Driving Licence re-takes every 10 years

[billywhiz]

Well that's my belief, From date of initial pass every 10 years then once over 60 years of age, every 5.

Reasons ?

We all believe we are ok drivers but most of us lapse in our driving skills or become complacent with our driving abilities.

As we get older, both relex, vision and awareness degenerates although we would all deny that.

Technology changes, road styles change, road signs change.

Stats for example are :

Of 6,506 people killed or seriously injured on UK roads in 2010: 10.3% where aged between 17 to 19 ( The current highest insurance group )

However, 11% of this number were aged over 70.

We've all seen guys whizzing around town railing on two wheels and we've all seen the older generation, bolt upright staring through the windscreen like meerkats driving at 20mph.

It's my belief and I would be happy to do it every 10 years, if nothing else for my own safety and that of my passengers.

And I'm sure it would also have a knock on effect on Insurances in the future.

A few I'm sure will agree and others will argue against ( in fact I'm sure of the latter )

Thoughts ?

 

[moonloops]

Should be every 10 years for every age of driver regardless.

 

[flango]

I re-take a full driving test every 3 years as part of the condition of keeping my advanced Instructors license and it's amazing what you still learn and what bad habits you slip into. I would have mandatory retests every3 years for < 65 years of age and then every 2 years up until 70 then every year after that, maybe not the full test but the critical points which are the causes of most accidents attributed to elderly drivers.

Education is the key and younger drivers need to prove themselves too pass plus and further driving education should be mandatory IMHO

Just finished watching a programme how safe are Britain s roads? next week it is who is safest adolescents or octogenarians should be interesting

 

[Dieselman]

Well that's my belief, From date of initial pass every 10 years then once over 60 years of age, every 5.

Reasons ?

We all believe we are ok drivers but most of us lapse in our driving skills or become complacent with our driving abilities.

As we get older, both relex, vision and awareness degenerates although we would all deny that.

Technology changes, road styles change, road signs change.

Stats for example are :

Of 6,506 people killed or seriously injured on UK roads in 2010: 10.3% where aged between 17 to 19 ( The current highest insurance group )

However, 11% of this number were aged over 70.

We've all seen guys whizzing around town railing on two wheels and we've all seen the older generation, bolt upright staring through the windscreen like meerkats driving at 20mph.

It's my belief and I would be happy to do it every 10 years, if nothing else for my own safety and that of my passengers.

And I'm sure it would also have a knock on effect on Insurances in the future.

A few I'm sure will agree and others will argue against ( in fact I'm sure of the latter )

Thoughts ?

Great theory...apart from it doesn't show what actually happened to those that were KSI, were they drivers, passengers, pedestrians. It also doesn't show whether they were at fault.

Irrespective, how exactly would that have helped the driver in question see the speed cameras?

 

[BigSilverEstate]

I am supportive of this but let us all take note that this proposal would have absolutely no effect on drivers' ability to spot speed cameras. No way.

 

[billywhiz]

Great theory...apart from it doesn't show what actually happened to those that were KSI, were they drivers, passengers, pedestrians. It also doesn't show whether they were at fault.

Irrespective, how exactly would that have helped the driver in question see the speed cameras?

Stats are inside vehicle, non pedestrian. -Blame / fault not given provided.

Detail / stats here: www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN02198.pdf

Re the other discussion, I'm not going to drawn into when, who, why on that as I have no specific facts. To miss spotting and driving through a camera 4 times in circa a 15 minute journey takes some doing in my opinion. I'd say, awareness of the road ahead, what's currently around you, eyesight & reflex may have had something to do with it.

 

[coupe deville]

The roads would be safer

but the buses would be full

Seriously my late dad passed his test when he was about 60 and to this day I don't know how. He was the worst driver I have ever seen, apart from his "girl" friend who was about the same age, but she didn't pass despite months of him taking her out with the L plates on, talk about the blind leading the blind. The roads are chocker with incompetents but everybody thinks they are good drivers.
My father in law is 76 and has been stopped driving, he still has his car, a 1986 190D with 45000 miles on the clock. He gets it out of the garage a couple of times a week and potters around it, I take it out, with him in the passenger seat when I can and you can see he would give anything to get behind the wheel, sad but it will come to us all, I'm 62 next, ruddy hell not long left.

 

[trapperjohn]

May I ask your age Billywhiz. And what do you personally do to keep your driving skills topped up.

Me? 62. What do I do to keep my personal driving skills topped up - Not a lot really so I am your target area.

 

[billywhiz]

May I ask your age Billywhiz. And what do you personally do to keep your driving skills topped up.

Me? 62. What do I do to keep my personal driving skills topped up - Not a lot really so I am your target area.

Sure, I'm mid range, 42. Re driving skills, well pretty much the same as the rest of us I suspect. I drive every day, in and out of town. A Roads, B roads & motorways and in different types of vehicles. I cover circa 15k miles a year overall so guess that puts me in average band.

I'm not a saint or sinner when driving, and would neither suggest I am better or worse than any other driver.

I'd certainly like to do the advanced driving courses > keep thinking about it and not doing it.

 

[stevieb15]

On the basis we test the vehicles annually I really can't rationalise why drivers don't require the same.
Very few incidents are caused by vehicle faults most are driver error...I don't think it's rocket science, get the useless and blatantly dangerous off the road, both vehicles and drivers.

 

[Charles Morgan]

An interesting recent article in the Economist on this subject

 

[markjay]

There will always be a discrepancy in skills between those who drive frequently and in varying conditions to those who do not.

I think that as part of ageing many people tend to drive much less and mostly short regular journeys. That may explain some of it (though there are obviously also age-related health factors to consider).

My father is 82 and has been driving regularly for his work up to his retirement. He still makes regular long trips - mostly visiting family members in other cities - and he is a very safe driver.

Pilots are required to fly certain number of hours every year to keep their licences.

Something to consider. Many people of all ages hold driving permits but drive very very infrequently. The Americans have this expression 'Sunday driver'. This can't be safe.

 

[BigSilverEstate]

My FIL is in his late seventies and still basically ok - a bit slower on the motorway, but if anything rather more aggressive/assertive in traffic. As with a lot of things, deterioration in eyesight etc as we get older is partly offset by improvements in judgement and experience. I wouldn't like to see a system that was unduly punitive and undignified for the elderly.

 

[stevieb15]

An interesting recent article in the Economist on this subject

Correct, very informative, especially for those of us getting on in years...I'm very aware that my cognitive senses are less than they were even 5 years ago, especially when manoeuvring, consequence I'm much more careful and cautious.
In a recent poll on the forum I was the first to claim more than 40,000 miles annually, personally I'd welcome regular refreshers and tests, the older I get and the more miles I drive I become acutely aware of my own mortality.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

I'm 66 and I agree with the idea of regular tests, and those tests getting more frequent from 60. The OP's original suggestion sounds about right. But I also think that the retests should be harder, no matter what the age of the driver. If people aren't able to improve with experience then they shouldn't be driving. The retests should include motorway driving.

 

[Dieselman]

I had a colleague at work that stayed on to 75 years old, drove significant mileage, never crashed his car and drove like stink in his XK...seriously, no-one could keep up with him.

 

[artyman]

I'm 68 now and appreciate that my reactions aren't as sharp as they were 20 years ago. I also drive less now, but have the experience to compensate for the advancing years, perception of dangerous situations developing is the greatest asset in staying safe., and I wonder how many drivers proceed in automatic mode rather than consciously driving. Also the patience that one acquires with age probably helps keep one safe. Mind you there are some frustrating younger dawdlers out there as well.

 

[billywhiz]

I had a colleague at work that stayed on to 75 years old, drove significant mileage, never crashed his car and drove like stink in his XK...seriously, no-one could keep up with him.

Indeed, case in point is Maurice Reeves ( Owner of Reeves corner furniture shop that went up in flames during the riots ) An old friend of mine & a regular on the race track scene and a very, very proficient driver indeed. > As a search under his name on youtube & many a disgruntled Caterham owner will testify

 

[finisterre]

I am against the idea. I think the roads are safe enough and I don't want to be taking and paying for tests on a regular basis. There is also an assumption that older people are not responsible enough to pack it in when they realise they are no longer as safe as they would like to be. Which is unfair.

It is yet more authoritarian infantilisation of personal responsibility. Would we find that people consider themselves safe because they passed the test?

 

[st4]

I don't like the idea of retesting. I'm a crap driver, I'd never repass