Safe Speed Forums

Latest idea from dept of transport to brainwash our brainless politicians - lets ban older drivers / overtest them because a few keep on driving when they should not and are self certificated on health grounds.

Is this being done on safety or to reduce the number of drivers on the roads.

So long as the test is free then this probably isn't a bad idea.

When I lived on the Wirral, I refused to drive on sunday mornings because of all the old people randomly pulling out of church car parks and side streets without looking and general incompetentness. (There were, of course, may old people who drove perfectly fine, just a quite noticeable number who could not)

I think my next door but one neighbour would demolish her gatepost 3 or 4 times a year, which is impressive given that her driveway joins the road right in the middle of a 90 degree corner, and it as 45 degrees to the road, therefore it's the easiest driveway in the entire road to get into.

I eventually came to the conclusion that the dangerous old people and boy racers have disturbing similaraties, they drive a clapped out low powered car (Rover or Nova ) and are equally likely to pull out in front of you without looking at the last minute. The difference is the boy racer will be out of your way a lot quicker afterwards. I have also learned to avoid cars that sport fish or nodding dogs.

Not if the old guy had been my dad! He was 76 when he died and drove up until the final illness that carried him off. He was a superb driver - never had a shunt in nearly 60 years of driving. The average boy-racer wouldn't have stood a chance - the old devil was quick - the fact that he drove a BMW M3 may have had something to do with it too..

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

Insulting and poking fun at the elderly is the last acceptable prejudice, isn't it?

Fortunately I suspect such a policy would be electorally disastrous - pensioners vote, 18-30s don't.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Then your dad presumably passed the existing medical at 75 with flying colours and (rightly) was allowed to continue to drive.. fair enough. Your dad is nothing like the kind of person I'm complaining about (in the same way that most 20-somethings aren't boy racer idiots with fart cannons attached to their Saxos) and is due respect.

My uncle voluntarily stopped driving in his late 60s as he realised his reactions and eyesight were failing, and is due respect too. Many do not do this.

I guess this regime is something this government can do for road safety without needing expensive traffic police. Arbitarily re-testing everybody wont do much because everyone can be on good behaviour for a short period of time (cameras prove this) but if you can't see it's a lot harder to blag your way through a test.

So a good move made for some pretty godawful reasons at the end of the day, which is a 50% improvement on previous Labour motoring policy

I dont think botach is doing this to poke fun at the elderly; this is a dept of transport idea.
In theory, as exists at the moment, there should be some recognition that SOME old drivers should give up driving due to physical/mental deterioration. I don't know what the current test involves, so can't comment on that. However, people should be allowed to retain their licence until any impairment affects driving, and not have it summarily taken away at a particular age.

I watched the Trevor MacDonald programme last night about elderly drivers and couldn't quite believe the Bullshit I was hearing.
If the D.V.L.A. won't retest the main accident group (male 17-25) then they should shut up.
There was no evidence to suggest that this group were a hazard on the roads unless you take into account "According to some groups" as a true reflection.
Paul 35

I vaguely remember (and this is from a TV prog a long time ago) that after it is removed at 75 you take a medical exam. ISTR them having to read an eye chart with only one eye, then repeat for the other one. I would hope glasses were allowed for this test!

And I didn't interpret botach's post as insulting the elderly. Some people might interpret mine as doing that but it's not mean that way, I'm just jaded and cynical thanks to my experiences back when I was younger.

EditL


Umm, they do do this, this is why the 6 point probationary thing was brought in. Of course given the extreme lack of traffic police the scheme only catches those unobservant enough to miss the big yellow boxes, but the theory is sound.

Retesting is fairly pointless anyway as even the most obnoxious chav can be on "good behaviour" for the half hour it takes to pass then go back to driving like a loon. Medical testing is a lot harder to blag your way through

Sorry, I was agreeing with botach there. The attitude he was complaining about is an example of this prejudice.


Of course there are some elderly drivers who shouldn't be on the road, but in comparison with other things I do not feel it is a major road safety issue, and introducing compulsory retesting for over-70s would be a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Most elderly drivers are well aware of their declining reaction times and powers of observation, and consciously restrict their driving to minimise the risk.

_________________
"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Possibly said that wrong - was not intending to poke fun at elderly - can't afford to as i'm getting there slowly.
It was the apparent discrepancy over limitations that i was talking about.

First i agree totally with the medical - but would like to see a better initial eyesight test .

The idea of a driving test -well??
What standard would they use?Would oldie have to go back to driving school to learn the "approved" way of steering etc,etc.
Ok, a driving licence entitles us to drive on any class of uk road,from dirt to motorway.
What does oldie drive on?
The list is endless.

As Peter E said - sledge hammer to crack nut - sounds like another ill thought out idea where a better one would be to give the transport group an iq test- thats why i posted idea to see other thoughts.

