Dangerous elderly driver

Gardengnomefriend · 2024-04-19T14:02:54+00:00

Not sure what to do next. My neighbour is an older man, somewhere in his 70's His driving is beyond scary. We live on a main road where there's fast moving traffic and lorries and double decker buses up and down all day. They pull out without looking, I've seen near misses with cyclists and theres a zebra crossing 200 yards from my house, they fly through it without looking and have done so with people still walking across. They are in obvious pain when they walk, they physically grunt when using their stairs and it takes 10 minutes to park in their disabled parking bay, often leaving it half in and half out of the bay because they just can't park it. They are either driving at a very very slow pace or way to fast for the built up area we live. In short they are an accident waiting to happen and with two local schools very close I dread to think what could happen. I have made a report to DVLA and nothing has been done as they are still driving, I put kff making that report as I feel bad but they truly are dangerous on the road. Do I make another report to DVLA?

Original poster

Gardengnomefriend · 19/04/2024 21:15

Not sure how to check if someone is insured but I used the .gov website to check tax and that is uo to date but MOT has expired

OP posts:

RoseBucket · 19/04/2024 20:01

Mumaway · 19/04/2024 19:59

Sentences....

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Also, people.

Mumaway · 19/04/2024 19:59

ChristinaXYZ · 19/04/2024 16:48

As a former English teacher it sends me demented. It is really unclear and often means sentances make no sense. Whilst language does change over time, and I don't expect it to stay still, language does not usually evolve to make less sense. Most people would find it often obscures meaning and in that sense it can't be said to be gramatically correct can it? As here, poeple are confused when reading, so how can it be gramatically correct? Strange to assert that it is correct when you can see this playing out in real time in the comments.

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Sentences....

PlantDoctor · 19/04/2024 19:58

Another vote for getting rid of self certification. I've seen elderly people who struggle a lot to deal with fast roads and junctions. Drivers should have to retake tests as we get older, perhaps every 15 years or so throughout our lives?

Auburngal · 19/04/2024 19:56

One of my parents’ neighbours has a N reg car which he drives 300-500 miles per year (anyone can check any cars’ MOT including mileage etc on GOV website). Guessing he’s mid 80 - late 80s

When he drives into the garage, it takes him about half an hour to reverse, drive forward, repeat to park in the garage. He has very few things inside the garage - a ladder and a few pots of paint.

He’s about 5ft and barely can see over the steering wheel

Theoldwrinkley · 19/04/2024 19:50

ChristinaXYZ · 19/04/2024 16:48

As a former English teacher it sends me demented. It is really unclear and often means sentances make no sense. Whilst language does change over time, and I don't expect it to stay still, language does not usually evolve to make less sense. Most people would find it often obscures meaning and in that sense it can't be said to be gramatically correct can it? As here, poeple are confused when reading, so how can it be gramatically correct? Strange to assert that it is correct when you can see this playing out in real time in the comments.

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Sentances? As a former English teacher? I've never seen it spelled (correctly) like that.
Apologies for jumping on bandwagon where original post has been hi-jacked. I think the elderly driver self verification (over 70) is ridiculous. Often heard (from my elderly, 89 -year-old neighbour) 'but I've never had an accident'.....but look at the chaos you have caused in your rear view murror.

pizzaHeart · 19/04/2024 19:47

frankentall · 19/04/2024 16:12

I assumed the weird use of pronouns must be due to the elderly male driver identifying as something else like, say younger and competent.

It seems a lot of older male drivers have a habit of identifying as younger and competent. I wonder if there is a huge backlog at DVLA

InAMillion · 19/04/2024 19:44

So many people drive who shouldn't and don't see their GP about certain medical issues because they'd just be stopped instantly from driving

Catsmere · 19/04/2024 19:42

EmilyTjP · 19/04/2024 15:44

(I wish you’d say “he” instead of “they” - sounded like you were talking about multiple people initially)

YANBU - report again. Maybe try and get some video evidence.

Yes, it read like OP was describing the lorries and buses pulling out without looking, and that was the dangerous driving. Made the post very unclear.

Rosestulips · 19/04/2024 19:41

EmilyTjP · 19/04/2024 15:44

(I wish you’d say “he” instead of “they” - sounded like you were talking about multiple people initially)

YANBU - report again. Maybe try and get some video evidence.

i agree, it wasn’t clear who ‘they’ were.

HavfrueDenizKisi · 19/04/2024 19:38

@ChristinaXYZ a former English teacher who is unable to spell 'grammatically' two times in a post. Yeah right...

