It is also a necessity for millions of Canadians, allowing them independence, mobility and the chance to do everything from getting to work, to going shopping, to taking a vacation.

For an elderly person, the ability to drive is especially important.

Yet, the tragic death of 10 people last week when an 86-year-old driver sped through a farmers market in Santa Monica, Calif., is another sad example of why the right to drive cannot overtake the safety of others on the streets and sidewalks, or in passenger seats.

The accident recalls similar ones in Ontario, including a case in 2000 in which an 84-ye

With each highly publicized fatal accident caused by an elderly driver, calls emerge for a better system for licensing aging motorists.

ar-old Toronto woman was charged with careless driving and failing to stop after she struck and dragged Beth Kidnie, 43, to her death. A month later, an 82-year-old driver killed a 13-year-old girl and injured her mother while reversing her car at the Burlington Mall.

Doctors in small towns and rural areas say that while it may be fine for physicians in large urban centres, such as Toronto where there is plenty of public transit for the elderly, it is hard to recommend taking away driving privileges for patients who will become virtual captives in their homes without a car.

Still, as baby boomers age, the numb

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