Reporting a old age driver?
Discussion
lord trumpton said:
A1VDY said:
lord trumpton said:
Get the old biffers off he road!
70 or over? Well GTF off the road
That's your days driving over then.. 70 or over? Well GTF off the road
Im under well under 70?70, these days, isn't 'old', it's merely 'older'.
When I renewed my licence at 70, I was offered a driving assessment with an advanced instructor, which I thought was a pretty good idea. It was, at the time, free so I booked in. The session worked out at about 15 miles on various types of roads, from a 60mph bypass to NSL B roads. The instructor was very critical and pointed out a few bad habits, but said I was still a competent driver.
This assessment could be done at licence renewal for a small fee to cover the instructors time. I would be happy with that arrangement. I also have an agreement with my son that if I become a menace on the roads, he will hide the car keys
We have had a few elderly drivers around here driving into shop windows, and one that reversed out of a parking space and careered backwards demolishing the letter boxes outside the post office 30 metres away!
This assessment could be done at licence renewal for a small fee to cover the instructors time. I would be happy with that arrangement. I also have an agreement with my son that if I become a menace on the roads, he will hide the car keys
We have had a few elderly drivers around here driving into shop windows, and one that reversed out of a parking space and careered backwards demolishing the letter boxes outside the post office 30 metres away!
WJNB said:
Perhaps to balance things younger arrogant know-it-all's with delusions of importance & right of way should be reported when spotted undertaking, speeding, tail-gating, carving up others etc etc.
They often are especially in the age of the dash cam where you can upload your footage onto police websites if you so choose.I have concerns about an elderly relative and have reported it to the DVLA (and their Doctor twice). It's clear the Doctor doesn't want to deal with it and the DVLA have taken no action in 11 weeks and I can't even get through to them.
Personally, I would have a compulsory retest at 70, then based on a score would determine how soon the next retest would be e.g. 1-5 years.
My relative's car control and eyesight are not in question - it's the declining judgment. This has gone downhill significantly in the last 6 months e.g. driving during lockdown to a garden centre for a coffee then being surprised when it was closed.
Personally, I would have a compulsory retest at 70, then based on a score would determine how soon the next retest would be e.g. 1-5 years.
My relative's car control and eyesight are not in question - it's the declining judgment. This has gone downhill significantly in the last 6 months e.g. driving during lockdown to a garden centre for a coffee then being surprised when it was closed.
impreza280 said:
I have concerns about an elderly relative and have reported it to the DVLA (and their Doctor twice). It's clear the Doctor doesn't want to deal with it and the DVLA have taken no action in 11 weeks and I can't even get through to them.
Personally, I would have a compulsory retest at 70, then based on a score would determine how soon the next retest would be e.g. 1-5 years.
My relative's car control and eyesight are not in question - it's the declining judgment. This has gone downhill significantly in the last 6 months e.g. driving during lockdown to a garden centre for a coffee then being surprised when it was closed.
For that you want to stop them driving?Personally, I would have a compulsory retest at 70, then based on a score would determine how soon the next retest would be e.g. 1-5 years.
My relative's car control and eyesight are not in question - it's the declining judgment. This has gone downhill significantly in the last 6 months e.g. driving during lockdown to a garden centre for a coffee then being surprised when it was closed.
Not that specifically - multiple physical health issues, multiple bumper/mirror scuffs, but specifically declining judgment e.g. thinks it's now OK to park at a T junction.
There is a significant flaw in the system - if you can make a declaration and sign your name, you can self certify yourself to drive until you can no longer write your name (unless it's a specific, named health issue). My example was that they no longer understand what they should and shouldn't do.
There is a significant flaw in the system - if you can make a declaration and sign your name, you can self certify yourself to drive until you can no longer write your name (unless it's a specific, named health issue). My example was that they no longer understand what they should and shouldn't do.
Just before lockdown I nipped to Aldi and followed a guy driving a brand new version of my car. His driving was perfect, he parked it perfectly. By the time I'd parked, rooted round for my bags I passed him looking confused stood by its door. It was beeping loudly.
