University of Miami - School of Law

TJ in Jacksonville: Florida Coastal Law Review Therapeutic Jurisprudence Symposium
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On February 27th  Prof.  Winick was an honored speaker, along with Prof. David B. Wexler as the founders of the school of social enquiry called therapeutic jurisprudence,  at the Florida Coastal Law Review Therapeutic Jurisprudence Symposium.  He spoke on the topic of public health law as it relates to the Elderly. 

 

Other speakers at the symposium include:

 

Susan Daicoff: Professor of Law at Florida Coastal School of Law - on sexual harassment and discrimination law

David Yamada: Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School - on employment law

Kathy Cerminara: Professor of Law at Nova Southeaster University - on death and dying issues

Cindy Adcock: Professor of Law at Charlotte School of Law- on death and dying issues

 

Shelley Kierstead: Professor of Law at Osgoode Hall Law School (Canada) - on family law

Marsha Freeman: Professor of Law at Berry University School of Law - on family law

Dax Miller: Third year student at Florida Coastal School of Law - on family law form reform

 

Abstract: AGING, DRIVING, AND PUBLIC HEALTH: A THERAPEUTIC JURISPRUDENCE APPROACH

 

 Elder drivers are at increased risk of being involved in an automobile accident.  Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of injury-related death in people   age 65-74.  Discouraging elder people from driving and identifying which ones should have restricted licenses or should be denied license renewals thus emerges as a major public health problem.

 

Yet, depriving elderly drivers of their ability to drive imposes serious psychological problems.  As elderly people lose various competencies, the deprivation of driving may pose a serious blow to their self-esteem and sense of self-efficacy, escalating their decline into incompetence and causing depression.

 

This paper analyzes the ways in which the states seek to cope with this public health problem, discusses  the antitherapeutic consequences of existing models, and makes recommendations concerning how public health objectives can be achieved in this area while minimizing negative psychological consequences to elder drivers.