10-21-26

A fatal crash in Fort Collins involving an 88-year-old driver whose truck’s automatic emergency braking was apparently overridden opens the episode and anchors a substantive discussion about age-related driving competency. Ted and Austin debate at what point periodic competency assessments should be required, whether states are doing enough to evaluate fitness to drive as people age, and how families can navigate conversations about driving that almost nobody wants to have. The discussion is balanced and practical, acknowledging both the autonomy concerns of older adults and the real public safety question the Fort Collins case raises.