To think ROSPA should make it clear that Older Driver Assessments might result in a loss of license?

If he's driving dangerously under the speed limit or dangerously hesitantly then he perhaps needs a driving safety check. If someone else is driving aggressively perhaps he should report them. Driving too slowly can be dangerous as can driving too hesitantly. If your friend is frequently having trouble with other drivers he may be the common denominator.

Why would anyone want legislation to take older people off the roads? It's utter nonsense

Well the impatient school run parents who get right up my friends arse while he is driving expecting him to break the speed limit certainly want him out of the way I live right opposite a school so see this regularly

This website alone is full of comments about how much traffic is on the roads and how much more damage its doing to the roads. Are seventeen to twenty four year olds going to be tested too? No because if they lose their licence they may lose their jobs which will add to the number of NEETS there already are. Dont treat the public like we are stupid

And why would anyone want that?

Why would that happen? There's no reason to think it would.

And how much would that cost?

What is the likelihood that someone would experience a significant cognitive decline between the ages of 35 and 40?

I had a look at the major causes of road accidents on the gov website - they are speeding, not wearing a seat belt, phone use and other distractions, drink and drugs and then things like driving too close.

NONE of which would be affected by testing every five years. For the cost of that we could invest in things like cycle lanes and improved bus services which would have much more effect on road safety.

My concern is that it will be used to get older drivers off the road when they are perfectly safe to drive.

Well, I'm sure people have talked before and yet there seems to be plenty of people here who don't know what the assessment might lead to. Also, perhaps there are some rational people around who realise that if they're assessed as unfit to drive, it would be a good idea all round to stop driving.

And unless you are going to get them to sign an NDA afterwards this wont work for long

And the absolute stinking hypocrisy when you look at the dangerous state of our roads

It really doesn’t matter that he’s upset. It’s much more important that there’s one less unsafe driver on the roads.

I think it’s absolutely fine to “trick” people into assessments if it’s the difference between them being able to put themselves and others at risk and being prevented from doing so.

But it wont work for long will it because PEOPLE TALK

That's hardly the same thing. Stopping someone from driving if they're not safe protects everyone- including the unsafe driver. So yes - it is helping them.

Its not connected.

what you have said is why I think the OP hasn't told us the whole story and may not have the whole story themselves.

But what possible adaptations could be suggested to improve reaction time, or drive less hesitantly, or anything else that comes with age?

Surely it’s common sense to realise that there will be things that nobody can help with, bar inventing a Time Machine, and to ask what happens in those circumstances. I would have thought it pretty obvious that any driving test or assessment recommended by a GP is going to be connected to the DVLA in some respect and that they aren’t just going to say ‘We don’t think you’re safe to be driving, but we’ll leave it to you to make a decision’.

An ONLINE driving test. OMG we have gone full dystopian

https://www.cognifit.com/driving-test#:~:text=This%20driving%20test%20is%20completely,reaction%20time%2C%20etc.).

I am fully in favour of drivers having their licenses revoked if they aren't up to snuff, but having looked at this website I have to agree with the OP - it is incredibly misleading. It suggests that the simple test is confidential and the detailed test is to identify weaknesses and suggest adaptations to help you drive for longer. Everything on this website that relates to stopping driving is framed as a personal decision unless the DVLA has told you to stop. It really needs to be clearer about the purpose and outcomes.

While I understand your relative thinks they were 'tricked', what did they expect from a process that is there to asses their safety to drive? Surely by definition by entering into such a process you voluntarily would surrender license if you were advised to give up driving?

The rules on older drivers need to be stricter. I say this from a personal perspective as my car was written off in the autumn by an 88 year old wearing thick glasses and whose reactions did not look good. It was absolutely his fault, he did a right turn straight into me at traffic lights. Police who attended were quick to see that. I hope very much he has stopped driving. He was in a large and powerful car which will also have been written off. I am still feeling the side effects of his inability to drive correctly as I am in pain. I have no faith in self certification.

So when a work coach at the Job Centre says an appointment there is just to help you and then you suddenly end up with a sanction and had no idea that would happen or what youve done then thats OK then.

I don't know how anyone could see the name of something that made it explicitly clear that their driving was being assessed and not understand that if their driving under assessment wasn't up to scratch there was a potential that they'd no longer be able to drive, sorry.

This sneaky way of doing it wont work though will it Do we think the OPs FIL will just keep meekly quiet about this or will talk
PEOPLE TALK Word will get around about this.

that's why I said same box but not identical

That's probably the reason why they are so ineffective at it if they don't triage the requests correctly.

To me it makes sense that a letter from a Dr or a road safety testing organisation should carry more weight than someone at random, who may have all sorts of nefarious reasons for wanting to get someones licence revoked.

A standardised reporting form would probably help as well.