RE: OAP drivers: a liability?
Discussion
For me this is yet another reason why road based taxes should be ring fenced for road maintenance and public transport. This country is pushing further and further towards 'out of town' in terms of shopping and services, so if anyone is forced to hang up their driving boots they really should have plenty of safe, reliable alternative means of transport.
One of the first things that always seem to get cut back during funding cuts are the community transport schemes, closely followed by less frequently used bus routes/times. You can't cut these people off.
One of the first things that always seem to get cut back during funding cuts are the community transport schemes, closely followed by less frequently used bus routes/times. You can't cut these people off.
Both my parents are OAPs and their driving is significantly worse than it used to be, not staying in lane, hitting kerbs, not seeing what is around them. In my opinion older drivers should have retests every 5 years and the rest of us every 10 years. It's a small price to pay for safer roads.
The loss of personal freedom must be hard to take. A lifetime of looking down on bus travel as something along the lines of 'an inferior means of getting round, designed for benefit scroungers and layabouts,' it can be the hardest thing to give up your car. It must be very degrading. But on the other hand if you kill people as a result of your inability to drive properly in your old age then that's much worse. Sad as it is, old people should definitely have to pass tests to keep their licences.
As for refresher tests for younger drivers, I'm all for that. I'd be happy to do it every three to five years if it was mandatory, and I think driving standards could only improve. And think of the job creation that would stimulate...
As for refresher tests for younger drivers, I'm all for that. I'd be happy to do it every three to five years if it was mandatory, and I think driving standards could only improve. And think of the job creation that would stimulate...
The refresher should apply to all. It's easy to single out old people but there's plenty of bad driving by all ages and both sexes.
Perhaps as a start anyone who causes an accident should be made to take some sort of course? I reckon they need it more then someone caught doing slightly over the speed limit.
Perhaps as a start anyone who causes an accident should be made to take some sort of course? I reckon they need it more then someone caught doing slightly over the speed limit.
''So what do you think? Mandatory courses sound like a good idea? Or does the government need to go further still?''
The first thing that strikes me is, simply we all are going to get old. So, on that point I hope balanced and sensible approach is taken towards OAP drivers.
The first thing that strikes me is, simply we all are going to get old. So, on that point I hope balanced and sensible approach is taken towards OAP drivers.
Edited by Johnboy Mac on Tuesday 13th March 12:47
dapearson said:
I posted this on another thread a while back, but it seems fitting to post it again here.
Worst piece of bad driving i've seen was an old lady pulling out of a lay-by in front of me a couple of years ago.
It was the sort of long lay-by that's separated from the dual carriageway by chevrons. I saw ahead that she was starting to move forward from where she was parked, but there was time for me to stay in the inside lane and i would be past before she exited from the junction at the end of the lay-by.
Unfortunately that's not what she did. She turned immediately right ACROSS the chevrons and into my path!
I swerved into the outside lane, resulting in a tyre squealing slide at 70mph. I gathered it up, and then sat in the inside lane at 50 mph, cursing old people. No doubt she was "tutting" to herself at the hooligan that hadn't pulled over for her un-indicated and dangerous 90 degree turn into dual carriageway traffic.
Er, sorry to say, but this shouldn't have happened. You've said you spotted her in the lay-by, and saw her moving. The alarm bells should've gone off then and there. Working on the premis that ALL other drivers are complete idiots, and are going to do the most stupid thing at any moment, you should have already planned an escape route out of a potential accident. It's called defensive driving, the basis of all advanced driving tuition. I've lost count of the number of times I've aticipated a stupid maneuvore, been correct, and had the correct antidote lined up for deployment.Worst piece of bad driving i've seen was an old lady pulling out of a lay-by in front of me a couple of years ago.
It was the sort of long lay-by that's separated from the dual carriageway by chevrons. I saw ahead that she was starting to move forward from where she was parked, but there was time for me to stay in the inside lane and i would be past before she exited from the junction at the end of the lay-by.
Unfortunately that's not what she did. She turned immediately right ACROSS the chevrons and into my path!
I swerved into the outside lane, resulting in a tyre squealing slide at 70mph. I gathered it up, and then sat in the inside lane at 50 mph, cursing old people. No doubt she was "tutting" to herself at the hooligan that hadn't pulled over for her un-indicated and dangerous 90 degree turn into dual carriageway traffic.
3 year refreshers for >60, 5 years for <60 (or whatever age that a study identifies as the average time when driving ability begins to suffer).
Bad driving doesn't just happen with the old, but it's certainly more prevalent. I live in an area with a high percentage of older drivers and sometimes you see absolutely shocking standards of awareness from them - much more commonly than younger drivers (who still pull some ridiculous stunts of course, I'm not just laying the blame at the old).
Bad driving doesn't just happen with the old, but it's certainly more prevalent. I live in an area with a high percentage of older drivers and sometimes you see absolutely shocking standards of awareness from them - much more commonly than younger drivers (who still pull some ridiculous stunts of course, I'm not just laying the blame at the old).
Soo..... we are on a website for young enthusiastic drivers who think the elderly should have routine manditory testing.
This is despite the fact that insurance quotes for the elderly are much lower than almost any other age group.
This is also despite the fact that anyone over the age of 10 will have seem legislation like this start with a group we can all poke fun at, and then roll out to the rest of the population.
Okay..... For those of you liking the above idea, please answer the folling multi choice
1) I think the elderly should have routine testing because:-
a) Their lower insurance premiums are pissing me off.
b) I think it would be fun for everyone to have routine repeat driving tests in ten years time, and the elderly can pilot it, and then call it ageist if it isn't rolled out.
c) I love the extra beaurocracy cos that'll create a new tier of non jobs.
I find it comforting that by the time I get to be called elderly, the elderly will be by far the largest and most important voting population in this oountry. At which point we'll see a complete reversal of legislation which favours the elderly and penalises the young enthusiasts.
This is despite the fact that insurance quotes for the elderly are much lower than almost any other age group.
This is also despite the fact that anyone over the age of 10 will have seem legislation like this start with a group we can all poke fun at, and then roll out to the rest of the population.
Okay..... For those of you liking the above idea, please answer the folling multi choice
1) I think the elderly should have routine testing because:-
a) Their lower insurance premiums are pissing me off.
b) I think it would be fun for everyone to have routine repeat driving tests in ten years time, and the elderly can pilot it, and then call it ageist if it isn't rolled out.
c) I love the extra beaurocracy cos that'll create a new tier of non jobs.
I find it comforting that by the time I get to be called elderly, the elderly will be by far the largest and most important voting population in this oountry. At which point we'll see a complete reversal of legislation which favours the elderly and penalises the young enthusiasts.
Stew2000 said:
theJT said:
I'll be honest tho, it doesn't surprize me that much. My experience of the driving test was that it had basically no connection to how you actually drove, and was entirely down to whatever mood the examiner was in at the time.
I sort of agree with this. It took about 5 times for me to pass my test.Either too cautious or too dangerous.
Only trouble was my test was the first of the day at 08.40. All I did was sit in school/rush hour traffic. I couldn't actually do anything wrong ! Other than the 2 manouvers and the emergency stop I didn't get out of any traffic or above 5 mph.
I suppose some would call that lucky, but in reality it just wasn't a fair test of my driving ability and shouldn't have been used to assess whether or not I was fit for the road.
Personally, I've no problem with re-tests, myself included.
I find most elderly people more of an annoyance rather than a danger (not to say that there aren't dangerous or safe ones). But I also find that most of them tend to be in cars that are about as, if not more ancient than they are which is part of the problem as they end up driving in a way that suits the vehicle but not the era. They'll take longer going around corners due to the lack of power steering and their diminishing strength, they're slower at night or lower visibility as they're lights are s
te and their eyesight not much better, their reaction times seem to be longer and they panic more and as a result have that sudden braking panicky style of driving which again is not always noticeable due to the car being so old.
I don't really have any valid suggestions just voicing my view. Although it could be combated by banning old Corsas from the roads.
te and their eyesight not much better, their reaction times seem to be longer and they panic more and as a result have that sudden braking panicky style of driving which again is not always noticeable due to the car being so old.I don't really have any valid suggestions just voicing my view. Although it could be combated by banning old Corsas from the roads.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
It's become a game with my significantly better half that if someone pulls out of a junction when it isn't clear, leaves a signal on after the act, brakes for no reason (or seems to have their brakes on for the entire journey), a last minute change of direction, no signalling at a roundabout... We guess if they're old. There are no losers in this game as we are almost always right.
For the sake of the well-being of my nether regions I won't suggest what other category tends to commit these crimes, certainly never in front of the Mrs.
Joking aside the laws have often changed considerably since a 6o-year-old passed their test, the cars have developed so some rules have become redundant whilst measures to calm traffic and congestion have added new ones.
A test at 65 would be great, not least because it would cause some amazingly funny rants from my parents!
It's become a game with my significantly better half that if someone pulls out of a junction when it isn't clear, leaves a signal on after the act, brakes for no reason (or seems to have their brakes on for the entire journey), a last minute change of direction, no signalling at a roundabout... We guess if they're old. There are no losers in this game as we are almost always right.
For the sake of the well-being of my nether regions I won't suggest what other category tends to commit these crimes, certainly never in front of the Mrs.
