General Chat

Should people, as they get older, face compulsory driving evaluations (capability and fitness)?

This afternoon I witnessed an elderly person drive through a set of traffic lights on the wrong side. After hitting two other vehicles they ended up on their roof on the pavement - outside a school just before the end of the school day.

Minutes later and the pavement would have been packed with the usual mums pushing prams and young children.

Old boy down the road was still driving with his zimmer frame beside him. He wrote off a car at the age of 98 and finally gave up driving shortly before his hundredth birthday.

I would think that around 75 is the time that evaluations and medicals should become compulsory and repeated every 5 years.

I gave up driving about 8 years ago due to
loss of power in my hands and arms.
Also neck movement was painful so due to RA
decided for my own safety and that of others to
give up.
Over those years It has gotten worse in all joints etc.

Common sense prevailed.

I agree - although I would prefer every three years as conditions can change in a very short space of time.

Emma - I admire people who give up driving voluntarily.

Its not only older people who are a menace on the road. Perhaps we should have retests for ALL drivers at regular intervals regardless of age.

Andy

Capability should be the driver

I think, maybe testing every so years would be a good idea

There are people of all ages that shouldn't be driving!

There is always an argument for and against compulsory testing for all but I think as people get older there should definitely be a statutory evaluation.

Drivers of all ages make all kinds of errors some silly and embarrassing others dangerous and sometimes fatal.

Stats suggest that the older driver is far less likely to have a serious crunch than the under 35s though the over 70s are more likely to have minor scrapes which do not endear them to insurance companies.

There are perfectly competent drivers over 100 years old and dreadful ones who have been banned even before being old enough to get a license.

Many older drivers drive within their limits avoiding for instance the M25 on a Friday night. They tend to drive a motor in good nick. Younger drivers tend to believe there is no limit to their skill and judgement and have a tendency towards marginally documented sheds and venerable beemers.

The two things which are obvious is that driver training for all age groups is very poor and people need a medical that ensures they are fit enough to drive with adequate vision. The medicals should start at 18 not 78 and include attitude as with professional driving licenses.

Given the terrible state and high cost of public transport in most of the UK depriving older people of their driving licence on the basis of some arbitrary age would be a very bad decision indeed.

Then there are the very large number of people resident in the UK whizzing around who have never held a UK licence ... start with the biggest problem.

Some years ago Dad suffered a small fit and on a hospital visit he was told to give up driving.

Mum just looked at the doctor, pointed to Dad's white stick and said "He's blind!"

"Yes" said the doctor "but he still needs to give up driving"

Whizzing around on mobility scooters for example?

There should be a test for those!

I would be perfectly in favour of evaluations every so many years for all ages. However, although statistics show that older people are more likely to have "scrapes", these are still accidents. Not only that, how many accidents are caused by elderly people driving "carefully" during rush hour. Rightly or wrongly, people may be in a hurry and having a car doing 30 in a 50 zone is likely to cause accidents.

"I've never had an accident but I've seen plenty"

Claire in Wales - did he give up?

Lol yes, 40 years earlier

My mobility scooter does I think 4mph,
hardly a danger.
It hardly matters as far as I'm concerned,
wheelchair or scooter I am mostly invisible
to people.

The problem is the ones that go faster both on the road and on the pavement - most users seem to be totally oblivious to the laws governing the horrid little things.

However, back to cars and driving. I would welcome any law that made it a requirement for anyone over a certain age to prove that they are fit to drive.

Any scooter that does more than 4 mph should be banned from the pavements in my view anyway.

I would include cyclists who cycle on the
pavement also.
As you say, back to the drivers

Well, I would go with a re test for everyone, no discrimination

Younger people who have poor judgement have the opportunity to improve. The older person who makes the same mistake are more likely to become worse.

Full credit to the aged drivers who recognise their declining abilities. Unfortunately there are a number who think that everyone else is driving badly, just not themselves.

Even though it would be an additional expense, if everyone over say the age of 70 were to have to take a refresher driving course or have a session in a simulator it might help to weed out those who should hand back their licence.

Emma

I am with you on the cyclist, they should have insurance and be regulated in similar fashion as drivers