When do you think you'll hang up your keys ?

[st4]

I'm a young chap but I'll never stop driving. The only thing that will stop me is death when I pile into a bus load of people taking them with me....

LOL!!!

 

[Scott_F]

So it got me wondering, do you ever see yourself giving up driving and, if so, when do you see/hope that will be ?

When they prise the car keys from my cold, dead hand........

 

[flango]

Sweeping generalisations do nothing to advance anyone's argument. Insurance accident statistics simply don't back up the assertion that older people are more dangerous than younger drivers. Older drivers are physically less capable than younger drivers but not necessarily "incapable" Where older drivers score is mentally with experience and better judgement. Sure there are tragic exceptions but these occur at all ages. That innocent bus queue could be mowed down by an octogenarian, white van man, a joyriding kid with his mates, a foreign lorry driver who fiddled his tachograph, a criminal fleeing from the scene of a crime or a young thrusting executive drag racing someone from the lights in his/her Porsche/SL/BMW/TVR/Ferrari I am in favour of periodic retesting of drivers but it would naive to concentrate merely on the older driver if you wish to reduce accidents . One of the major driver hazards you come across is aggressive or reckless behaviour and dare I say it this --- is fuelled in the main by----- testosterone levels ----which as we all know declines with-----

I totally agree and I would change the system to retest everyone but the frequency of the retest would increase with age. I would also make advanced driving skills mandatory for performance cars.

I agree to an extent that older drivers score with experience but just because you have been doing it that way for 25 years and have "experience" does not mean it is the correct way to do it. It has to be relevant experience, better judgement I don't agree with, a well trained late 20's driver will have far better judgement when it comes to hazard perception, car placement, scenario development than anyone mid forties onwards.

aggressive or reckless behaviour I do agree it is an issue that needs addressing and several ways have been considered but none implemented, unfortunately the stats are starting to show that the worst offenders are now young females so that rules out the testosterone argument (although not with some of the ones I know)

exceptions do occur to all these and catch us by surprise but the argument and debate will continue whilst we have the current driver training and testing procedures and continue to ignore the fact the way to cut accidents and road deaths is training and education, not speed cameras and speed humps (although I do acknowledge they have their place)

 

[MercFanUk]

This will always be a sensitive subject - driving is freedom, and as you get older you don't want that freedom removed.

I wouldn't put older people through a proper re-test, however I would think an assessment of their reaction times and general abilities (sight, hearing, hazard awareness) would be suitable - all the kind of stuff that could be done in a room rather than spending a fortune taking people on the road. Say once at 70 and then every couple of years or so. That way you could then bump up an earlier appointment for the next year if you feel someone looks like they will pass this one, but might fail the next for example.

 

[SilverSaloon]

This will always be a sensitive subject - driving is freedom, and as you get older you don't want that freedom removed.
.

indeed. My wife's late grandad was driving right up to his death (he was in his 80s). He used to do driving for a living, then drove the elderly around in a minibus. He failed the medical for that job so had to stop. 10 years later he still drove his personal car. he didnt (and wouldnt, as everyone asked) give it up as it was, like you say, his freedom i guess. he was, in my opinion, dangerous on the road.

I think there needs to be a competence DRIVING test every year once you reach 70. a fail of the basic test means you need to retake the proper test as would a 17 year old would need to.

i'm in my mid 30s, but personally, i would like to think I'd be sensible enough to hang up the keys when the time comes i feel i'm not good enough anymore, but i feel i may suffer from the freedom issue, much like my wife's grandad.

I hope i'm able to reach the age to make the decision.

 

[BTB 500]

My grandmother had quite bad Alzheimers - in the end we took the rotor arm out of her car to stop her driving it.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

I would change the system to retest everyone but the frequency of the retest would increase with age. I would also make advanced driving skills mandatory for performance cars.

I have no argument with with this. I'd suggest retests every 10 years up to the age of 70, after which retest required every 5 years. I'm not talking about copies of the initial driving test, but rather something closer to advanced driving requirements. Experience gained on the road should have made the driver better; if not then there is a concern that needs to be addressed.

... a well trained late 20's driver will have far better judgement when it comes to hazard perception, car placement, scenario development than anyone mid forties onwards.

The key phrase here is "well-trained". Unfortunately such a beast is a relative rarity. Most late 20's drivers wil have passed their driving test and then think that they are experts. Hazard perception, car placement and scenario development can be improved with good training TOGETHER WITH experience. A higher proportion of drivers from mid-forties onwards will have gained that experience and thus GENERALLY be more skilled in those departments.

exceptions do occur to all these and catch us by surprise but the argument and debate will continue whilst we have the current driver training and testing procedures and continue to ignore the fact the way to cut accidents and road deaths is training and education, not speed cameras and speed humps (although I do acknowledge they have their place)

"Training and education". YES. Many of us (I suspect a higher proportion than nationally on this forum) will have had additional training because of our interest in motoring. I would like to see some additional training forming part of the routine retests talked about above. Of course this all involves extra expense, but if we're going to continue to put killer machines in the hands of the general public then we have to take responsibility for those actions.

