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PostPosted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 20:42 
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The number of elderly drivers on the road who are clearly no longer competent to drive has always scared the hell out of me. Compounded in the last few days by personal experience, when my partner and 2 teenage kids were hit in a "head-on colllision" by an 85 year old lady who drove the wrong way around a roundabout! Thank god, neither my partner or kids were seriously injured. Unfortunately for the old lady she has suffered serious fractures in both legs. The situation was traumatic enough, but felt worse by a comment made by her son, when he arrived at the accident, watching his mother being cut from the wreckage and commented to both my partner and a police officer, "we've been telling her for years to stop driving or she's going to kill somebody". Whilst I have every sympathy for the old lady who is now in hospital recovering from her serious injuries, I probably would have less if the accident had resulted in either serious injury or fatality to one of my family! In response to previous comments regarding 'loss of independence, etc' by elderly drivers, I would comment, if they can afford to run a motor vehicle then surely they can afford a taxi to take them wherever they need to go. What price a human life? If I was in the position where I had a relative who was evidently a risk to both themselves or others, I would have no guilt about reporting them to the DVLA. I believe there should be compulsory driving tests for everyone once they reach the age of 70 years. The lady in question, when faced with my partner's oncoming vehicle, didn't even slow down (that's how slow her reactions were) and caused her own serious injuries!


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 20:10 
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:welcome:

There's a wide spectrum of opinion on this issue here Babs, though my own is that everyone, regardless of age, should take some kind of test every ten years.


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 22:04 
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People going the wrong way round our local signallised roundabout is fairly commonplace; fortunately speeds are very low, so accidents are few as most people are able to stop/avoid in time. I saw one elderly motorist doing just this, but horn sounding had no effect, presumably because he was completely DEAF !

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 23:33 
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Had an old dear pull out on me once. Threw the anchors out PDQ and missed her by a couple of feet. Wound the window down and politely pointed out the give way line she had just crossed and asked if she was aware of its meaning? Said she thought I was turning left. With no indicator signal what made you think that madam? Well the car in front of you turned left, sorry. Well be more careful in future and we went on our respective ways.

Perhaps a more thorough examination of individuals phyisical and driving ability after say the age of 70 and at regular intervals say five years is called for.

There are still many drivers on the road who due to their starting driving during the last war or when the Suez crisis was on and the driving test was suspended have never taken a dring test.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 09:16 
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The only concession I can remember from the Suez crisis was that 'L' drivers were allowed to drive without an accompanying fully licenced driver. I sat my test in '57, so they still applied.

Quite nerve wracking, going solo before you feel ready! :roll:


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:46 
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I had one pull out infront of me at a roundabout yesterday... Should have anticipated her moving out though, she looked like she was moving, but I just assumed (bad) that she wouldn't move... People creep all the time... And at first it looked like she was creeping... Hammered the brakes and stopped dead in the middle of the roundabout waiting for her to get on with it... Followed by some remarks from people in other cars waiting at her exit... I shrugged it off and moved off as soon as I could... No horn, no lights... Didn't see the point...

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:16 
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I have on occasion followed, let's say senior drivers, that put the majority of other drivers to shame. Perhaps it would be fairer for all drivers to have to take some kind of regular test.

I hope your partner and children recover OK.

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 16:50 
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A work colleague calls really doddery old drivers (of which I saw many on my tour of Somerset today....) "SlowAPs"


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:02 
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My mother reached 70 this week and had to renew her licence but didn't have to take any tests. She agrees that re-testing at that age should be compulsory, every 5 years. I would not disagree to regular retesting for everyone.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 16:54 
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Earl Purple wrote:
My mother reached 70 this week and had to renew her licence but didn't have to take any tests. She agrees that re-testing at that age should be compulsory, every 5 years. I would not disagree to regular retesting for everyone.


My mother rarely exceeds 50 :wink: :lol:


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 21:59 
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Earl Purple wrote:
My mother reached 70 this week and had to renew her licence but didn't have to take any tests.


Similar story from my father (85) --his comments are that it is too easy for him to renew, even though he only uses it as ID -but feels that at his age he shouldn't even be given the option of sitting in the driver seat, far less renewing/keeping a licence.What worries him is the lack of medical opinion(independant of the driver) to say that someone of his age is road fit( not only medically fit, but fit /safe to be in charge of a vehicle)

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 18:07 
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HGV drivers need a medical every 5 years from the age of 45. surely lessons can be learned from this fact :roll:

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 22:49 
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This is a tricky one. There are many elderly (by which I mean even older than me!) drivers who, as toltec says, put most younger drivers to shame. On the other hand my mother-in-law, bless her, really should not be allowed out on the road.

Last year I witnessed the most frightening piece of driving I have seen for years. Car pulls out of supermarket car park without looking, causing the car in front of me to execute an emergency stop. Car then proceeds to next T junction and turns right without looking - fortunately gets away with it. Car then whizzes through two red lights, pulls over and stops on a double yellow line. Dear sweet old lady gets out. :shock: (Incidentally - all done within the speed limit).

Retests are the answer - and I'd be happy to do one too - but it would cost a lot to administer and regulate, and guess where they'd try to recoup the costs?

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 09:25 
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Scanny, that's only been necessary since the late 90's.


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 22:54 
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They are not all bad drivers but many are suffering the same problems younger drivers do. I recently met one guy watched him drive into the car park near a Police Station that I was also going to and we had a little chat. He'd just received his second safety prize, 36 in a 30, he said it makes me feel really nervous having to look for all these cameras and mobiles rather than concentrating on my driving, nearly 55 years of driving he said and now I've had 2 of these in last 3 months.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 08:23 
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On the other side of the coin are those 'oldies' like my wife's employer...80 years old, never had a speeding fine, not a blemish on his licence in over 60 years on the road. He regularly (every couple of months) drives from Yorkshire to Portugal on every type of road you could imagine without mishap or attracting the interest of Mr Gatso the Bib's, Gendarmes or Polícia Judiciária.
Perhaps if he just 'tootled' down the shops every week with just the odd trip to the caravan at 'Skeggy', he would also be labelled as being old slow and unworthy of a driving licence? :)


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 13:38 
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Yokel wrote:
Last year I witnessed the most frightening piece of driving I have seen for years. Car pulls out of supermarket car park without looking, causing the car in front of me to execute an emergency stop. Car then proceeds to next T junction and turns right without looking - fortunately gets away with it. Car then whizzes through two red lights, pulls over and stops on a double yellow line. Dear sweet old lady gets out. :shock: (Incidentally - all done within the speed limit).

Blimey - you're lucky! This is the normal standard of driving for all the chavscum that infest West Bromwich...

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 13:57 
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I used to know a very old woman who was diabetic, who at any given time could go into a hypo and lose consciousness. She's passed away now, but when she was alive she still had a driving license!


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 02:52 
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Gents, it's been my experience that good and bad exist in all. There are those that will be: FOREVER NERVOUS! and those that may take risks when young, but will go on to become good and WISE drivers in old age.

It's NOT simply a question of "Old v Young".

More of: "Capable v Incapable" at ANY age.......


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 02:57 
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sotonsteve wrote:
I used to know a very old woman who was diabetic, who at any given time could go into a hypo and lose consciousness. She's passed away now, but when she was alive she still had a driving license!


Diabeties can these days be controlled and is "soon" reckoned to be "cured". It depends upon the type, and severity....their Doctor should make recommendations...


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