To wonder how on earth they will sentence a 96 year old?!

And the "lack of independence" argument would be less of a thing if more people actually thought about the future rather than retiring to the countryside like so many do!

"The old are hated on MN
Whatever the topic, there will be an old person who spoils it/won't pay for it//thinks they own it/are 'spending my inheritance'"
Interesting. What I see is ridiculous claims of "agism" when people don't agree the elderly are entitled to more than everyone else.
And putting the independence of someone over the safety of everyone is a perfect example.
I don't agree there should be a blanket ban on elderly but of course they should have to retest.

By the time I am in my 90s (god willing) I fully expect driverless cars to be common. (About 40 years away).

You would like to think that whoever diagnosed cataracts would be obliged to notify the DVLA.

A person of 154 with the motor skills and coordination of an 18 year old could be driving, and they would be villified here

Well they would be a medical marvel….

It’s not ageism to acknowledge that agility, reflexes, decision making all slow down as you get older.

One thing about a prison sentence… when my grandfather was no longer safe part of the family’s conversation was about the impact of reduced independence. The conversation included that if he continued driving there was a risk his last few years could be in prison. His license was tactfully negotiated away from him (via a “driving centre” for the elderly which gives an objective assessment).

If there are no consequences for all elderly drivers in spite of the damage caused, who would choose to stop them?

I’m not likely to drive my parents around though, because despite discussions about this they have settled into a rural location for retirement. Their choice to have all services be a taxi ride away. I haven’t done this as a working adult because I don’t want to have to drive to get everywhere, so they can deal with the inconvenience and consequences.

I don't think retesting is the way to go. Can you imagine the wait for a test?

I do think an eye test should be done and possibly some other testing. Reflexes maybe?

I'm sure a car simulation similar to those used by the airline industry could be created. But with that you have the problem of people who drive with adaptions.

My dad is a great driver. My mum was always crap, from the day she took her test onwards.

She also wanted to keep driving long after she shouldn't. She once told me that the Dr / nurse she had seen had said there was no reason she shouldn't drive.

I pointed out that the oncology department said it was OK but had she told them about her cataracts?

The old are hated on MN
Whatever the topic, there will be an old person who spoils it/won't pay for it//thinks they own it/are 'spending my inheritance'
A person of 154 with the motor skills and coordination of an 18 year old could be driving, and they would be villified here

The woman in Wimbledon had a seizure though didn't she? Not the same at all. No driving test (which checks your ability!!) would be able to predict a sudden unexpected medical occurrence unfortunately. However catastrophic the outcome might be.

But giving up the independence that driving gives you is very hard
You have the arrogance of youth; you will feel differently even in 20 years time

Of course they're not. She's an adult, not a toddler. And have you tried to get an elderly person to do something they don't want to?

But it's not going to be a rule banning all older drivers. It'll just be a rule forcing you to retake your test. That seems fair enough. I think 80 would be a good age. Every 5 years after that. The driver only has to pay for the test - not lessons presumably!

How do you stop an adult?

Nothing will, so that's a pointless comment.

Age discrimination should not affect sentencing.

I agree, and have always thought so. It wouldn't be practical while driving test appointments are going for hundreds of pounds, though!

I like what the PP said about virtual re-testing in Spain. We could do that at any age.

Nothing wrong with a 96 yr old driving if competency is good. My dad gave up driving for a year at 89 after some medical issues but wanted to get back the freedom of driving at 91 so we got a driving tester to check his ability. He passed no problem at all. Blanket statements based on age and ability shouldn't ever be used.

in New Zealand you need an eye and thorough medical examination at 85 then at 80. After that it is every 2 years.
it’s still hard to tell though , a bent old lady wire a stick can be a better driver at 80 than a farmer… who is also probably driving a bigger and more dangerous vehicle.

Not doable, been told by a PP that some people use their licenses as ID even though they dont drive

Arh, we fix that by an Identity card. Anyone here who doesn’t drive for whatever reason, (can’t be bothered, medical reasons, age, license been revoked), are eligible for an Identity card which is issued by the same group that issues the driving license. Legally the Identity card must be accepted in all situations where the license would have been accepted. This system works well.

We have to have a mandatory eye exam at 60 in my part of Oz if we want to keep our license,

People need to retake tests after a certain age in order to keep driving

This is the case where I am in Australia. Can’t speak for all of Australia as driving requirements are not Federal but State based so it may not be the case in all States.

We get an eye test every time we need to renew license, 1,2 or 3 years (some people only have $ to pay for a year at a time) as standard. Then if you have been driving for a certain number of years and have not lost any points you can get a 5 year license (if you can pay for it) but you need to be under 50 for that. Even with a ‘clean’ record over 50 it’s 3 years at most.

Once people become elderly, forget the exact age (as I’m obviously not there yet🤣), then they need a doctor’s letter and test to retain their license. As you get older the frequency of this decreases to yearly. I seem to recall they need to foot the cost of this test as well, but I could be wrong about that bit.

In Aus you need to get eye & medical evaluations every year from age 75. DM77 has struggled to renew. She's restricted on distance & speed. QLD doesn't have driving test requirements, but DF83 definitely would't pass!

I've noticed the difference on the roads. It's also getting very congested in our rural city & not suitable for the older drivers who are used to a country town.

I do worry about DH & I having to drive them. FIL lost his licence & DH was being called daily. He'd spend hours taking him grocery shopping on the weekend (FIL would drag it out). He's remarried & his 80 y/o wife ferries him... for now. There's also govt help, like taxi vouchers & aged care workers that provide transport. But it's still difficult. Once my DP's lose their licences it will be hard, although they are fit & walk to the shops.

I am sure she won't go to prison, there would be no point at 96, but she will certainly face some sort of heavy penalty and never drive again. I have twice been terrified as a passenger of a very elderly person who really should not have been driving, they were both all over the place, it was almost unreal and they didn't seem to realise it.

There was something in the papers about mandatory 2 yearly sight checks after 75. I think that would be a good place to start. It will also likely weed out the dementia patients too. And those with slow reflexes

That was of the back of an enquiry into a similar case 90+ yo lady killed a toddler. The lady had zero clue what she'd done it was concluded she'd likely had dementia and very little support round her.
She died before her dementia was confirmed and before the case came to trial.

Was there evidence she had been driving unsafely prior to this?