all happened because I was trying to avoid (on an eight-lane highway in Southern California) a sleepy trucker that was lazing all the way left into my lane (the fast lane). I had to hit the brakes to avoid being sucked under his last set of four left tires. Because of this, and the guy with the Suburban being in the obviously wrong lane, I suffered greatly, but did survive. The man in the Suburban was spellbound, his wife and kid in tears -- apparently when he had struck my little Miata the force started to push me UNDER the trailer. He said something like, "You must have been Mario Andretti to have pulled out of that. I was seeing death for sure." One week prior I was hoping my life would end. I cried for a long time -- all the way home and then some -- after that.

To this day I have SEVERE back problems -- no surgery yet, but it's coming some day. Point is, it was not my day. Another point is, even if it had been (a very well built car, I might add) Volvo, my life was not in the hands of an auto maker. Nor was it in my own hands. I might argue it was God, but that is beside the point. I still firmly believe that ANY car can cause a fatal accident. You just gotta be careful, Volvo 242 DL, Porsche 911, Mazda Miata . . . doesn't matter.

Just be happy that you are here. Maybe that was my whole point. You, sir, are very lucky to have survived, as was I. I relish in that daily. But I NEVER forget to be on the look out. I've heard of a Yugo (was at one time a fire fighter, moons ago) that caused a semi-truck to over-turn and killed the big rig driver, but the Yugo guy merely had a broken leg.

Never take life for granted, but live the life you have before you. Hope that makes sense without pissing anyone off. Remember, this is all just our collective opinions. I still say it can happen at any time. LIVE LIFE NOW.

Bonster

I have to agree -- age is not necessarily a mitigating factor. If you've got your wits about you, you should be able to drive. But if you do NOT, you should admit and respect this fact. Too often, folks don't do that. This is why my grandmother is in a care home after backing into her own garage at 85. Okay, so worse things were found out after her incident. But she'd been driving bad for ten years, the poor sweet gal. It just happens. The day I can't drive, I'm selling everything I own and moving to London to ride the tubes.

TommyV44

Nice post........thank you!

Tom

TommyV44

That's wonderful news! I'm 63 and a lot of people tell/ask me how much longer I'll be driving a 911....why don't you switch to a Mercedes S class (and act your age right).

It almost makes me think about that switch (not really but the fact that I'd even give it a thought is annoying enough).

I always tell them I'm in a 911 until I can't drive anymore

Tom

rebattery

@ 59 I'm better now, thur life experiences, driving schools, 1 million plus miles & limiting distractions----car phone, eating etc.

Texas993

I have no further details of the accident. But I know the intersection well. It is a divided highway with a stoplight. Someone ran a light, not sure who. Likely Wyly otherwise the media would have reported charges, etc.

Bonster

I don't care what they say . . .I'm gonna be buried in my 911, Tom. It's always so hard to, say for instance, see even 63, or 73, or even 43, as "young" until you get to be that age. "Old" will never apply to some of us, no matter how many years we pack in.

EDIT: Just in case someone doesn't get what I was saying . . . which I am good at (confusing people): When I was a teenager, I thought 40 was ancient. When I was thirty I thought anything over 50 seemed up there. Point is, as we age, the definition of "old" or "young" keeps changing.

While our bodies will show some signs of age, it is truly our minds that keep us young. Or old. You choose which you want to be. I have body parts (i.e., my back) that no longer work like they used to. But ask anybody . . . I'm still a child most days.

Bullit

That makes two of us!!!

Bonster

Wait a minute, you guys . . . you mean to tell me that after you can't drive any longer, you won't go sit in the garage in the car and make engine noises, kind of like you did when you were kids??? Come on! Where's your imagination? My sight might go, and I might grow to be senile, but I'll always have my imagination. So when you see a ninety year old woman making funny noises from inside of a blue 911, just keep walkin'.

TommyV44

I see it the exact same way! It all starts on the inside and I know on the inside i'm still a kid.....and very proud of it!!

TommyV44

Salud!

TommyV44

You're right....maybe I'll just climb in beside you and make those noises with you for the PSE affect!

Tom

Mike in CA

That's my plan, Bonster, except that since I won't be driving it anyway I was planning on bringing the car into my den. Warmer and closer to the john which at 90 will no doubt be significant advantages!