Reporting a old age driver?
Discussion
This just happened in Edinburgh the other day..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-e...
91 year old driving, straight road, mounted pavement and mowed down 3 year old. It doesnt state it in that article, but previous reports suggested the driver had momentary confusion over which pedal was which.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-e...
91 year old driving, straight road, mounted pavement and mowed down 3 year old. It doesnt state it in that article, but previous reports suggested the driver had momentary confusion over which pedal was which.
My father in law, sadly no longer with us (bless him). Was a very capable, aware and considered driver. But he started to realise he was not quite the driver he used to be.
Over the last few years before he passed away, he decided not to drive at night. As he found it challenging. And after a couple of minor little dings, to bollards / posts. He eventually decided enough was enough, and left the car on the drive.
He openly said he didn’t want to be responsible for causing an accident or hurting someone. So he would rather just call it quits
Over the last few years before he passed away, he decided not to drive at night. As he found it challenging. And after a couple of minor little dings, to bollards / posts. He eventually decided enough was enough, and left the car on the drive.
He openly said he didn’t want to be responsible for causing an accident or hurting someone. So he would rather just call it quits
Johnnytheboy said:
Or you could just test everyone every ten years.
I agree with you, particularly your comment regarding a quick trip around the block. That would ensure that people know what the controls do, know what year it is, know they're in a car, and have a grasp of what's going on around them. Could be peppered with questions such as "what did that last sign say?" to check they're paying attention. I'd be up for it. Where I live In Canada there is a requirement for drivers to requalify at 75. I am 71 and have no problem with that
. In nonCV times I generally drive about 50,000 miles a year and some track days. You’re either safe to drive or you’re not.
The test at 75 is also designed to identify Memory issues for example.
I would expect that my next GT3RS will probably be my last performance car though. Been a huge amount of fun.
. In nonCV times I generally drive about 50,000 miles a year and some track days. You’re either safe to drive or you’re not.
The test at 75 is also designed to identify Memory issues for example.
I would expect that my next GT3RS will probably be my last performance car though. Been a huge amount of fun.
I am a Flying Instructor and do the compulsory 2 year check flight for PPLs. A significant proportion are not of a safe standard and I have both refused to pass their check flight or recommended retraining. One old boy was so appalling that I advised him to give up flying (which went down very badly).
The read across to elderly driving is attitude. IMHO, the pilots and drivers who are aware of their limitations and accept advice and training are the safest and best. Those who have an inflated opinion of their own entitlement and ability are comfortably the worst.
My elderly mother hit another car's wing mirror and failed to stop. I insisted she take an elderly driving assessment which she just about passed. Rather than accept that a driving licence is a privilege, my mother was so incensed that we have not spoken since! I suspect she is positively lethal now...
A man's gotta know his limitations (thanks Clint!). I sincerely hope that when the time comes I will stop flying and driving with good grace.
The read across to elderly driving is attitude. IMHO, the pilots and drivers who are aware of their limitations and accept advice and training are the safest and best. Those who have an inflated opinion of their own entitlement and ability are comfortably the worst.
My elderly mother hit another car's wing mirror and failed to stop. I insisted she take an elderly driving assessment which she just about passed. Rather than accept that a driving licence is a privilege, my mother was so incensed that we have not spoken since! I suspect she is positively lethal now...
A man's gotta know his limitations (thanks Clint!). I sincerely hope that when the time comes I will stop flying and driving with good grace.
Alucidnation said:
An old biddy potentially brake checking you?
It seems it was obvious she was nervous/lost etc, maybe due it being a new car, and most people would have held back a reasonable amount once this had happened a couple of times.
Think I agree.It seems it was obvious she was nervous/lost etc, maybe due it being a new car, and most people would have held back a reasonable amount once this had happened a couple of times.
Nothing in the OP seems to say that the lady was driving dangerously - in fact, it comes across as her being overly cautious.
BuzzBravado said:
This just happened in Edinburgh the other day..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-e...