Owning one of these cars I knew it sometimes didn't turn off properly (button ignition) and would then beep loudly until you pressed it again. Poor bloke was so confused. Turned out he was 92 and had just been to pick up his brand new car and had never had anything that new before so all the electronics were new to him. Showed him where the issue was, told him it would probably happen a lot and we had a bit of a joke about it.
I came away thinking to myself 'God, I hope I'll be picking up a brand new car at 92'.
Owning one of these cars I knew it sometimes didn't turn off properly (button ignition) and would then beep loudly until you pressed it again. Poor bloke was so confused. Turned out he was 92 and had just been to pick up his brand new car and had never had anything that new before so all the electronics were new to him. Showed him where the issue was, told him it would probably happen a lot and we had a bit of a joke about it.
I came away thinking to myself 'God, I hope I'll be picking up a brand new car at 92'.
SistersofPercy said:
Just before lockdown I nipped to Aldi and followed a guy driving a brand new version of my car. His driving was perfect, he parked it perfectly. By the time I'd parked, rooted round for my bags I passed him looking confused stood by its door. It was beeping loudly.
Owning one of these cars I knew it sometimes didn't turn off properly (button ignition) and would then beep loudly until you pressed it again. Poor bloke was so confused. Turned out he was 92 and had just been to pick up his brand new car and had never had anything that new before so all the electronics were new to him. Showed him where the issue was, told him it would probably happen a lot and we had a bit of a joke about it.
I came away thinking to myself 'God, I hope I'll be picking up a brand new car at 92'.
Let's not forget that Tom Delaney was still racing when he was 94:Owning one of these cars I knew it sometimes didn't turn off properly (button ignition) and would then beep loudly until you pressed it again. Poor bloke was so confused. Turned out he was 92 and had just been to pick up his brand new car and had never had anything that new before so all the electronics were new to him. Showed him where the issue was, told him it would probably happen a lot and we had a bit of a joke about it.
I came away thinking to myself 'God, I hope I'll be picking up a brand new car at 92'.
https://www.motorpunk.co.uk/articles/born-day-tom-...
My view is that you should have a "review" (not necessarily a full re-test as such, but a "competence" check) after the following:
1. 2 years after passing test.
2. At 70 and then every 5 years.
3. Any ban will require either a review or a full re-test.
Maybe even a "random/lottery" review test, x number per year.
Can have other triggers (particular health issues etc.).
1. 2 years after passing test.
2. At 70 and then every 5 years.
3. Any ban will require either a review or a full re-test.
Maybe even a "random/lottery" review test, x number per year.
Can have other triggers (particular health issues etc.).
Slow said:
Just followed some 90 year old looking woman for 15 miles of single track lane at between 3 and 25 mph.
The car STANK of cooked brakes despite the brake lights only coming on to let bikes past (never waited in the same passing places to let me past but whatever).
Brand new 20 plate car so I assume she left an electronic handbrake on but somehow never noticed the car was stopping really fast whenever she let off the accelerator.
Stopped on the road to indicate right to turn off, it’s a corner you would take at 15mph and not need to stop for as have line of sight for and it’s wide.
I don’t know her to talk about it but is there someone I can report her to as I am genuinely not sure she should be driving.
Regardless of their age, why not report anyone who drives badly, or recklessly?The car STANK of cooked brakes despite the brake lights only coming on to let bikes past (never waited in the same passing places to let me past but whatever).
Brand new 20 plate car so I assume she left an electronic handbrake on but somehow never noticed the car was stopping really fast whenever she let off the accelerator.
Stopped on the road to indicate right to turn off, it’s a corner you would take at 15mph and not need to stop for as have line of sight for and it’s wide.
I don’t know her to talk about it but is there someone I can report her to as I am genuinely not sure she should be driving.
The Mad Monk said:
Slow said:
Just followed some 90 year old looking woman for 15 miles of single track lane at between 3 and 25 mph.
The car STANK of cooked brakes despite the brake lights only coming on to let bikes past (never waited in the same passing places to let me past but whatever).
