Your thoughts and Views

Just wondered what everyone's thoughts were on Elderly drivers.

Having personally heard or seen in the last few months terrible accidents where elderly drivers have been the cause, going the wrong way up a motorway/wrong way up one way streets or mowing people down in shopping complexes, through hitting the accelerator instead of the break, or whatever the reason.

I am talking about in their 80's 90's

Just interested to hear your views.

Re: Your thoughts and Views

IMO Everyone should sit a test both of eye sight and mental capacity every few years because even younger people can have defective eyesight and still be on the road or have the wrong attitude to driving to be allowed on the road.

Re: Your thoughts and Views

Julie your quite right. My father in law nearly alway's takes his wing mirror off or catches something on reversing up the drive or out in public car parks. He could end up being a danger to himself and others at 85 yrs old..

Re: Your thoughts and Views

Tricky one, I think most Old Folks know themselves, when it is time to quit, I suppose the few that don't heed their own state are no more dangerous than a young Boy/Girl racer.

Re: Your thoughts and Views

There used to be a man here (now deceased) the father of the local doctor who drove until he was in his 80s.
Every day he would go into a small town for his daily newspaper driving at 10 mph until he reached the paper shop where he would stop the car in the middle of the road and get out with no attempt to park it Everyone had to drive around him
I used to swear if I got behind him .

Re: Your thoughts and Views

I would hate to be the one to decide the age..........but IF there was a requirement to retest every (say) ten years, I think people may take more care to drive carefully. If this was the case, why have an age? We appear to have a fair share of younger drivers who behave like racing drivers, also foreigners coming into the country.........so why not everyone? This may appease many of the younger generation who think anyone over 40 is "OLD" and anyone over 60 should have their licence taken away!!!!

Re: Your thoughts and Views

Very good point Lindyloo.

Re: Your thoughts and Views

Passing your driving test only shows that you are competent to drive on that day. A bit like an MoT. Many experienced (and good) drivers who might never have had an accident, probably couldn't pass a test without lessons - and know what the current requirements are.

Meg, your post reminds me of my near neighbour who is also (at 92) the village's oldest resident. He only stopped driving a few years ago - mainly at 10mph in the middle of the road. Apparently he used to work at road building - driving a steam roller !!

Re: Your thoughts and Views

I am in complete agreement. I do not think, as Spitfire said, that people know when they should give up - this is certainly not my own experience with older folk with the early stages of dementia. They simply are not aware that they are becoming a danger on the road, to themselves and other road users. To drive you need good reflexes and cognitive skills, and older drivers may not realise when theirs have begun to decline.

Re: Your thoughts and Views

most older drivers are aware ' and yes they can cause danger on the rds 'it should be dealt individually..and most accidents are caused by young speed fanatics...who think every rd is theirs ....