Woman, 84, dies in A1 'wrong way' crash

[PXW]

In my case the suggestion was a way of softening the blow. I don't imagine he would consider the change as a serious option but thank you for the heads up.

Yes, could tell where you were coming from, and very sensible - it can be a very tricky conversation. I wasn't trying to make a point, but HJ is reasonably well respected, and at the very least if your uncle does switch to autos it might be useful info with which to persuade him to have some instruction

 

[BTB 500]

My grandmother refused point blank to give up driving. I'm afraid to say we took the rotor arm out of her car (old Mini) in the end.

 

[tonyc280]

i personally think that testing should be done every 5 years for everyone. Full Stop.

 

[artyman]

As one who will soon be declaring I am fit to continue driving, feel that there should be an assessment rather than a self declaration. I am aware that my faculties are not what they were when I was a lot younger, and would not now "press on" in the same way, however I certainly do not dither to the frustration of others.

An assessment when aged 70 is not unreasonable and should be repeated every 10 years at least, I wouldn't consider this an attack on the elderly but common sense ( a rare commodity these days) we don't allow 14 year olds to drive with good reason, conversely we should examine older drivers for competence also with good reason.

Incompetent driving isn't restricted to the young and the elderly, I've seen it in all ages.

 

[gerrym]

gerrym
Member

Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Essex
Car: 2013 W212 E63 Saloon
Posts: 51

You fit the stereotype well.

What on earth is that meant to mean?

 

[gerrym]

The modern mantra seems to be if you can drive a new Mercedes, particularly of the high performance variety, then no-one else matters and they should keep off your roads.

QUOTE]

Now I really have no idea what you are talking about, and I am guessing you don't either.


Cheers

Gerry

 

[mejermy]

Aitch55 - I remember noting this behaviour - rapidly shuffling the steering wheel about an inch at a time - in a previous brother in law, now dead, when he was only in his 50s. Barely a year later he was diagnosed with Parkisons. Hope this isn't the case with your uncle. May not bother him at his grand age even if so.

 

[Aitch55]

Aitch55 - I remember noting this behaviour - rapidly shuffling the steering wheel about an inch at a time - in a previous brother in law, now dead, when he was only in his 50s. Barely a year later he was diagnosed with Parkisons. Hope this isn't the case with your uncle. May not bother him at his grand age even if so.

I'm sorry to hear that. Particularly in someone so relatively young. I witnessed the steering action in my uncle and from what I've noticed, it seems common in elderly drivers manoeuvring in restricted areas. I see it as a determination to hang on to a notion of independence while struggling with, an admitted, trepidation and failing confidence to drive capably.

The really sobering thought in all this. I've always enjoyed driving and I'm lucky enough to have three quite enjoyable cars, the SL, an A6 LeMans and a VW Golf so something for most occasions (I won't mention the O/H's Jazz as I'd rather take the bus). During our conversations he asked "If you were in my position, what would you do?"

He lives alone, in a second floor flat with no lifts.
Walks with the aid of a stick yet negotiates the stairs without problem.
Most of his friends and siblings are dead.
Has a brother living two or three miles away.
Has an active mind and although sometimes struggles with what words to use, has many interesting and amusing memories and stories, can discuss current politics, has a good memory, reads 2 - 3 books a week.

Well, what would you do in his situation?

 

[Sp!ke]

I think the issue here is that we've all known some elderly relative or family friend that was an appalling driver and yet refused to accept this and call it a day on driving and the family members having spoken to the GP found that the GP was unwilling to do anything.

The problem is quite widespread and there must be a better mechanism of measuring driving ability than the local GP who quite possibly has never witnesses his patients try and drive.

I think there should be more training and testing of all drivers of all ages (theory and practical), about once every 5 years for life, paid for by the motorist.

 

[del320]

I think the issue here is that we've all known some elderly relative or family friend that was an appalling driver and yet refused to accept this and call it a day on driving and the family members having spoken to the GP found that the GP was unwilling to do anything.

The problem is quite widespread and there must be a better mechanism of measuring driving ability than the local GP who quite possibly has never witnesses his patients try and drive.

I think there should be more training and testing of all drivers of all ages (theory and practical), about once every 5 years for life, paid for by the motorist.

And this, despite Dieselman's hormonal rants, is the very heart of the problem.

My father, got away with it for years, merely by assuring his GP that all his facuties were in perfect order.

At 96, he caught a cyclist a glancing blow on the Peebles road and did not stop. His peripheral vision was non-existent and he simply did not see him. Huge irony as he was still a keen cyclist himself.

The police caught up with him (witnesses) but no conclusive evidence (forensic) was found on his battered SAAB to actually link him with the event.

The cyclist was not badly injured and my father's licence was removed after it was shown he could not read a number plate at the prescribed distance. A sad end to a driving career that pre-dated the requiement to sit a driving test.

The point of all this is that right up to his death at the age of 101, he retained the sharpest of minds.