Brand new 20 plate car so I assume she left an electronic handbrake on but somehow never noticed the car was stopping really fast whenever she let off the accelerator.
Stopped on the road to indicate right to turn off, it’s a corner you would take at 15mph and not need to stop for as have line of sight for and it’s wide.
I don’t know her to talk about it but is there someone I can report her to as I am genuinely not sure she should be driving.
Regardless of their age, why not report anyone who drives badly, or recklessly?The car STANK of cooked brakes despite the brake lights only coming on to let bikes past (never waited in the same passing places to let me past but whatever).
Brand new 20 plate car so I assume she left an electronic handbrake on but somehow never noticed the car was stopping really fast whenever she let off the accelerator.
Stopped on the road to indicate right to turn off, it’s a corner you would take at 15mph and not need to stop for as have line of sight for and it’s wide.
I don’t know her to talk about it but is there someone I can report her to as I am genuinely not sure she should be driving.
Dracoro said:
My view is that you should have a "review" (not necessarily a full re-test as such, but a "competence" check) after the following:
1. 2 years after passing test.
2. At 70 and then every 5 years.
3. Any ban will require either a review or a full re-test.
Maybe even a "random/lottery" review test, x number per year.
Can have other triggers (particular health issues etc.).
I do agree with you, but every 5 years after 70 is a long time - I've seen my relative's health decline quite a bit in less than a year, but no single 'item' which would be deemed of interest to the DVLA. Hence my suggestion further up the thread that re-test frequency should be linked to a score. 1. 2 years after passing test.
2. At 70 and then every 5 years.
3. Any ban will require either a review or a full re-test.
Maybe even a "random/lottery" review test, x number per year.
Can have other triggers (particular health issues etc.).
Gixer968CS said:
This is media bias, making you think it was age that caused the accident. Do we know that? Tens of thousands of people are involved in accidents each year and the biggest % is in younger people. Maybe she crashed because she's female, maybe being Scottish caused it, maybe the colour of her hair? If the article had said one-legged 91 year old would you decide having only one leg was a factor in the accident? All incompetent drivers should be retrained or banned, but not all incompetent drivers are elderly and being elderly doesn't make you incompetent
Everyone local to this knows it was an old woman driving up the pavement in broad daylight. At 91, to assume that age is not a factor is naive at the least.As I said when I mentioned this very incident at the start of this thread, imagine how her family are feeling , I wonder if they had ever had doubts about her driving skills.
If you think a relative is becoming a danger and you don't stop them driving, then you are a t
t.No one is saying older drivers are an issue, they are saying drivers who are impaired due to age are an issue.
Peter3442 said:
The point is that she was, most likely, incompetent
Whether it might be associated with age, gender, nationality, race, ill health or whatever is irrelevant. If you know of someone whom you believe to be incompetent to drive, you should report it appropriately.
It’s not irrelevant because age brings with it inevitable mental and physical decline. Many old people will reach the point that they shouldn’t really be driving any more, if they don’t pass away before they reach that point of course. There’s not a good system in place for dealing with age related incompetence, the inevitability of which and with an ageing population there bloody well should be. I don’t want old people to have their licences taken away from them willy nilly but there is a very real problem with old folks driving who were once fine but now as a direct result of ageing are no longer competent.Whether it might be associated with age, gender, nationality, race, ill health or whatever is irrelevant. If you know of someone whom you believe to be incompetent to drive, you should report it appropriately.
Visited my mum yesterday, she's 81. We were both going to the same place but on to different places afterwards, so I said I'd follow her, about 5 miles. Haven't been in the car with her driving for years, or seen her drive, so I thought it would be worth seeing her in action. Plus she has just got a brand new car, which she's still getting to grips with.
Anyway, she always has been a very good driver, and pleased to say she still is. If I ever get a call to say she's been killed or seriously injured in a car crash, I'd be pretty sure some young whippersnapper had caused it.
Anyway, she always has been a very good driver, and pleased to say she still is. If I ever get a call to say she's been killed or seriously injured in a car crash, I'd be pretty sure some young whippersnapper had caused it.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff