Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

The other day l was in a car park and suddenly a car took off at great speed and smashed into three vehicles writing them and his own car off. He ended up down an embankment taking one car with him.
Three police cars arrived with loads of police and then an ambulance.
The elderly driver was fine but as l said, the cars weren’t! He said, he didn’t know what happened but he must have hit the wrong pedal.
He was breathalysed which was negative and the police said, it was purely an accident.

Do you think Automatic cars are unsafe for people of a certain age. Or is this something that could happen to anyone of any age who drives an Automatic?



Automatics - Elderly drivers + automatic = crash? - spog69
Having read HJ views on driving automatics with left foot braking to maintain full control of the vehicle, I wondered how many of the recent headline stories of out of control cars may be caused by 'pedal confusion’. I found that all these well reported cases all involved automatics and all driven by 80+ year olds as it happens.

Liverpool, 12 Feb 2016
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ol-school.html
Peugeot 107 semi-auto
Driver 80 year old woman

Westerham, Kent 24 December 2015· http://metro.co.uk/2015/12/24/severa...-shop-5583950/
Audi A4 3L Petrol Saloon Semi Automatic 2004
Driver 88 year old man
Guildford 23 rd October 2015
“Guildford crash: Seven people including baby and toddler hit as vehicle ploughs into crowd”
Polo DSG Automatic
Driver 80 year old woman

Kings Lynn 23 rd October 2012· “The moment a pensioner almost caused an explosion as she crashed into pile of gas canisters… at a busy petrol station”
Ford Fusion 1.4 Plus 5dr Auto
Driver female in her 80s

Hampstead 10th November 2012
A pensioner who killed a woman after he mistook the pedals of his car has been jailed for 18 months.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime...cedes-cras...l
automatic Mercedes 380SL.
Driver 83 year old man.

So pedal confusion panic could be a factor in all these cases (as could several other factors I admit) but instead of banning 80+ year olds from driving should we stop them driving autos or make left foot braking training compulsory (if that is even possible?)

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

I thought automatic cars were particularly suitable for older folks - in fact, I have been thinking of having one next time, but now I am not so sure.

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

As you know I am of an advanced age and still drive. My car is not automatic but I do think that there should be an age limit as to when you can drive an automatic car as when we get older our reactions are much slower and no matter what others say we tend to get a bit panicky when things go wrong.
By the way, are there still such things as pre-selector gear boxes on cars?

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

Art,

Might be worth some research in Countries, like the USA, where nearly all the cars are Automatics - and they drive on the wrong side of the road!.

I've long been an Automatic driver as the Cruise Control feature was must be on the motorways.

You could set the speed, drive along, read your newspaper, etc.

Great idea.

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

I have driven an automatic car for 0ver 50 years, I think I would be a lot more unsafe driving a car where I had to faff around with gears.

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

Aerolor, ln the past, l owned both an automatic car and a manual car. I remember, one day whilst driving the automatic and approaching a roundabout, l had a mental block and dithered at the pedals.
Luckily, l got it right as l got to the stop line. I was about 60 then.

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

Big Ben, I’m not sure about pre-selector gear boxes?

I think it must be a panic thing if you have a momentary brain lapse, especially if you have driven a manual car for a long time time and then change to an automatic.

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

Ted, ln the countries where the cars are nearly all automatic, then the drivers haven’t really experienced anything else.

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

Meg, Then you are well used to automatic driving! l loved driving an automatic as driving was effortless.
Yet as l said above, l suppose someone changing to driving an automatic after years of driving a manual, might sometimes have a ‘brain fade’?

Re: Should Elderly People Drive Automatic Cars?

I agree. It's been Auto for me for the last 30 odd year, apart from the odd holiday rental. Much more fun plus, yes got to be safer for old loonies.