Physically, what with vision and the actual ability to have the strength to turn the wheel or push the pedals, he should have been removed from the road twenty years earlier. And when, finally his independence was removed, he started going downhill.

Then consider those OAPs whose mental faculties are impaired...

 

[grober]

The headline that started this thread. Woman, 84, dies in Northumberland A1 'wrong way' crash is immediately prejudicial by any definition in that it mentions the woman's age. Not disoriented or poorly sighted or drunk but 84 which explains it all of course. Lets take another recent example of poor driver ability.
Sheppey Crossing Crash - 130 Vehicles involved-- all drivers determined to be in the 20 to 55 age range Needless to say I added the prejudicial age range bit wonder why the rest of the media didn't ?
Prejudice is defined as the act or state of holding unreasonable preconceived judgment or conviction. The preconceived judgement here implicit in the headline was that the accident was caused by the woman's age.
There is undoubtedly a case for a periodic re-examination of driving ability both physical and mental above the age of 70. This would not necessarily be a full blown test but an increase in the degree of rigour compared to the present voluntary system.
Other than eyesight, the major problem I would venture with older drivers is psychological rather than physical. Varying from dementia at one end of the scale to an inability to assess one's own driving ability adequately any more .
Older drivers simply highlight what is the major cause of road accidents for all ages-- people driving beyond their ability.
If we are trying to rid our roads of drivers psychologically unfit to drive through a failure to perceive the limits of their driving ability or mental instability we should not confine this to one age group. There's a lot of nutters out there and they're not all over 70 by any means.

 

[del320]

Unusually, Graeme, you have laid a few red herrings there. There is nothing prejudicial or preconceived about mentioning the woman's age - particularly as she wasn't drunk though possibly disorientated or poorly sighted. Her misfortune was as a direct result of her age.

Take your ancestral neck of the woods, Aberdeenshire and Buchan: yet another Corsa fails to take a bend. Another youth is killed along with an assortment of passengers under the age of 21. His age is given prominence because that's what they do. No stereotyping, just a fact of life.

It is improbable that the age-related roles would be reversed.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

If a twelve-year-old had been caught driving the wrong way up the A1, would their age still not be taken into account?

 

[fatdazza]

If a twelve-year-old had been caught driving the wrong way up the A1, would their age still not be taken into account?

If they were travelling up the A1 they would be travelling in the right direction

 

[balge]

I haven't taken a driving test for a while, does the eyesight test still amount to reading a number plate from 25 yards or is there more to it now?

This -

https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules

mentions 'having a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5' but doesn't say if any proof is required.

I did hear of an acquaintance who knew his sight was bad, but took the precaution of reading (from close up) all the number plates of car parked outside the testing station and 'read' the one the examiner pointed at by it's colour...

 

[BTB 500]

Just posted a link to a story in the US ... one car apparently driven by an 18 year old and the other a 69 year old (went into the lake at different times)

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gene...s-found-us-lake-after-more-than-40-years.html

Three teenagers in an almost new Camaro is the American dream I guess but plenty of scope for it to end badly.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

I haven't taken a driving test for a while, does the eyesight test still amount to reading a number plate from 25 yards or is there more to it now?

This -

https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules

mentions 'having a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5' but doesn't say if any proof is required.

I did hear of an acquaintance who knew his sight was bad, but took the precaution of reading (from close up) all the number plates of car parked outside the testing station and 'read' the one the examiner pointed at by it's colour...

Since my mid 50s I've worn spectacles (Varifocals) most of the time. Without them I can still read number plates, as long as the light is reasonable and the plates are clean. But there's no way I'd drive without my specs because I couldn't pick out the details that I need for a full appreciation of everything going on around me. Also, without them I wouldn't be able to read my instruments. But I'm sure there are many drivers out there who may be able to read number plates at 25 yards but can see very little else. And there'll be even more who could see that far when they took their test in their late teens, but now in their 30s and 40s are too proud or vain to admit that their eyesight is failing, or simply just don't realise. Worrying isn't it?

 

[MBenzLover]

Hear stories like this all the time. Shame it ended so drastically on this occasion. I do think refresher courses should be mandatory once you reach a certain age.

 

[C43AMG]

Yes I have to have a Medical every year now that I have reached the Grand old age of 65.

For the PCO.

 

[Mercy1]

Not so long ago, I heard a group of seniors sitting around talking about all their ailments.
"My arms are so weak I can hardly lift this cup of coffee," said one.
"Yes, I know," said another. "My cataracts are so bad; I can't even see my coffee."
"I couldn't even mark an "X" at election time, my hands are so crippled," volunteered a third.
"What? Speak up! What? I can't hear you!"
"I can't turn my head because of the arthritis in my neck," said a fourth, to which several nodded
weakly in agreement.
"My blood pressure pills make me so dizzy!" exclaimed another.
"I forget where I am, and where I'm going," said another.
"I guess that's the price we pay for getting old," winced an old man as he slowly shook his head.
The others nodded in agreement.
"Well, count your Blessings," said a woman cheerfully - - "thank God we can all still drive"