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[Lizzie_Zoom]

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

Well i'm blowed Keven!!  Is there a connection?? 

That is the exact type of Volvo my dad also drove until he wanded in his lane into the side of a lorry!!

[Kevin Wood]

Well i'm blowed Keven!!  Is there a connection?? 

That is the exact type of Volvo my dad also drove until he wanded in his lane into the side of a lorry!!

Don't suppose he lived in Faversham too? 

Kevin

[Martin_1962]

I remember about 19 years ago on the Somerset Levels M5 lots of spray but VERY little traffic. I was maintaining about 70 on the L/H lane.

On the far right lane there was a car doing 60 - just passed it without changing lane

[Chris_H]

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

Mini-cabs are an option in urban areas and they can work out cheaper than running a car yourself I'm told.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  There needs to be a system of removing licences from all incompetent drivers and then there would be no need to pick on young, old or ginger drivers.  It would all come out in the wash and we could afford to run a public transport system too.

[Psychoca]

I certainly feel that after a certain age there should be a safety assessment, net necessarily carried out by an Examiner, but, a suitably qualified instructor.  This should also be backed up with a medical and a reaction test...

Both of my parents drive and in my opinion both are still safe at the moment, that said, I know that they will do the right thing when the time comes....

[henryd]

my dad still drives having just turned 84,he also still tows a 16 foot caravan with his c5 and having followed him recently without his knowledge can vouch for the fact that he can still cope very well.he certainly does not crawl around and unlike many so called competent caravanners he can reverse the van anywhere that he wants to much to the surprise of fellow campers when on site .

[Chris_H]

I certainly feel that after a certain age there should be a safety assessment, net necessarily carried out by an Examiner, but, a suitably qualified instructor.  This should also be backed up with a medical and a reaction test...

Both of my parents drive and in my opinion both are still safe at the moment, that said, I know that they will do the right thing when the time comes....

That's where I cannot agree.  Self-assessment is seriously flawed in the case of driving impairments.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Well i'm blowed Keven!!  Is there a connection?? 

That is the exact type of Volvo my dad also drove until he wanded in his lane into the side of a lorry!!

Don't suppose he lived in Faversham too? 

Kevin

No Kevin, Southam, so he was troubling everyone around Warwickshire

[wingman]

Very difficult question to answer IMO. Everyone is different and has different capabilities as they age. My father was always an awful driver even in his 40's and steadily became worse. I suggested once that he give up driving and really got my head bitten off. However at the end he had two small accidents with no one else involved and this brought it home to him that it was time to cease his driving career. It should not have got to that however.
With another hat on I regularly see drivers of all different ages who have transgressed the road traffic acts ( I leave it up to members to speculate what hat that might be!!). Every single one is different. I have seen in the same morning a 60 year old and a 94 year old both having had very minor accidents and with previously clean records. The 60 year old should definitely have not been driving as his reactions and mental faculties were evidently below par, whereas the 94 year old was as bright as a button and was completely alert and physically fit. My choice would be that when drivers reach a certain age, I would say perhaps 65, they should have to retake a test to ensure their fitness to continue to drive and thereafter a test every 5 years.

[henryd]

Very difficult question to answer IMO. Everyone is different and has different capabilities as they age. My father was always an awful driver even in his 40's and steadily became worse. I suggested once that he give up driving and really got my head bitten off. However at the end he had two small accidents with no one else involved and this brought it home to him that it was time to cease his driving career. It should not have got to that however.
With another hat on I regularly see drivers of all different ages who have transgressed the road traffic acts ( I leave it up to members to speculate what hat that might be!!). Every single one is different. I have seen in the same morning a 60 year old and a 94 year old both having had very minor accidents and with previously clean records. The 60 year old should definitely have not been driving as his reactions and mental faculties were evidently below par, whereas the 94 year old was as bright as a button and was completely alert and physically fit. My choice would be that when drivers reach a certain age, I would say perhaps 65, they should have to retake a test to ensure their fitness to continue to drive and thereafter a test every 5 years.