Yet again, it's the minority giving the majority a bad name..! but that is the same for all age brackets. It only takes one to make an error on a motorway and peole get killed. There are people out there who do not know how to use a motorway, both young (lack of experience and boy race syndrome) and old (slow reactions and sits in inside lane doing 45mph..!

So lets have training for all every five years, just think, it would reduce the employment level somewhat, for the extra trainers needed !

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Coz I magically dissappear when it's time to decorate! (Gone sailing !)

Magic Mel - not far from me

Coz I magically dissappear when it's time to decorate! (Gone sailing !)

i get out when she wants to decorate.


Don't forget that training leads to tests with our bliar - a chance to employ the west mids and a chance to retrain the west mids -oh woopy - more income for hm bliar

vOTE FOR THIS - NOT LIKELY

GET BRAIN IN GEAR B4 POSTING PLEASE

My 60+ (66 or67) year old collegue might have something to say about this. He's been rinding motor bikes for fifty years and never had an off. Not untill thursday week. Some 76 year old girl looked left and looked right, but didn't look infront of her. Ian was doing 20 ish. he'd stopped for a ped xing and and just got going again, there is only so fast you can go on a C90 anyway. She didn't see him untill he went over her bonnet. Broken foot, 2 broke ribs collapsed lung and was in hospital longer than I was with a broken neck. The old girl failed an eyesight test....

I think I've suggested this before, but requiring drivers to have regular eyesight checks would be a reasonably effective proxy for compulsory medicals or retesting, without any of the expense or controversy.

_________________
"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Umm, they do do this, this is why the 6 point probationary thing was brought in. Of course given the extreme lack of traffic police the scheme only catches those unobservant enough to miss the big yellow boxes, but the theory is sound.

Retesting is fairly pointless anyway as even the most obnoxious chav can be on "good behaviour" for the half hour it takes to pass then go back to driving like a loon. Medical testing is a lot harder to blag your way through[/quote]

Retesting is pointless? oh dear!
Look if your 'Chav' is incapable of passing then he's incapable of passing and since most accidents are down to error or ignorance then the problem must be addressed via retraining on a regular basis.
And as for the six point thing what does that have to do with retraining? all that is is a punishment for mistakes and as we have learned there is a resistance to learning via punishment. [/quote]

I posted my views on the OAP situation on the campaigns forum....before finding this discussion already going on!

quote:

Excuse my first post if I am in the wrong forum but this could be regarded as a campaign.

Did anyone see Tonight with Trevor McDonald on Monday 9th May? It featured the issue of drivers over 70 being potentially unsafe due to their age. They tested 4 OAP's and found that 3 of them would have failed a standard driving test.

This doesn't surprise me at all as I see elderly drivers quite often either driving way too slow for the situation (eg joining a motorway) or just wandering across lanes without looking. My dad, who's 65 and has always been a confident driver, has admitted that he can no longer drive on unfamiliar roads as it takes him too long to read and take in road signs. He ends up slowing right down at very inconvenient places just to read a sign and decide which way to go. But, at least he has admitted the effects of age on his driving (after a lot of comments from me!).

Some are saying its discriminating against the elderly to make them sit re-tests but I think they should for their own sake, not mention other road users, as they often don't realise they are driving badly. There are plenty of safe and competent eldery drivers but there are also too many unsafe and incompetent drivers.

That said, there are also plenty of unsafe and incompetent younger and middle aged drivers so I think retests should be compulsory for everyone, perhaps at 10-15 year intervals - obviously more frequent for the OAP's.

Is anyone aware of this campaign to make OAP's have compulsory re-tests? - or am I getting it mixed up with the health checks http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4390015.stm/
What do you think of re-tests? I'm sure we're all competent drivers here - no need to worry!

Each to his own! and as for brain.. doh!

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Coz I magically dissappear when it's time to decorate! (Gone sailing !)

magic Mel, I was born in Portsmouth too!
I did'nt get sent to Coventry though!


I watch out for National Trust stickers too.

I would'nt trust doctors to say whether an elderly patient is competant to drive - I have seen too many who were passed as fit, only to see them hit the throttle instead of the brake in their automatics!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

80 year old woman in a little Suzuki fails to spot Asda supermarket, ploughs through 10' high door

Eye test?

Eyesight test - should be free , especially for drivers cost of a test outways the cost of NHS treatment

OK- folks -i get nervous when i dont see older folks move - i don't want to call in the undertaker by mistake.

Honestly - anyone been driving for a few years - stop and think - what would you fail on if you had to sit a test again.

Hands on wheel ? - The MOT push/pull method

Aproach to roundabout? - Mot say stop - we all look well in advance and don't stop unless we have to , keeping traffic moving.

Mirrors - mine is set so i only have to move eyes - Mot want to see head move.

And as a comedien says "There's more"

Suggest MOT need to lok deeper unless the govt gets a pensioner revolt -