Elderly drivers — a tough call

OREM — For years, the Baker children had been trying to take the keys away from their elderly father. But not even an engine fire, a car accident or the passing of his wife, Lois, would push Wallace Baker to give up his four-wheeled freedom.

The 94-year-old Idaho native loved driving back and forth to the LDS temple in Logan, but the dents in the car reminded his children that their father wasn't as careful as he once was.

"As a family we have always discussed the issues of him driving," said Nathan Baker, the Bakers' youngest son, who lives in Lehi. "We were never worried about our loss of a parent or parents, but we lived in fear of what might occur with an innocent young family, individual or child as a result of his persistence to drive."

Last year, Wallace decided to move to an assisted-living facility in Orem, continuing his numerous weekly treks to the Provo temple. But on Jan. 15, the Baker children got the dreaded call.

Wallace Baker had been traveling north on I-15 around 7 p.m. when he became confused and tried to turn left although there was no turnoff in either direction.

He was hit by another car, and they both slammed into the median. Wallace Baker's car was then hit head on by a semitrailer truck. He was conscious and alert at the scene but passed away hours later at University Hospital in Salt Lake City.

The family is grateful their father went quickly, as was his wish. They were more concerned about the recovery of the other drivers, who were not seriously injured.

The Bakers no longer have to worry about hiding the keys from their father, but the experience has made them wonder what else can be done in situations like theirs.

"To hear the comments that 'Well, families should just take the keys away, the car away,' I'm not saying that dad was independently wealthy, but we could have taken his car away, and I can tell you that it would only be a matter of two or three days and he would own another one," Nathan Baker said. "How you do take his driver's license away? As a family member, how do you really enforce that?"

One approach is to call the Driver's License Division, which will take a detailed report of the concern and ask the driver to come in to retake a driving test.

Between 2,300 and 2,500 people are referred each year, said Wally Wintle, bureau chief of the Utah Driver's Services Bureau, and most are elderly drivers.

Nearly 47 percent of elderly drivers fail the driving test the first time, but they get three more tries, Wintle said. If they still can't pass, they're required to take four hours of driver's ed, then given two more attempts on the road.