Infinity234 · 19/04/2024 19:17

ChristinaXYZ · 19/04/2024 16:48

As a former English teacher it sends me demented. It is really unclear and often means sentances make no sense. Whilst language does change over time, and I don't expect it to stay still, language does not usually evolve to make less sense. Most people would find it often obscures meaning and in that sense it can't be said to be gramatically correct can it? As here, poeple are confused when reading, so how can it be gramatically correct? Strange to assert that it is correct when you can see this playing out in real time in the comments.

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Not a chance that you are a former English teacher! 😂 How many mistakes?!

Acommonreader · 19/04/2024 19:14

This is a really common problem unfortunately due to self certification on medical fitness to drive. You can call the DVLA but they will probably only write to him asking him if he wants to report any medical conditions that may affect his driving. He may reply that he does not.
Gp can do a medical for fitness to drive on request and contact DVLA with their findings. This can only be initiated by the patient themselves.
I would contact the police every time you witness a specific incident of dangerous driving / near miss to report him.

Original poster

Gardengnomefriend · 19/04/2024 18:26

Thanks for all the helpful advice! I think I will give 101 a call and explain it to them. And thanks to those who understood that I was indeed talking about a singular male human being, much appreciated!

OP posts:

serene12 · 19/04/2024 18:01

I think that I read somewhere that the DVLA has a backlog, before your neighbour causes a serious accident, or even a fatality you should report to the Police on their non emergency number 101.
If the Police do visit your neighbour, they may raise a safeguarding concern with the relevant agencies and they sometimes can carry out a rudimentary eye test.

LlynTegid · 19/04/2024 17:08

From what you describe OP you could reasonably question if the man's eyesight is still good enough for driving. So calling 101 with details seems reasonable to me.

Let your MP know how useless the DVLA are, assuming that you have an MP who is not a sex pest/corrupt/not caring as leaving at the election.

MsFaversham · 19/04/2024 16:57

ChristinaXYZ · 19/04/2024 16:48

As a former English teacher it sends me demented. It is really unclear and often means sentances make no sense. Whilst language does change over time, and I don't expect it to stay still, language does not usually evolve to make less sense. Most people would find it often obscures meaning and in that sense it can't be said to be gramatically correct can it? As here, poeple are confused when reading, so how can it be gramatically correct? Strange to assert that it is correct when you can see this playing out in real time in the comments.

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Well, googling tells me it seems it has been in usage in writing since 1375! So nothing new about it.

SemperIdem · 19/04/2024 16:51

frankentall · 19/04/2024 16:12

I assumed the weird use of pronouns must be due to the elderly male driver identifying as something else like, say younger and competent.

😂👏🏻

ChristinaXYZ · 19/04/2024 16:48

MsFaversham · 19/04/2024 16:08

Have you never heard of a singular person being g referred to as they? It is gramatically correct.

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As a former English teacher it sends me demented. It is really unclear and often means sentances make no sense. Whilst language does change over time, and I don't expect it to stay still, language does not usually evolve to make less sense. Most people would find it often obscures meaning and in that sense it can't be said to be gramatically correct can it? As here, poeple are confused when reading, so how can it be gramatically correct? Strange to assert that it is correct when you can see this playing out in real time in the comments.

MsFaversham · 19/04/2024 16:32

Chersfrozenface · 19/04/2024 16:14

Only if you don't know the person's sex. We do, the OP does, it is noted in the fiest post - "man", "his".

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That’s not the case. It is used all the time when you know the sex.

DanielGault · 19/04/2024 16:14

frankentall · 19/04/2024 16:12

I assumed the weird use of pronouns must be due to the elderly male driver identifying as something else like, say younger and competent.

I wonder what the 'young and competent' pronoun is? I need some of that 😂

Chersfrozenface · 19/04/2024 16:14

MsFaversham · 19/04/2024 16:08

Have you never heard of a singular person being g referred to as they? It is gramatically correct.

Show quote history

Only if you don't know the person's sex. We do, the OP does, it is noted in the fiest post - "man", "his".

frankentall · 19/04/2024 16:12

I assumed the weird use of pronouns must be due to the elderly male driver identifying as something else like, say younger and competent.

Balloonhearts · 19/04/2024 16:09

Yeah I found that confusing too. Is it one person or more?

MsFaversham · 19/04/2024 16:08

EmilyTjP · 19/04/2024 15:44

(I wish you’d say “he” instead of “they” - sounded like you were talking about multiple people initially)

YANBU - report again. Maybe try and get some video evidence.

Have you never heard of a singular person being g referred to as they? It is gramatically correct.