State Sen. Allen Christensen wants to help people avoid this age-related family drama, and is sponsoring a bill this coming legislative session that would allow anonymity to those reporting drivers whose impairments could pose imminent threats to their own and others' safety.

Senate Bill 84 would apply to anyone regardless of age. But Christensen's concern is elderly drivers.

"One of the principle pushers of this is my own mother," said the North Ogden Republican. "She thinks nothing of getting in the car and driving to California. It's getting scary. There are people who won't police themselves."

He figures granting anonymity would make the tough decision easier on everyone involved.

But Salt Lake City resident Dennis Kurumada said the bill, while aimed at protecting the driving public, would allow families to shirk responsibilities. And he doesn't believe older people are such a problem they need to be singled out.

His father is one of just 11 Utahns over 90 years old who have driver licenses. "I would feel safer driving in a car with my dad behind the wheel than some other people I know," Kurumada said.

Statistically, he would be safer. According to Utah Department of Public Safety, in 2004, drivers over 65 accounted for just 5.6 percent of the year's 96,659 drivers involved in crashes. Drivers ages 15 to 29 were involved in 47.5 percent of wrecks.

By comparison, in 2000, drivers over 65 accounted for 8.2 percent of those involved in crashes, with drivers ages 15-29 involved in 43 percent.

Senior autonomy: Jun Kurumada, 93, caused his relatives' palpitations a couple of months ago when he called them to say he was driving to Los Angeles to visit his son and grandson.

"I just drove to Los Angeles by myself. No incidents at all. I don't feel that I'm physically or visually impaired," he said.

But the Los Angeles son refused to let his dad drive back to Utah by himself. Jun's grandson, age 26 and a member of the most dangerous driving age class, took the wheel.

"He's a wild driver," said the elder Kurumada. "I didn't think I was any safer. I thought I could do better."

Ken Venables, spokesman for Salt Lake County Aging Services, said individuals react differently when they lose their licenses. "Usually, it's not taken very well," he said.

"We find that one of the most treasured and valued things for older people is their independence," he said. "They feel like they become a burden."

If he had to give up his car keys, Kurumada said he would have to depend on others. "If it was necessary for me to do that, I would try to program my timing so as not to be too much of a burden to them," he said.

As for reporting elders, "if they felt he's incapable of driving, that would be a proper attitude to take," he said. "Of course, I think the parent would know who made that request."

My ge-ge-generation: According to AARP, 80 percent of people age 65 and older had driver licenses in 2003, up from 61 percent in 1980. By 2029, a fourth of all licensed drivers will be over 65.

By age 75, people are more fragile and are involved in crashes disproportionately. The U.S. Department of Transportation says those over 75 have more accidents per miles driven.

Christensen says his bill is particularly pertinent because his boomer generation is aging. Older people tend to have worse vision, more physical impairments and may take medically necessary drugs that affect their driving ability.

He said he is not trying to stigmatize the elderly or those who will become so.

"I don't want to catch people who don't need to be caught," Christensen said. Anyway, "just because you turn them in doesn't mean the driver license division has to take their license."

To deter using anonymity to harass people, Christensen's bill would make false notification a class C misdemeanor subject to a penalty of up to 90 days imprisonment and a $750 fine.

In fiscal year 2001, the Driver License Division conducted 1,220 "re-exams" of suspected impaired drivers. In 2005, there were 2,781 re-exams.

Wallace Wintle, the Driver License Division bureau chief and state licensing supervisor, said that 50 percent of those over 65 failed their driving tests.

The top two reasons: Failure to check blind spots before changing lanes and not being aware of surroundings.

Wintle said there is nothing in the existing law or Christensen's bill that is specific to the older population. That said, no matter what the age or condition of the person, if someone in the family reports suspected impairments, family troubles ensue.

"They want us, of course, to be the bad guy and take the license away. We have no problem doing that if it's needed," Wintle said.

He acknowledged that the propriety of using police and state employees as family referees "is a big question."

"Probably the only fair way to deal with it is observations of driving or a review of medical conditions," Wintle said. "But the doctors don't want to be the bad guys, either. We don't mind. That's our job."