Photo: Corriere della Sera
For some people, driving is more than just a means of getting from point A to point B. It’s also a way to clear your head or even be independent. And you’re never too old to do it, as this Italian woman proves.
After a certain age, usually over 80, some people stop driving due to several reasons: poor eyesight, lack of coordination, various illnesses, and more. But, while there’s a minimum driving age, usually between 16 and 18, there’s no age limit when you have to stop driving.
And Italy seems to prove that very well. A 100-year-old woman called Candida Uderzo has just gotten her driver’s license renewed in early June, and she will be able to drive for two more years, until her license expires in 2024, when she will be 102 years old.
After her birthday in May, she showed up at the driving school, ready for more years of driving. They tested her and found that her eyesight was good and mind worked perfectly fine and that she still knows how to drive. So, they renewed her license.
“This renewal makes me happy and will make me feel a little bit freer too,” Uderzo told Corriere della Sera. “I’m lucky, I’m 100 years old, and being so healthy is a surprise to me too. I never take tablets, just the odd sleeping pill once in a while.” She shared she’s only been in the hospital once, for a hernia, and “that’s enough.”
Even her son, Gianni, was surprised to hear they renewed her license, although he knows his mom is healthy: «When they renewed her license I almost didn't believe it. I thought they would take it away from her. It is true that she is physically perfect, capable of understanding, and willing, she reads the newspaper without glasses. Sometimes they decide to take it off anyway because at this age an illness can always happen. But she is really healthy. We asked her to be safe, to stay around.”
But she’s not the only one in the same situation. Italy’s centenarian population is among the highest in Europe and the number continues to grow. Just last year, a man from Sicily, who turned 100 and had his license renewed, decided to celebrate that by buying a new car. Another centenarian from the Campania region revealed they have no plans to give up their car just yet.
And Italy seems to prove that very well. A 100-year-old woman called Candida Uderzo has just gotten her driver’s license renewed in early June, and she will be able to drive for two more years, until her license expires in 2024, when she will be 102 years old.
After her birthday in May, she showed up at the driving school, ready for more years of driving. They tested her and found that her eyesight was good and mind worked perfectly fine and that she still knows how to drive. So, they renewed her license.
“This renewal makes me happy and will make me feel a little bit freer too,” Uderzo told Corriere della Sera. “I’m lucky, I’m 100 years old, and being so healthy is a surprise to me too. I never take tablets, just the odd sleeping pill once in a while.” She shared she’s only been in the hospital once, for a hernia, and “that’s enough.”
Even her son, Gianni, was surprised to hear they renewed her license, although he knows his mom is healthy: «When they renewed her license I almost didn't believe it. I thought they would take it away from her. It is true that she is physically perfect, capable of understanding, and willing, she reads the newspaper without glasses. Sometimes they decide to take it off anyway because at this age an illness can always happen. But she is really healthy. We asked her to be safe, to stay around.”
But she’s not the only one in the same situation. Italy’s centenarian population is among the highest in Europe and the number continues to grow. Just last year, a man from Sicily, who turned 100 and had his license renewed, decided to celebrate that by buying a new car. Another centenarian from the Campania region revealed they have no plans to give up their car just yet.
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