Concerned about the driving ability of my elderly neighbour
Discussion
I am concerned about the driving ability of my neighbour. I would like some advice on what to do. She is s lovely old lady, but her car regularly looks like its been in a destruction derby. She is quite active and regularly uses a push bike to get around.
In the past she had reversed over a colleagues motorbike in a car park in her old polo, which I presume was later written off due to the increasing damage it kept sustaining. My wife has seen her new Polo being driven through her garage door and another occasion heard it being dragged down her garden wall. Last time I saw her car the entire left hand side was damaged quiet badly.
This morning she was reversing out of her drive and hit her wooden gate. She drove back up the drive, so I assumed she had seen what she had done and pulled forward, but no she was taking a run up and hit the gate harder. She did this several times before smashing the gate completely reversing across the road (without looking).
What should I do?
In the past she had reversed over a colleagues motorbike in a car park in her old polo, which I presume was later written off due to the increasing damage it kept sustaining. My wife has seen her new Polo being driven through her garage door and another occasion heard it being dragged down her garden wall. Last time I saw her car the entire left hand side was damaged quiet badly.
This morning she was reversing out of her drive and hit her wooden gate. She drove back up the drive, so I assumed she had seen what she had done and pulled forward, but no she was taking a run up and hit the gate harder. She did this several times before smashing the gate completely reversing across the road (without looking).
What should I do?
Have a quiet word with her family, if she has any. If not, use this:
https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail...
https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail...
HD Adam said:
Where I currently work (at a garage) the local residents are in their later years. We have several customers who come in every 2 months or so with a new bump or scrape on their car.
One lady has never had an accident on the road but has ripped the front bumper off her '95 proton 4 times reversing out of her drive and nearly knocked her garage down driving into it o.O
A good one in the hand car wash at the front yesterday, again a lady with an automatic Beetle convertible. The car wash did an in a out job, she came to pick it up and everytime she started it, the engine was bouncing off the rev limiter.
Turns out the car wash chaps had moved the seat when hoovering and she had her foot flat on the floor !
Edited by Jimmyarm on Tuesday 16th July 12:08
Monkeylegend said:
Does she have family, if so why not have a quiet word with them.
I've had to do this fairly recently for one of my neighbours. I'd seen her elderly father in the Post Office trying to tax his car & explaining to the guy behind the counter he didn't need insurance as he only did short journeys so that's why he didn't have a certificate. Turns out from talking to my neighbour he'd also cancelled his home insurance for no apparent reason.Must be s
t getting old - I'm not looking forward to it.No family, her few friends are of similar generation.
She is a regular church goer, so maybe I should have a word with the vicar.
Neighbour across the road had her seat moved by husband, when reversing out she realised she couldn't reach the peddles, so didn't stop took out our front gate. It took 2 years for them to fix that (on insurance, but builder that gave the quote didn't want the work).
I suppose living near Grange-over-Sands what else should I expect.
She is a regular church goer, so maybe I should have a word with the vicar.
Neighbour across the road had her seat moved by husband, when reversing out she realised she couldn't reach the peddles, so didn't stop took out our front gate. It took 2 years for them to fix that (on insurance, but builder that gave the quote didn't want the work).
I suppose living near Grange-over-Sands what else should I expect.
Might also be worth having a word with your local community police officer voicing your concerns .
She might respond to a quiet word from the police and agree it is time to give up .
Perhaps she has an eyesight problem which would disqualify her from driving on medical grounds ( hence she keeps hitting things ) .
The worry is that she might hit a person , or even a child , rather than objects .
She might respond to a quiet word from the police and agree it is time to give up .
Perhaps she has an eyesight problem which would disqualify her from driving on medical grounds ( hence she keeps hitting things ) .
The worry is that she might hit a person , or even a child , rather than objects .
Riley Blue said:
Have a quiet word with her family, if she has any. If not, use this:
https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail...
What do the DVLA do with this information? What happens to the driver? Do they get orderd to re-sit a test? I've never come accross this before, had no idea such a tool even existed and I'm curious as I can think of a few people I'd like to report.https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail...
Laurel Green said:
Report her to the police - next time it might be a child she drives over.
My point exactly - local police being tipped off could keep an eye out for her - if they saw her battle scarred car out on the road , especially if there was something wrong like a broken light , they would have reasonable grounds to stop her ( although they don't need any grounds and can stop any driver any time they please ) and then enquire about the damage , during which conversation if they determined she might be unfit to drive I suspect they could require an eyesight test or some other test of fitness to drive .It might be that simply bringing this to her attention and suggesting that if she were to stop driving they would take no further action , might be sufficient .
y2keable said:
Riley Blue said:
Have a quiet word with her family, if she has any. If not, use this:
https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail...