91 year old driving, straight road, mounted pavement and mowed down 3 year old. It doesnt state it in that article, but previous reports suggested the driver had momentary confusion over which pedal was which.
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 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-e...
91 year old driving, straight road, mounted pavement and mowed down 3 year old. It doesnt state it in that article, but previous reports suggested the driver had momentary confusion over which pedal was which.
Had an old chap turn decide to right at a roundabout recently from the left hand lane, with no signal or other clue given, almost stoving in the front wing of our car in the process. We joined the roundabout alongside each other, when he proceeded to veer from the outer lane directly to the inner lane of the roundabout, forcing us to brake sharply and take avoiding action. He then trundled slowly around the roundabout before erratically swerving off at the third exit, again without any signal or apparent observation. At the next roundabout he pulled straight out in front of an artic which had to anchor up sharply. Not content with nearly causing two accidents in the space of a minute, he then went on to create a sizeable rolling tailback by driving the next few miles of NSL road at 36 mph, much of the time with his offside wheels the wrong side of the centre line. Genuinely some of the worst driving I have seen in years.
Couldn't help noticing just how genuinely immaculate his 3 year old Golf was, and found myself wondering if the presumably frequent resprays / bodywork repairs were helping to keep it looking so fresh.
Couldn't help noticing just how genuinely immaculate his 3 year old Golf was, and found myself wondering if the presumably frequent resprays / bodywork repairs were helping to keep it looking so fresh.
Riley Blue said:
Just restoring the balance. The same unsubstantiated comments reappear whenever someone starts a thread about old drivers, usually after witnessing an incident involving one.
When young drivers are involved it's merely 'driving like a t
t'.
I thought you'd enjoy this thread.When young drivers are involved it's merely 'driving like a t
t'.As I said in post #5:
Johnnytheboy said:
In before the whataboutery...
The difference is young folk in accidents often could drive well but have decided not to. Old folk in accidents often can no longer drive well.
Extra training would possibly benefit young folk, I doubt it would with old folk.
This isn't to say there isn't a problem with young folk's driving, but the fact that there may be one doesn't negate that some old folk should be tested off the road if they are no longer fit to drive.
Gixer968CS said:
BuzzBravado said:
This just happened in Edinburgh the other day..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-e...
91 year old driving, straight road, mounted pavement and mowed down 3 year old. It doesnt state it in that article, but previous reports suggested the driver had momentary confusion over which pedal was which.
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 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-e...
91 year old driving, straight road, mounted pavement and mowed down 3 year old. It doesnt state it in that article, but previous reports suggested the driver had momentary confusion over which pedal was which.
Johnnytheboy said:
The difference is young folk in accidents often could drive well but have decided not to.
Old folk in accidents often can no longer drive well.
Extra training would possibly benefit young folk, I doubt it would with old folk.
This isn't to say there isn't a problem with young folk's driving, but the fact that there may be one doesn't negate that some old folk should be tested off the road if they are no longer fit to drive.
This is pretty close to home at the moment with my in-laws.Old folk in accidents often can no longer drive well.
Extra training would possibly benefit young folk, I doubt it would with old folk.
This isn't to say there isn't a problem with young folk's driving, but the fact that there may be one doesn't negate that some old folk should be tested off the road if they are no longer fit to drive.
Father-in-law had to surrender his license a few years ago following a fairly mild stroke which he recovered from, but was left with serious issues with his peripheral vision. This has since cleared up to the point where his eyesight meets the legal requirement for driving, but unfortunately, he's since developed other issues (OSAS and a heart condition) which means DVLA still aren't satisfied he is safe to drive. He keeps applying for his license and they keep refusing. What scares me is that as recently as 10 years ago, he was a great driver. He'd driven HGVs almost all his working life, and was always smooth, measured and observant. It's cruel what age does.
In the meantime, all driving falls to the mother-in-law who is still relatively fit and healthy, but doesn't like driving, and by her own admission, isn't great at it. She has a habit of reversing into things, not keeping anything like the proper lane position, and generally being distracted and unaware of what is going on around her. I honestly do not believe she would pass anything but the most cursory of tests.