Finally, when will I hang up my keys? It will have nothing to do with a number. It will be when I and any passenger determines that I'm no longer safe behind the wheel. That could be tomorrow or when I'm in my 90s. My eldest brother was a Red Arrows pilot for a few years and a commercial pilot until he was 55. He was still a superb car driver when he retired from flying. But not long after that he contracted Parkinson's and he elected to stop driving. That was a sudden change in the use of his skill sets that far too many wouldn't accept. I'd like to think that I would know when I'm no longer fit to drive. But rest assured, I won't wait until I'm as bad as far too many people who are a lot younger than me. I'm 66 now and don't envisage that day arriving for a very long time. But I'll be more than willing to take any tests that may be required. I certainly won't consider that my freedom is being eroded; everyone's safety is far more important.

 

[fredT]

I'm 35 and I've been planning to stop driving for some time.

Unfortuantely i cant afford neither a Bently nor a full time driver

 

[NISFAN]

I have no argument with with this. I'd suggest retests every 10 years up to the age of 70, after which retest required every 5 years. I'm not talking about copies of the initial driving test, but rather something closer to advanced driving requirements. Experience gained on the road should have made the driver better; if not then there is a concern that needs to be addressed.

Absolutely, a proper test would be good......not that steaming pile that the DSA have come up with.

I think driving standards in general would improve if you had to take a second test that involved skid pan work......say 2 years after you pass the DSA test, (which is not about driving standards at all, but how well your professional driving instructor has taught you). Not saying you would need to control a spinning car with expert car control skills, just a training session to show how easy it is to lose control in adverse conditions.

How long will I be driving? Probably til the day I die, as many new cars these days already automatically park themselves, have lane guidance, know when another car is in the blind spot and active cruise control .....not beyond the realms of possibility that cars will be able to drive themselves in the next 20 years. .......flanaia.....do I send my car on this annual driving test of yours?

 

[eihtur]

I don't care if people can handle a skid pan, or drive on two wheels, or do J turns...they display skill...but who cares.

I would like everyone to use the roads according to the proper rules. Use your signals, be in the correct lanes, know when to use/not use a bus lane, know the difference between solid white line and broken white line bike lanes, know where to sit at junctions when turning right etc, etc, etc...in general to stop being sheep and do what everyone else does.

Having great skill on a race track does not in anyway whatsoever translate into having great skill in negotiating traffic safely and courteously for both yourself and other road users.

Drop the boy racer attitudes and we will all get along on the roads much better. If you are a crap driver...you need quicker reactions to get out of a situation you should not have got yourself into...doesn't make it a good thing. So an older driver may have (debatably) slower reactions than a young driver...but will not get into the situations the young driver will be in in the first place.

 

[NISFAN]

I don't care if people can handle a skid pan, or drive on two wheels, or do J turns...they display skill...but who cares.

I would like everyone to use the roads according to the proper rules. Use your signals, be in the correct lanes, know when to use/not use a bus lane, know the difference between solid white line and broken white line bike lanes, know where to sit at junctions when turning right etc, etc, etc...in general to stop being sheep and do what everyone else does.

Having great skill on a race track does not in anyway whatsoever translate into having great skill in negotiating traffic safely and courteously for both yourself and other road users.

Drop the boy racer attitudes and we will all get along on the roads much better. If you are a crap driver...you need quicker reactions to get out of a situation you should not have got yourself into...doesn't make it a good thing. So an older driver may have (debatably) slower reactions than a young driver...but will not get into the situations the young driver will be in in the first place.

Don't disagree with the proper use of roads bit......

.....but, aqua-planing on a motorway doesn't just affect 'boy racers'.

The government are looking into placing speed limits on country roads, precisely because people are getting out of their depth. If more drivers had a better understanding of the dangers involved in speed and tricky conditions, then deaths on our roads would be substancially decreased. Skid pan training teaches you just how quickly things can go wrong.

How are you going to get the average driving standard up if you don't radically improve the system for younger drivers?

 

[Mercy1]

Eihtur's post pretty well sums up my views on driving today.

I know that elderly drivers do pose particular problems and they must think very carefully about when it is time to pack up, for their sake and the sake of everyone else.

However, in my experience, it is recklessness, aggression, impatience, and inapproptiate speeding that is the greatest menace we face. Skill doesn't come into it. And you don't see many elderly drivers tailgating, undertaking, speeding and taking unnecessary risks!

When will I give up? I have driven for 46 years (without conviction or accident, touch wood), and I can't imagine life without a car. But I will know when it is time. You definitely need your wits about you all of the time on today's roads. Recognising that fact is half the battle in staying safe...

 

[flango]

Having great skill on a race track does not in anyway whatsoever translate into having great skill in negotiating traffic safely and courteously for both yourself and other road users..

