2 die in M1 wrong way crash

[Meldrew2]

These are all over the USA interstates - I see no good reason why we can't have them here.

Having "No Entry" signs at the entrance to slip roads is insufficient; a driver's attention can be elsewhere while actually negotiating a junction. A nice clear sign part way along the slip road would surely save a number of lives.

 

[Bellow]

The above, or a huge 'no entry' sign, on the back of every other sign?

 

[BTB 500]

It's now being reported that the driver in yesterday's Guildford crash was 92 years old and 'blacked out' at the wheel:

Car driven by 92-year-old mows down 6 adults and 2 children - Telegraph

 

[Bellow]

When younger people engage with politics such that their vote is considered as much as the elderly's is sought, then we might see some action on this. Right now, our UK politicians are displaying the same fear of upsetting pensioners as a typical USA administration fears the NRA.

 

[zipdip]

Well this country does need to have older drivers take a small driving test from their own home,say at 75 and 80 in between that every 3 years they would have to get a medical to be allowed to continue to drive,not all older drivers are bad,I have been a passenger in a 90 year old's fiesta and he drove well if i was nit picking he rushes gear changes but other than that he's good,but with these latest accidents it shows certain things that young drivers will not have noticed,old drivers nearly always drive locally that women at Guildford I bet she lived less than 3 miles from that accident the old guy on the motorway going the wrong way I bet he never wanted to be on the motorway he made a mistake and then age or illness meant he did not react to the situation,will anything be done well I hope so,maybe they could start with everybody who reaches 70 has to have a eyesight test.

 

[Bellow]

not all older drivers are bad,.

I absolutely agree - and those that are good need not fear a (re)test.
Incidentally, I believe that all ages should be periodically tested - for good driving practices eg, mirror (and general observation), signalling, road positioning, etc as these seem to be the first casualties very soon after passing the first and (thus far) sole test.

 

[grober]

If we are talking about eyesight as a major factor in driving ability Presbyopia [an inability to focus due to lens thickening] starts at age 40 and progresses with age. Other conditions which tend to increase with, but are by no means are exclusive to- age are cataracts, loss of peripheral vision, macular degeneration and a particularly relevant one in todays society diabetic retinopathy. This would indicate that 45 might be a suitable age to introduce a compulsory annual eye tests for all drivers.
Before anyone protests its always interesting how folks are keen to introduce restrictions to other groups of people but suddenly are not so keen when it may involve them personally.

 

[markjay]

There were other health-related crashes that did involved yonger driver.

And while OAPs are more likely to suffer from health-related driving impairment, not all OAPs do, and similarly not all younger people are fit to drive.

The bigger issue is that once the driving test is done, driver health and fitness to drive is entirely self-regulated. Regardless of age.

 

[Peter103]

The bigger issue is that once the driving test is done, driver health and fitness to drive is entirely self-regulated. Regardless of age.[/QUOTE]

Bus & Coach drivers were required to take a medical on reaching 55yrs. In order to renew their PSV licences, I imagine they still do.

 

[Bellow]

So, initial test and retesting every 10 years or so. Eye tests from age 45 onwards. Medicals at 75 and onwards. Getting a bit cumbersome and the public, despite a willingness to reveal every aspect of their lives on social media will, I suspect, reject anything as intrusive as actual scrutiny of their capabilities. We are probably stuck exactly where we are.

 

[flango]

Retesting every 5 years, Medicals from 55, Eyesight tests from 50.

Limit power of cars to 100bhp for drivers 17 - 19 then 200bhp for 19 -21

Separate license for people with high powered cars +300bhp

These were the some of the last proposals from the working group looking at this .

Needless to say none were ever adopted as they are not vote winners.

If governments took road safety seriously they would see the test is no longer fit for purpose and replace it with driver education that was

 

[219]

The bigger issue is that once the driving test is done, driver health and fitness to drive is entirely self-regulated. Regardless of age.

Bus & Coach drivers were required to take a medical on reaching 55yrs. In order to renew their PSV licences, I imagine they still do.[/QUOTE]

And how did Harry Clarke slip through that one ?

 

[grober]

In the interests of "balance"

I'll see your
" 92 year old driver mows down 6 adults and 2 children"
and raise you
"Drink driving 24 year old Audi driver takes out smoking shelter hospitalising 13 people"

Just going to prove stereotyping drivers by the actions of a few is not necessarily the approach that will yield the best results but rather taking positive steps to address deficiencies in the present licence system for all ages .

Thirteen people injured after car crashes into Porthcawl nightclub's smoking shelter - Wales Online

 

[219]

So, initial test and retesting every 10 years or so. Eye tests from age 45 onwards. Medicals at 75 and onwards. Getting a bit cumbersome and the public, despite a willingness to reveal every aspect of their lives on social media will, I suspect, reject anything as intrusive as actual scrutiny of their capabilities. We are probably stuck exactly where we are.

I'd have thought a retest every 'decade birthday' after passing initial test ( I see no reason why someone who passed at 17 shouldn't be retested at 20 ) , with the examiner able to stipulate a sooner retest and/or medical depending on how the candidate presents , or indeed an immediate medical if his suspicions are aroused .

Actually , thinking further about it , it would be simpler to just require a retest every 10 years when the photocard licence is compulsorily renewed : no retest - no new licence .

Of course , if stopped by police or involved in a crash , as now , drivers could be ordered by court to take test/medical anytime .

Drivers with bad history could also be required by insurers to produce recent test or medical pass certificate as applicable or cover would be refused .

The additional examiners required for all of this could ( I would imagine ) be largely recruited from retiring traffic police officers , who would already be very aware of what to look for in candidates .

The scheme would largely be self funding from retest fees .

 

[leef44]

Motorways are another sore point. Some people seem to think that they are entitled to sit in the middle lane regardless of traffic, forcing those driving courteously to have to move two lanes to overtake. Also, what about those who persist in staying in the outside lane, and who flatly refuse to move over to allow faster moving traffic to pass.

On my way back from Northamptonshire, I was stuck on behind someone pottering along at 60mph on a dual carriageway (National Speed Limit of 70mph). No amount of horn blasting or light flashing would encourage them to pull over, so I pulled over and cruised at 60 on the left hand land. More and more motorists pulled up behind this car, and tried to encourage it to pull over, but to no avail.

Needless to say, some motorists got ****** off and undertook this vehicle. Did he care? Not on your life. He wasn't going to change lanes for anyone, and no one was going to force him to, either.

It is attitudes like this that can lead to accidents as people sometimes take rash decisions to get passed someone that is being an ****.

I've been in that situation when we all finally got past the middle lane hogger to find that he was on his phone

 

[renault12ts]

I've been in that situation when we all finally got past the middle lane hogger to find that he was on his phone

What makes you think he would have been in the inside lane if he hadn't been on the phone?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

What makes you think he would have been in the inside lane if he hadn't been on the phone?

Maybe he would have been wellying it down the outside lane if he wasn't preoccupied with his phone call?

 

[John]

Limit power of cars to 100bhp for drivers 17 - 19 then 200bhp for 19 -21

Separate license for people with high powered cars +300bhp

I come up with the first idea myself back when they changed motorbikes similarly.

Certainly a good one in my mind - and would have affected my back in the day albeit not such a bad idea.

Not sure about that second one though...

 

[Bellow]

Retesting every 5 years, Medicals from 55, Eyesight tests from 50.

Limit power of cars to 100bhp for drivers 17 - 19 then 200bhp for 19 -21

Separate license for people with high powered cars +300bhp

These were the some of the last proposals from the working group looking at this .

Needless to say none were ever adopted as they are not vote winners.

If governments took road safety seriously they would see the test is no longer fit for purpose and replace it with driver education that was

To improve the hideous death rate among the newly qualified I think a passenger curfew should be considered. From say, 8pm until 6am (so they can still give lifts to friends to and from work/college/etc) it would end showing off and the consequences of it going wrong and in any other accident they wouldn't be taking out three others with them - only themselves.
In return - less savage insurance premiums for them starting out? (Might liberate some cash to buy a newer safer car). Or it not applying to car of a very lowly insurance group (the kind of car no boy racer would contemplate).

 

[Deleted member 65149]

What makes you think he would have been in the inside lane if he hadn't been on the phone?

He might have been paying better attention and realised his error so moved to the inside lane, or gone at a more appropriate speed for the middle lane so as not to be an inconvenience.