I know that some insurance companies used to ask for a medical certificate from a doctor after a certain age,I remember my grandfather had to produce one each year upon renewal,he drove until my dad stopped him after a minor skirmish with a hedge but he was 91

[Auto Addict]

Very difficult question to answer IMO. Everyone is different and has different capabilities as they age. My father was always an awful driver even in his 40's and steadily became worse. I suggested once that he give up driving and really got my head bitten off. However at the end he had two small accidents with no one else involved and this brought it home to him that it was time to cease his driving career. It should not have got to that however.
With another hat on I regularly see drivers of all different ages who have transgressed the road traffic acts ( I leave it up to members to speculate what hat that might be!!). Every single one is different. I have seen in the same morning a 60 year old and a 94 year old both having had very minor accidents and with previously clean records. The 60 year old should definitely have not been driving as his reactions and mental faculties were evidently below par, whereas the 94 year old was as bright as a button and was completely alert and physically fit. My choice would be that when drivers reach a certain age, I would say perhaps 65, they should have to retake a test to ensure their fitness to continue to drive and thereafter a test every 5 years.[/quote]

Why single out 65 year olds, the way youngsters and especially mothers with a car load of kids (windows steamed up) drive around our estate, everyone should be re-tested periodicaly.

The driving test is too easy, in my opinion, and should be based on the advanced driving test.

Yes, everyone, at some time, has to hang up their keys, but if it was compulsory for everyone to take a re-test, hopefully, there would be a lot of better drivers on the road, young and old.

As Stirling Moss said on a recent interview, when asked how he drove now, compared with when he was younger, he replied 'Slower'.

[jonnycool]

There seems to be a trend here, quite a few of you have said that their elderly parents/friends only gave up driving when they'd had accidents, minor or otherwise. To get back to the OP's point, why do we let it get this far? Relying on self assessment will never work, there should be a regular test to prove your continued ability on the road.

Should this apply to everyone? Yes, but more frequently for people over 70, certainly

There are undoubtedly terrible drivers on the road, young and old. Ther would be a big outcry if regular tests came into being, but I think it's what we need to keep dangerous drivers off the road. Think how many bad habits drivers pick up over the years, there's nothing to get them back to some sort of standard.

I took extra advanced defensive driving lessons when my first child was born, because I wanted to make sure I knew all I could about the road and how the professionals keep themselves safe on the road, so I took nothing for granted, and I learned a lot in the process. And I thought I was a pretty good driver (as does everyone). There is nothing else to keep drivers on their toes

[Kevin Wood]

Why single out 65 year olds, the way youngsters and especially mothers with a car load of kids (windows steamed up) drive around our estate, everyone should be re-tested periodicaly.

Agreed. Sit on any business park round here and you'll see Van drivers and reps all driving round one-handed with a phone clamped to their ear. Even people leaving offices in the evening trying to get out of a car park onto a busy road one-handed. Why not make the phone call in safety before you drive off?

A compulsory "refresher" say every 5 years would help, with the option, perhaps only exercised in extreme cases, for the examiner to revoke your license and send you back to driving school if your driving is dangerously sub-standard. I suspect it would be met with uproar that the rite of passage into driving can be reversed but why would any competent driver have anything to fear?

Enforcement is also part of the issue. The above goes on because it is tolerated by the authorities. As simple as that. Speeding appears to be the only motoring offence receiving significant attention at the moment.

Kevin

[Dishevelled Den]

Why single out 65 year olds, the way youngsters and especially mothers with a car load of kids (windows steamed up) drive around our estate, everyone should be re-tested periodicaly.

Agreed. Sit on any business park round here and you'll see Van drivers and reps all driving round one-handed with a phone clamped to their ear. Even people leaving offices in the evening trying to get out of a car park onto a busy road one-handed. Why not make the phone call in safety before you drive off?

A compulsory "refresher" say every 5 years would help, with the option, perhaps only exercised in extreme cases, for the examiner to revoke your license and send you back to driving school if your driving is dangerously sub-standard. I suspect it would be met with uproar that the rite of passage into driving can be reversed but why would any competent driver have anything to fear?

Enforcement is also part of the issue. The above goes on because it is tolerated by the authorities. As simple as that. Speeding appears to be the only motoring offence receiving significant attention at the moment.

Kevin

Enforcement is also part of the issue

It should play a significant part in my view.

Speeding appears to be the only motoring offence receiving significant attention at the moment

Rightly so as a lot of people use speed in inappropriate circumstances.

The mere fact that machines are left to do most of the work thereby accruing a positive revenue stream for the 'Safety Partnerships' is of course incidental - why pay Trafpol when you can site a box instead?

It doesn't really matter if a substantial number of offences other than excess speed are disregarded by the machines as the acquisition of easy money seems to be of the essence.

[mathewst]

Don't you have medical checkups in UK for the drivers above certain age?