Oh yes it does, it teaches discipline, positioning and courteous driving as on a race track you have others around you at high speed, situations develop very quickly and you have to react accordingly, you also have a duty of safety to other drivers around you so act courteously and safely towards them, contrary to popular belief most professional race drivers are not boy racers they are well disciplined professional drivers who have worked hard on and off track and demonstrated their ability to get their race license, which is much more difficult to get than an ordinary driving license. Do not confuse track day warriors with professional racing drivers, it's like comparing a hang glider pilot to a jet fighter pilot.

On the other subject of older drivers not getting into a particular situation, that's part of the cause of the problem and causes frustration that leads to accidents, bumbling along at 25 mph in a 60 limit, entering motorways at 30 mph all characteristics of the older driver, causes people to make overtakes they wouldn't necessarily do or are comfortable with, like other countries we should have minimum speed limits too as going too slowly is just as dangerous as going too fast

 

[davidjpowell]

I'm a young chap but I'll never stop driving. The only thing that will stop me is death when I pile into a bus load of people taking them with me....

LOL!!!

You remind me of my Grandfather! He's 93 and has always refused to stop driving, although it' been suspect for a while now.

We thought it was sorted a year ago, when he was called in for an additional eye examination. Somehow he passed, even though his peripheral vision is pretty poor.

He finally had one crash too many a few months ago and the drivers of Highcliffe were released by danger after the insurance company wrote off his car. He's threatened occasionally to buy another, but so far has lived with a buggy.

Personally we are all ****** off. It's time he moved closer to the family who are all in Yorkshire. But he's having none of it!

I've got no idea on keys. I think driving will be completely different in 30 years, and I may not even be bothered.

 

[jaymanek]

Im going to be buried in my W123....

Well i guess cremated as im a Hindu...

May have to ebay the split rims first though, they must live on.

 

[Mercy1]

...contrary to popular belief most professional race drivers are not boy racers they are well disciplined professional drivers who have worked hard on and off track and demonstrated their ability to get their race license, which is much more difficult to get than an ordinary driving license.

...it's not professional race drivers you need to worry about, it's those who THINK they are as good as professional race drivers...

...bumbling along at 25 mph in a 60 limit, entering motorways at 30 mph all characteristics of the older driver, causes people to make overtakes they wouldn't necessarily do...going too slowly is just as dangerous as going too fast

...not just the elderly who are guilty of that...do you want to blast tractors, cyclists, learners, roadsweepers, off the road too??

...if it's a toss up between dealing with a slow driver or the dangers of an aggressive and reckless boy racer, I'd take the annoyingly slow driver every time!

 

[eihtur]

Oh yes it does, it teaches discipline, positioning and courteous driving as on a race track you have others around you at high speed, situations develop very quickly and you have to react accordingly, you also have a duty of safety to other drivers around you so act courteously and safely towards them, contrary to popular belief most professional race drivers are not boy racers they are well disciplined professional drivers who have worked hard on and off track and demonstrated their ability to get their race license, which is much more difficult to get than an ordinary driving license. Do not confuse track day warriors with professional racing drivers, it's like comparing a hang glider pilot to a jet fighter pilot.

On the other subject of older drivers not getting into a particular situation, that's part of the cause of the problem and causes frustration that leads to accidents, bumbling along at 25 mph in a 60 limit, entering motorways at 30 mph all characteristics of the older driver, causes people to make overtakes they wouldn't necessarily do or are comfortable with, like other countries we should have minimum speed limits too as going too slowly is just as dangerous as going too fast

Wasn't Hamilton done for "hooning" in Australia? Anyway...did I mention that rarefied bunch...the professional racing driver?

 

[eihtur]

Don't disagree with the proper use of roads bit......

.....but, aqua-planing on a motorway doesn't just affect 'boy racers'.

The government are looking into placing speed limits on country roads, precisely because people are getting out of their depth. If more drivers had a better understanding of the dangers involved in speed and tricky conditions, then deaths on our roads would be substancially decreased. Skid pan training teaches you just how quickly things can go wrong.

How are you going to get the average driving standard up if you don't radically improve the system for younger drivers?

You might be right about aquaplaning...but if conditions are so poor as to make aquaplaning on a motorway a possibility, wouldn't experience tell you to slow down. The limit is 70...if it's safe to do so.

 

[MOCAŠ]

Im going to be buried in my W123....

Well i guess cremated as im a Hindu...

May have to ebay the split rims first though, they must live on.

Wouldn't they be reincarnated anyway?

 

[flango]

....not just the elderly who are guilty of that...do you want to blast tractors, cyclists, learners, roadsweepers, off the road too??
:

Yes the bl*ody lot of them except learners tractors have no place on roads they have lovely big wheels to drive in fields so why not use them driving on roads churning up Tarmac blowing black smoke from their red diesel
Cyclists the roads aren't meant for them, do they pay road tax do they pay insurance, yet they hold up traffic and congest roads, cycle paths only roads
Roadsweepers, what a lot of good they do churning up dust and gravel depositing it on another place on the carriageway just to make the to make the drivers life even more difficult and why do they have to do it at peak hours

I'd also add Mobile Cranes to the list