Joking aside the laws have often changed considerably since a 6o-year-old passed their test, the cars have developed so some rules have become redundant whilst measures to calm traffic and congestion have added new ones.
A test at 65 would be great, not least because it would cause some amazingly funny rants from my parents!
I don't agree with the requirement for universal re-testing because before you know it it would be pricing the retired off the roads altogether. For every old driver that shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the controls of anything more dangerous than a television there are probably about a dozen or so who drive within their capabilities and limitations and are perfectly safe. Doctors and opticians need to be required to certify "fitness" to drive. My wife (as an optician) has come across people who have driven to a sight test and found to be certifiably blind! I.e. their eyesight is so poor they would qualify for a cheap TV licence etc. Without a certificate of medical fitness the driving licence should be rescinded. That would get rid of most of the dangerous drivers without the need to establish a testing protocol and/or the expense of administering it.
I fear introducing such a test would just be the thin end of the wedge to price people off the roads unnecessarily.
I fear introducing such a test would just be the thin end of the wedge to price people off the roads unnecessarily.
Of particular note for older drivers, my optician told me he finds lots of people who drive have sub standard eyesight refuse to get glasses, yet he cannot report them and is prevented from doing so by the Data Protection Act.
Perhaps on renewing a photocard license you should have to submit a certificate from an optician showing that you have adequate vision?
Perhaps on renewing a photocard license you should have to submit a certificate from an optician showing that you have adequate vision?
It is a tough thought stopping the driving but some of the stories beggar belief. I did know of one couple where the farmer husband permanently saw double and would only drive with his co-driver wife who would warn him if he was judging his distance from the wrong image!!!!! Good on the old Pentecostal Pastor for offering to help sweep up.
robinessex said:
The most dangerous nut in a car is the one driving it. We have to have our cars MOT every year for safety reasons, yet not the driver !! Considering that 99% of drivers can't drive correctly (BSM qualified driving instructor by the way), It's about time ALL drivers were tested every 5yrs, and to really stir things up, graduated licenses which relate your experience and competence to the power of the car you drive. PS. 64 years old, and I can see where I'm going, it's all those bloody vegatable drivers that get in my way that's the problem!!
I agree. In fact, I wrote a letter to Mr Cameron about having mandatory re-tests - I outlined the safety benefits along with the boost to DVLA and instructor incomes.That was a while back now....
Dave Hedgehog said:
everyone should renew there license once a year with a mandatory reaction test and distance vision test, could be done in 5 mins
This ^^ I was helped off of my motorbike by a 73yr old. Three and a half years later I still am having problems walking and I cannot go back to work. My business has now gone (shop) as I am unable to run it. Pain is my daily companion and I am looking at more surgery.He was charged at the scene with undue care and attention and driving with defective vision.
I now am unable to drive the stuff I used to, so chug about in a 4x4 that I can get in and out of. This means I am even more able to see the scarey antics of the one trip a week to the doctors careless oldies. Its not age thats the real problem its the inability to recognise the problems of age. So the above would help to trap that.
most people drive the best on the test then its down hill from then.How many have any form of further instruction or testing.You are allowed to go from never going above 40mph in most cases to driving on motorways etc,doing lots of things that are not covered when we learn to drive. Its not just the older driver a lot of new learners are doing so because they feel they have to rather than want to drive,many have no interest in cars it's just a way to get about, as with most things in life if you have little or no interest in the subject you tend not to be very good at it .
TBH even if it was a compulsory eye test above a certain age it would be a start. The old man went for his bi-annual eye test earlier this year and was prescribed a new pair of driving glasses. Thank god. His line accuracy, especially in por light conditions had - to my observation - declined a fair bit in the preceding months, but he'd not noticed, I guess because the change was gradual.
Anyone who thinks old people can't drive full stop has never had the priveledge of seeing, first hand, Stirling Moss drift his Jag into Madgwick one-handed, with his other hand nonchalantly shielding his eyes from the setting sun, lap after lap.
Anyone who thinks old people can't drive full stop has never had the priveledge of seeing, first hand, Stirling Moss drift his Jag into Madgwick one-handed, with his other hand nonchalantly shielding his eyes from the setting sun, lap after lap.
doogz said:
I think the majority of people here supporting this idea, aren't doing so because they like the idea creating non-jobs, nor is it because they're jealous of old people having to pay less insurance.
It's because they cause accidents that shouldn't happen, due to various factors, poor vision, hearing, spacial awareness, lack of concentration, confusion, etc.
It's quite simple.
And younger drivers cause more severe accidents due to being bull headed and driving beyond their abilitity.It's because they cause accidents that shouldn't happen, due to various factors, poor vision, hearing, spacial awareness, lack of concentration, confusion, etc.
It's quite simple.
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