What do the DVLA do with this information? What happens to the driver? Do they get orderd to re-sit a test? I've never come accross this before, had no idea such a tool even existed and I'm curious as I can think of a few people I'd like to report.https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail...
My Dad was furious when he received it and thought one of my sisters had shopped him (it was me) but he was in his late 80s and was a liability on the road so it had to be done. Once he'd calmed down and accepted it he was perfectly OK and within a few weeks was saying, "I'm glad I'm not driving these days."
northwest monkey said:
I've had to do this fairly recently for one of my neighbours. I'd seen her elderly father in the Post Office trying to tax his car & explaining to the guy behind the counter he didn't need insurance as he only did short journeys so that's why he didn't have a certificate. Turns out from talking to my neighbour he'd also cancelled his home insurance for no apparent reason.
Must be st getting old - I'm not looking forward to it.
That's dementia by the sound of it and it's a bMust be s
t getting old - I'm not looking forward to it.d.My Grandfather, who went round the world time and again in the Navy, was diagnosed after he was found lost and crying outside the shop half a mile from his house.
Fast forward 7 years and I'm in the same situation as the OP, but worse.
My 80+ year old Dad's driving ability has declined, as has his health (likewise my 80+ year old Mum who doesn't know what day of the week it is). He can barely walk, won't use his walking frame, denies he is incontinent and only goes where he knows he can hang on to things. Throw in left-side weakness from a stroke and a pacemaker too. But he can just about get in his car and drive.
He had 2 weeks in hospital in March with suspected Coronavirus symptoms but turns out it was something else. Now back home with daily carer visits, watches the TV news all day then ... they go out for a drive to fill up with petrol then are surprised when the garden centre cafe is closed, potentially spreading virus from the petrol pump in one town to a card machine in another. This despite me repeatedly explaining that they shouldn't go beyond their driveway and I will bring them everything I need.
I 'raised concerns' anonymously with the DVLA 5 weeks ago - they are taking 8 weeks to send him a letter (where he will reply to say he OK to drive, as there isn't a cetgory for declining judgment, and provide Doctors details). Another few weeks goes by then who knows? I've already contacted their Doctor twice who hasn't taken any decisive action other than a phone call and a letter which have clearly been ineffective.
So what do I do? Inform the police I don't think a driver with a licence going to a garden centre is an offence. Ignore it, as I should have a clean conscience knowing that I have twice contacted the DVLA and Doctor. Or put a 'DVLA' stickered padlock on his garage and try to minimise the inevitable conflict?
My 80+ year old Dad's driving ability has declined, as has his health (likewise my 80+ year old Mum who doesn't know what day of the week it is). He can barely walk, won't use his walking frame, denies he is incontinent and only goes where he knows he can hang on to things. Throw in left-side weakness from a stroke and a pacemaker too. But he can just about get in his car and drive.
He had 2 weeks in hospital in March with suspected Coronavirus symptoms but turns out it was something else. Now back home with daily carer visits, watches the TV news all day then ... they go out for a drive to fill up with petrol then are surprised when the garden centre cafe is closed, potentially spreading virus from the petrol pump in one town to a card machine in another. This despite me repeatedly explaining that they shouldn't go beyond their driveway and I will bring them everything I need.
I 'raised concerns' anonymously with the DVLA 5 weeks ago - they are taking 8 weeks to send him a letter (where he will reply to say he OK to drive, as there isn't a cetgory for declining judgment, and provide Doctors details). Another few weeks goes by then who knows? I've already contacted their Doctor twice who hasn't taken any decisive action other than a phone call and a letter which have clearly been ineffective.
So what do I do? Inform the police I don't think a driver with a licence going to a garden centre is an offence. Ignore it, as I should have a clean conscience knowing that I have twice contacted the DVLA and Doctor. Or put a 'DVLA' stickered padlock on his garage and try to minimise the inevitable conflict?
Had a situation similar recently where they had obviously had a stroke but was refusing help and going downhill rapidly, still driving though - spoke to a pcso and they suggested a 101 call.
Did this and the police went and had a quiet chat, arranged a drs home visit and he is now in hospital being treated.
Hospital have agreed to contact dvla via drs and organise home care when he is released.
Did this and the police went and had a quiet chat, arranged a drs home visit and he is now in hospital being treated.
Hospital have agreed to contact dvla via drs and organise home care when he is released.
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