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[albitz]

When I was a youngster I used to think that they should have their licences revoked at about 60 !
Now Im in my fifties, I think it should be somwhat later.
I think peoples driving should be monitored in some way when they become "elderly" and if they are obviously not up to it, then take the keys off them. Some people of 80+ are no doubt still excellent drivers and some people in their 20,s couldnt drive a pig with a stick.
This reminds me of my poor old dad. He always loved cars - driving them , working on them etc. but he had his licenece revoked about 10 years ago (he is 79) due to the aftwer affects of heart attacks and strokes - eyesight was the biggest problem.
Every week when I speak to him on the phone , he still sounds heartbroken by the fact that he cant drive anymore. He still thinks he could "drive better than most of the eejits they let lose in cars these days". The fact is he has no peripheral vision, poor forward vision and the reactions of a quadraplegic tortoise - its never going to happen, but its hard to tell him that.

[jonnycool]

When I was a youngster I used to think that they should have their licences revoked at about 60 !
Now Im in my fifties, I think it should be somwhat later.
I think peoples driving should be monitored in some way when they become "elderly" and if they are obviously not up to it, then take the keys off them. Some people of 80+ are no doubt still excellent drivers and some people in their 20,s couldnt drive a pig with a stick.
This reminds me of my poor old dad. He always loved cars - driving them , working on them etc. but he had his licenece revoked about 10 years ago (he is 79) due to the aftwer affects of heart attacks and strokes - eyesight was the biggest problem.
Every week when I speak to him on the phone , he still sounds heartbroken by the fact that he cant drive anymore. He still thinks he could "drive better than most of the eejits they let lose in cars these days". The fact is he has no peripheral vision, poor forward vision and the reactions of a quadraplegic tortoise - its never going to happen, but its hard to tell him that.

It was the same with my father before he died, his vision was deteriorating badly due to diabetes-related glaucoma, but he kept on driving, foolishly so, because he didn't want to give up the independence that he had had for so long. There came a time however, when he recognised that he just couldn't risk it anymore and my mother took driving lessons at the age of 60 and passed first time!
   I do realise that it's a huge wrench for someone to give up driving, but as I said, there becomes a point that they become a danger to themselves and others on the road. I think an annual test after a certain age is a good idea

[tidla]

When I was a youngster I used to think that they should have their licences revoked at about 60 !
Now Im in my fifties, I think it should be somwhat later.
I think peoples driving should be monitored in some way when they become "elderly" and if they are obviously not up to it, then take the keys off them. Some people of 80+ are no doubt still excellent drivers and some people in their 20,s couldnt drive a pig with a stick.
This reminds me of my poor old dad. He always loved cars - driving them , working on them etc. but he had his licenece revoked about 10 years ago (he is 79) due to the aftwer affects of heart attacks and strokes - eyesight was the biggest problem.
Every week when I speak to him on the phone , he still sounds heartbroken by the fact that he cant drive anymore. He still thinks he could "drive better than most of the eejits they let lose in cars these days". The fact is he has no peripheral vision, poor forward vision and the reactions of a quadraplegic tortoise - its never going to happen, but its hard to tell him that.

what happens when you was not the best in the first place, let alone when your faculties start to disappear!!

[mrgreen]

Bit of a chestnut this one. Some :- YES, others :-NO you can't tar them all with the same brush. The fairest way to deal with this is after a given age they should sit an annual driving assessment. Not as stringent as the full test just a buzz around town for half an hour to make sure all is still ok.
   Before you all sit in judgement we're all going to have to hang our keys up one day.

absolutely Amigo, they have this in New Zealand and my grandmother had her licence pulled at 83 (although the tester gave reason as she didn't check her rear mirror enough?) and yes it was a loss of independence and a life changer for her but i must say i would rather that than have her roll her car over in a car park like my other grandmother!! naturally that was her last day driving!

[ted_one]

I agree with Amigo,lets face it on my daily 50 mile round trip commute on the M4 you have only got to watch what goes on in lane 3 (not many geriatric drivers out there methinks)and it's the same at most intersections,a red light means speed up! Having spent 20 years in the London Ambulance service I can tell you and  as most police officers will also say the same it's the general population that have the most accidents so who are they to pass judgement when they are in the majority! I have yet hear anyone own up to being a rubbish driver because as we know everyone thinks they are the best driver on the road,statistics will say not!

[Auto Addict]

When you're young, speed is what matters to most, and you can't understand why some drivers observe speed limits.

When you're old, you understand why drivers observe speed limits.

One question, when was the last time you studied the highway code, and the traffic signs?

Has anyone read the police driving manual, Road Craft?

I joined RoSPA a couple of years ago and took their advanced driving test (passed), doesn't make me the worlds best driver, but they teach you defensive driving, i.e. how to recognise, and avoid other pratts on the road, amongst other things, and make you a safer driver.

I agree, to a point, there should be a re-test, but it should apply to everyone!

[Lizzie_Zoom]

there's a programme on telly asking whether OLD drivers should still be driving.
Coincidently ........  :-? :-? I wonder if Lizzie has met him .... or about to? 
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/8489573.Pensioner_overturns_car_in_Kendal/

Yes I have met him!!

No, seriously there will be a time for all of us when we will know when it is time to hang up the car keys.

The problem is judging yourself when that should be, and for everyone else's sake we hope it is not too late!

My 80+ year old parents are a good example of how you can leave it too late. Following 3 strokes he was still classed as fit to drive, but then after about 15 years he had a series of small low speed accidents, and one other where he didn't see a lorry alongside him on a motorway and he wondered out into his lane!!  Offside of his Volvo was reshaped!!