I suspect the mother-in-law will decide for herself in the next year or so that she's had enough of driving, but it will significantly limit their mobility and will cause a massive argument when it happens.
TVRBRZ said:
I am a Flying Instructor and do the compulsory 2 year check flight for PPLs. A significant proportion are not of a safe standard and I have both refused to pass their check flight or recommended retraining. One old boy was so appalling that I advised him to give up flying (which went down very badly).
< SNIP >
I think I may have found this funnier than it actually was!< SNIP >
ambuletz said:
ill plaay devils advocate here.
suppose she just isnt used to the brand new car. maybe she isnt used to using e-brakes and didnt realise,
i seriously doubt it's an electronic brake issue - it'd have released itself by the time it got moving.. don't they all? Far more likely the smell was the last remnants of the clutch.suppose she just isnt used to the brand new car. maybe she isnt used to using e-brakes and didnt realise,
Riley Blue said:
Some statistics to consider:
15.4 million people are aged over 60 in the UK. There were 22,483 road casualties in this age group in 2018.
6.4 million people aged 16-24 in the UK. There were 28,708 road casualties in this age group in 2018.
Source DfT - Reported road casualties in Great Britain: 2018 annual report.
Being as I presume road casualties include passengers, cyclists and pedestrians this means nothing.15.4 million people are aged over 60 in the UK. There were 22,483 road casualties in this age group in 2018.
6.4 million people aged 16-24 in the UK. There were 28,708 road casualties in this age group in 2018.
Source DfT - Reported road casualties in Great Britain: 2018 annual report.
From this statistic I hypothesise that their are more 16-24 casualties because they are being ferried around by their retired grandparents who's terrible driving leads to crashes that injure them.
I agree it would be good to have a better system of continued driver evaluation - to remove those who don't meet the minimum standard, but not on an age basis, just every 'X' years from your first test pass - I regularly see terrible drivers of all ages.
< SNIP >
[/quote]
I think I may have found this funnier than it actually was!
[/quote]
LOL! I was being so judgemental and serious I missed that! He was actually an accomplished handling pilot, his flying and landings were good. Just like the elderly drivers cited in other posts, he had no awareness of other aspects - radio, navigation and other traffic. Left to continue he would have probably killed himself and potentially others either on the ground or in the air.
In the military side of my flying, I've seen one pilot stop flying 5 years early because he realised he couldn't cut it anymore, and we've removed one highly competent individual because he was writing cheques his body couldn't cash (way to go Mav.. ).... of the two, I respect the man who knew his own limits and fallibility rather than the flying god with the ego to match....
What is very much missing with driving is a mandatory competence test for all. Believe me, I loathe and hate the moment when every six months I have to fly with the Sqn Boss or my Flight Commander, but ultimately it makes my judgement as a pilot better. I'll b
h and moan if at +50, I have to resit my driving test every 5yrs, but I'll be a better driver for it.Now, have I said anything inadvertently funny...🤔
Johnnytheboy said:
In before the whataboutery...
I live in Dorset. If I reported every substandard elderly driver I saw I'd have to give up work to make time.
I firmly believe we should ALL take a mini test every ten years; if you fail you have to take a full test again.
I agree with this. No pass/fail though, just an assessment and advice “test”. It is amazing how many bad habits can creep in. I live in Dorset. If I reported every substandard elderly driver I saw I'd have to give up work to make time.
I firmly believe we should ALL take a mini test every ten years; if you fail you have to take a full test again.
When I worked in our police ops room I took 101 calls about suspect drivers and there was a positive response to checking them out whenever possible by having a VRN to trace or intercept sensibly. Also calls asking how to stop an elderly driver using the car for their and others safety.
Same with vehicles causing long tailbacks behind them due to their slower driving and not pulling over to allow following traffic to pass. GRRR!
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff