OAP s and driving licences

[BTB 500]

I give my mum credit for realising she was crap (she always was but age made her realise!!) and sending back her license when she did.

My mum was always a cr@p driver - she had a (low speed) head-on collision on the local high street because she was looking at a shop window.

Her mum insisted on continuing to drive even when she often couldn't remember where she lived any more. In the end we took the rotor arm out of her Mini (I guess nowadays you'd have to pull a fuse somewhere).

 

[Spider10]

My mum was an absolute nightmare on the road she only realised after 5 failed test's she couldn't reach the clutch so then she went auto after around a couple of month's I just sold the car whilst she was at work best thing I ever did
My dads favourite saying is that she'd never be a good driver whilst she had a ---- in her bum

 

[GrahamT]

The DVLA have to sort something out,I am fed up with having to mount the pavement when one of these sub standard drivers powers down the road at me with no idea where the nearside of their car is in relation to the parked ones on the road,and when you look at them they have that straight ahead stare and they are gripping the steering wheel so hard their knuckles are white.

Inevitably around here that will be a young(ish) woman at the wheel of a large SUV !

 

[davymead]

The average drivers age is at an all time high. It’s always been my personal belief that the reason certain old people can’t drive for toffees is simply because they never could.
Retesting the sheer numbers of drivers over the age 70 would be a logistical nightmare, and the cost would be punitive.

 

[Tonye]

The average drivers age is at an all time high

Check out the average HGV drivers age.
I only stopped last year as I've sold up as some are aware, my old mate is 75 and still at it ,on nights, he is fine and loves his job as i did. I think driving a big red ne nor for at least 11 years helped me to stay alive on the roads and still does.

 

[davymead]

Number of UK drivers over 70 has risen by TWO MILLION in a decade

Compared to a decade ago, the number of drivers 70 and above has jumped by a massive 53% as the nation's motoring demographic gets older.

www.thisismoney.co.uk

 

[Darrell]

Is there a problem with the older drivers not disclosing illnesses which could see them banned??

 

[zipdip]

Is there a problem with the older drivers not disclosing illnesses which could see them banned??

Well there is a long list of illnesses on the form that all drivers get at 70 the official age that your licence ends,the form also says if you want to continue driving fill the form in,now if you tick the box of some of the illnesses the DVLA will ask that you attend your doctor to see if you can continue to drive,but the form says tick this box if everything is ok,and so many no lets face it most tick that box,at the moment your doctor can only tell the DVLA if you cannot understand what he is saying to you i.e dementia and the like,the same with eyesight the only way you can lose your licence is for the police to mark out a eyesight test,and we all know the police are more imterested in number plates and the like,with 2 million older drivers the DVLA have to do something they are taking the money now is the time they actually thought about testing older drivers.

 

[Darrell]

Well there is a long list of illnesses on the form that all drivers get at 70 the official age that your licence ends,the form also says if you want to continue driving fill the form in,now if you tick the box of some of the illnesses the DVLA will ask that you attend your doctor to see if you can continue to drive,but the form says tick this box if everything is ok,and so many no lets face it most tick that box,at the moment your doctor can only tell the DVLA if you cannot understand what he is saying to you i.e dementia and the like,the same with eyesight the only way you can lose your licence is for the police to mark out a eyesight test,and we all know the police are more imterested in number plates and the like,with 2 million older drivers the DVLA have to do something they are taking the money now is the time they actually thought about testing older drivers.

Sorry fella but I’ve lost the will to read all of that.

I asked the question because years ago my dad was diagnosed with dementia in his late 50’s (worryingly not much older than me now) and refused to declare it.

 

[Ted]

Declaring an interest. I’m 70 next birthday.
I don’t have the slightest problem at all in having a test that ensures that my faculties meet a minimum standard as long as the tests are applied fairly and expediently.
Driving a car, I can tell you that my reaction times and ability to deal with an emergency are not what they were when I was in my youth and a brilliant driver who could outpace almost anyone - especially old farts in their thirties who were SLOOOW.
Bur it’s on the motorbike, which is a much more raw experience where I can really feel the decline simply because recovery of a dodgy situation is much harder.
Example. Went out to Leamington today in the car with Mrs Ted. Perfectly fine. No problems. I keep a longer braking distance than (say) twenty years ago, bends, of which there are fee on the fosse can still be taken at a good lick but require much more concentration. Any slight errors are easily corrected and it was a lovely smooth ride.
Mrs Ted was suitably impressed with my skills.
I think.
Came the afternoon and I decided to go out for 1/2 hour on the bike. Turned out to be two hours. These things happen. Great ride. A423 towards Banbury, off towards Deppers Bridge, through Avon Dasset, into the back end of Banbury and back up the A423 to Princethorpe. Brilliant. Lots of lovely bends with good sight lines . A good riding road.
But I was thinking of this thread and it’s quite clear that my skills aren’t as honed as they once were. Where every bend used to be a challenge, the challenge is now to get a good line through the bend. I keep extra extra space behind vehicles in case anything unexpected happens. I’m extra cautious on hazards to give me more time to react, and my speeds are much slower.
I’m aware that all of this is to compensate for my (hopefully slightly) diminished abilities but the fact remains I’m not as good (or mediocre) as I was.
Still had a great ride - but these days it’s all about the ride, not the speed. I managed to get a photo of me on the ride - here it is.

Anyway, I digress. Yes, your abilities reduce as you get older. Yes, it’s ok to test those abilities say every five years to ensure you meet a minimum standard, and I fully support testing every five years from the age of seventy. It makes sense.

 

[ToeKnee]

I used to use the long itch diner on the A423 for Sunday breakfast but now use Willoughby cafe on the A45, I agree that the A423 is a great road

 

[Smiley]

Hi , well remove the driver and you remove the car.

perhaps there should also be a use of english comprehension test to go alongside the driving test for older people?

 

[JHS]

LOL......
Well I'll be as honest as I can and this is how I rate my driving. Things you should know...
I'm 56
I passed my test in 85 (bike and car in same year) aged 18. Bike first time, car second.
The last points I had were for speeding in 1989 (41 in a 30 on my GSX600F (horrid bike)).
I have car NCD since 88 and bike NCD since 87.....not saying I've never been involved in a crash (one car and three bike (I have 4 plates and about 60 screws in my left arm to prove it!!)) but all proved to not be my fault and did not affect my insurance.
I did IAM in my late 20s paid for by my boss at the time, both car and bike but they both lapsed years ago.
I also tow big caravans all over the place behind a pickup truck for work.
I used to do quite a few track days on my bike and the odd car one.

I would, in all honesty, describe my driving as average or a bit above....both in the skills and safety side of things....and they are different things.......being able to drift pretty well is a skill I learned off road on the mud because I started driving off road at 14 as we lived on a big farm with private roads. But is being able to do that on the road safe or even sensible?.... probably not....yet it could certainly help you on surfaces with less grip than you expected.
I don't hold anyone up...they used to call it "making progress" in the IAM......but equally I do try my hardest to stick to the 30 limits. I'm rarely under 70 on the motorway....but equally I'm very rarely over 90 and not for long.
The reason I dare to say that I feel I "might" be a bit above average is because primarily all the biking I used to do and also a bit due to the towing. When towing you have to be so much more aware of what around you as the caravans don't follow your exact path so you need more clearance on things.....often they are 30 grand plus caravans don't belong to the company and I'm in built up areas which keeps you on you toes too!!! But mainly because of the bikes......you need to ride like everyone is trying to kill you....because sometimes....often without realising it.....they are!! I consider myself more rather aware of my surrounding than SOME other drivers because of this. I still tend to do the "lifesaver" over the shoulder glance that you are taught when doing your bike test....even when in the car!!!

To be honest I think its quite difficult to judge your own driving competence.....but I like to thing that since passengers don't say much about it and I don't see them constantly going for the invisible passenger side brake pedal (as I do when sitting beside some drivers) that I'm at least OK as a wheel man. My wife would certainly tell me if it was otherwise!!!.....and at risk of her reading this she is certainly one of the better lady drivers I've been chauffeured by!

Obviously I will now cause an accident on my way home from work today!!

I'd like to think that in a mere 14 years time my driving wont be much worse....although I don't think I'm getting any better these days but it probably was until I was in my 40s......but probably will get checked out by the Doc at 70 whether I'm required to or not.....just seems sensible.


Anyone else????....anyone brave enough to say they are truly crap......or a driving God!!!???

I turned 77 this week, drive about 12k miles/year, and I am an acknowledged driving god.
Others may disagree, but as a god, I don't care.

 

[TC350]

I turned 77 this week, drive about 12k miles/year, and I am an acknowledged driving god.
Others may disagree, but as a god, I don't care.

We’re automatically declared gods at 77. It’s nearly a month since I achieved Sunset Strip status.

 

[Darrell]

I turned 77 this week, drive about 12k miles/year, and I am an acknowledged driving god.
Others may disagree, but as a god, I don't care.

If you don’t mind me asking, how come as a retiree and pushing 80 you’re still driving 1000 miles a month? That’s a fair amount.

 

[TC350]

If you don’t mind me asking, how come as a retiree and pushing 80 you’re still driving 1000 miles a month? That’s a fair amount.

When you live in Lincolnshire it’s a bloody long way to get anywhere!

 

[Darrell]

When you live in Lincolnshire it’s a bloody long way to get anywhere!

I’ve never been to Lincolnshire.

Is it so bad that you have to get away from it?

 

[TC350]

I’ve never been to Lincolnshire.

Is it so bad that you have to get away from it?

It’s a lovely county, just well spaced out (as in distances between things, not on drugs!)

 

[Tonye]

not on drugs!)

Are you sure. I thought you had to be on them to live there

 

[JHS]

If you don’t mind me asking, how come as a retiree and pushing 80 you’re still driving 1000 miles a month? That’s a fair amount.

Living in rural Lincolnshire helps,added to regular trips around the country (we are currently in Chester). Trip to Europe and so on.
It is only 32 miles/day. A trip to Louth and back takes care of that.
And I have to get out and about to give the plebs the pleasure of my driving godliness!!