My mum then took over driving duties, but she had a small accident that required the car to go in for repair.  She hired a replacement car, and on the forecourt of the garage managed to "shoot" forward, hit a ramp, take off and land on three cars bonnets!!!

Both surrendered their licences!!

As for me I am a insulin dependant diabetic, and have informed in the past both my insurance company and the DVLA.  The latter have put me on a short 3 year licence which, after a doctors report, will (hopefully) be renewed every 3 years thereafter.  But after seeing my parents and other elderly folk at the wheel too long, I will be extra careful that I take the decision to say "that's it, no more driving" when the time is right.



 

[Debs.]

.....The fact is he has no peripheral vision, poor forward vision and the reactions of a quadraplegic tortoise.....

You`ve just described my 83year old Father; whom still IS driving!.......He can pass the driving eye test (which is a simple number-plate read) but only has one eye, and his vision in the other is severely limited.....despite my protests he will not stop driving.

[Auto Addict]

My mother, who is 102.3/4 still drives......

Me bonkers at times....

[Sixstring]

My father and mother are both 73, my father is an excellant driver, but dislikes driving far, my mother is a "to the book" driver that WILL NOT go 1 mile an hour over the speed limit.
BOTH of them have said that as soon as they reach 80 (when they next have to take an assessment incidentally...) they will stop driving.

Neither of them say they enjoy it any more, its just essential for shopping and visiting, and neither are bad drivers, or incompetant. They just feel that the traffic goes too fast on motorways, and the "fun" for them has gone.

[Omega_Dan]

The only crash i have been in is when i was Test driving a Citroen Saxo back in 2003 with a lady in her 80's. Been driving a Citroen AX for 10 years so i took her out first to a quiet part of Kidderminster (where i worked) and swopped over. Ran through the basic controls and made sure her seat was comfortable and set correctly. Throughout the testdrive she drove very near the kerb but never hitting it, so we carried on....Approaching a roundabout she got confused, hit the accelerator, we ploughed straight over the roundabout hitting a tree in the process. She was a complete wreck as was i. A few days later she came in to the dealership saying how sorry she was and that she would no longer be driving.

I do wonder if she had made it through the test drive and bought the car from me that something worse could have happened.

[Elite Pete]

Bit of a chestnut this one. Some :- YES, others :-NO you can't tar them all with the same brush. The fairest way to deal with this is after a given age they should sit an annual driving assessment. Not as stringent as the full test just a buzz around town for half an hour to make sure all is still ok.
   Before you all sit in judgement we're all going to have to hang our keys up one day.

Nail on the head there big fella

[Terbs]

It makes my blood boil when I hear all this business about aged drivers. As was stated earlier just look at lane 3 on motorways.....watch Road Wars, etc, on the telly. How many cases affect the aged ?

I agree there ARE people out there who should give up their licence.....but the majority are below 50!!!!!!!!

I left Brackley on Monday after being followed up the A43 by a women in a Zaphira, who followed me onto the M40....went out to the middle lane ...and stayed there, not overtaking me, whilst I used the almost empty nearside lane at 70. In the end I left her there as my speed was faster than hers...but saw the problems she was causing from my rear mirrors. Age about 30ish.
After Oxford another idiot.....middle lane, N reg puddle jumper, driver male about 21-25 years old. Heavier traffic and he had people undertaking, overtaking, light flashing, but still he stayed there. (And I bet the undertaking lot were 'young generation')
Statistics can be manouvered in any direction, just by slighty altering the question, so are imho a load of rubbish

[Lizzie_Zoom]

.....The fact is he has no peripheral vision, poor forward vision and the reactions of a quadraplegic tortoise.....

You`ve just described my 83year old Father; whom still IS driving!.......He can pass the driving eye test (which is a simple number-plate read) but only has one eye, and his vision in the other is severely limited.....despite my protests he will not stop driving.

What I didn't say about my parents Debs was that when my father became dangerous, my mother under some pressure from me, my sister and brothers went to her GP and he agreed to contact the DVLA after he had seen my father.
Pressure can be brought into the situation once it becomes obvious they are a danger to others.

Coincidentally a friend of mine has a father the same age as my father, and he is now at that stage when he should stop driving.  He's reversed out of his driveway into a large white van ( ) that he said he didn't see!  He has apparently ignored red traffic lights so his daughter states, and at the scene of an accident, driven past the queue being held by a policeman, whilst ignoring the stationary police car with it flashing lights, which he said afterwards he didn't see!!  Minor bumbs and scuffs are starting to appear all over his car, so this can only end in one thing.  Him being taken off the road one way or another!

[Kevin Wood]

When you're young, speed is what matters to most, and you can't understand why some drivers observe speed limits.

When you're old, you understand why drivers observe speed limits.

All except my Grandad, who was a total maniac. As soon as the rev limiter (My Nan) passed away there was no stopping him. The worse his cataracts got, the faster he drove.

I still remember an occasion as his passenger a few months before he voluntarily hung up his car keys. There we were, belting down the outside lane of the M2 at something approaching 3 figure speeds (In a Volvo 340GL - so flat out!) and I'm wondering if he's seen the lane closure and row of cones about 600 yds ahead. Turned out he hadn't.

I agree, to a point, there should be a re-test, but it should apply to everyone!

Agreed. Pilots don't fly without a regular check on their competence. No reason it should be any different for drivers. Bad habits develop and, without someone to pull you up on them, you will never realise it.

The problem with drivers who really ought to hang up their keys, whether through old age or simply because they aren't much good at it, is that they lose their freedom. In most places there's no viable alternative to getting about by car, unfortunately.

Kevin