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Original poster

What in the hell was DoE doing at the wheel in the first place?!

88 replies

PyongyangKipperbang · 18/01/2019 04:06

If it was any other 97 year old driving a very powerful car who caused an accident there would be outcry.

There is no excuse, they have drivers and other staff that can get him anywhere he wants to go.

OP posts:
Justagirlwholovesaboy · 18/01/2019 04:10

I would assume he was driving, and since his history shows no major issues in the past I don’t see a problem. Many 17 year olds have multiple accidents after learning to drive, should they all be banned because of age too?

Original poster
PyongyangKipperbang · 18/01/2019 04:13

Well obviously he was driving Hmm

And the reason that there are sanctions on 17 year olds (increased insurance, less points required for a ban, full retest needed after a ban) is because of their age. So your point is...?

OP posts:
swimmerforlife · 18/01/2019 05:41

I agree OP, I lost my licence due to my epilepsy (understandable), yet all these old people having various medical conditions but still legally allowed to drive. I know someone who is blind in one eye yet still has is license!

Double standards.

I then went through all sorts of hoops to get my license back after my seizures were under control.

HildaSaysWhat · 18/01/2019 05:47

Not that I disagree about the D of E but I have two friends who are blind in one eye and MORE than capable of driving Hmm.

Djnoun · 18/01/2019 05:50

You have to have special permission from the DVLA to continue driving at that age.

If he was at fault, I imagine it'll be revoked.

MyOtherProfile · 18/01/2019 06:02

This was my first thought too. He is so frail now. I suspect he won't be driving any more.

AuntieStella · 18/01/2019 06:04

He appears to be in decent enough health, with no cognitive impairment and proper eyesight.

So no obvious reason for a ban on health grounds (his rumoured medical issues are not ones that are relevant to driving)

Age is not in itself a reason to limit driving (or if it was, as you want he most dangerous drivers off the road, then you'd raise the minimum driving age to at least 25, though the insurance industry is restricting the number pretty effectively be charging so much more for their insurance - way more than for those aged 80 or 90+)

Has there yet been any word on cause of crash? It did sound a bit unusual, as it's not easy to hit a LandRover hard enough to make it roll, and the authorities first response was to seek to reduce the speed limit on that stretch of road.

From the BBC "Norfolk County Council was already due to discuss safety issues on the road before the crash took place" - which in my council area means (typically) at least 3 major RTAs in the preceding months.

Womanreadingletter · 18/01/2019 06:09

So it's been established that it was his fault has it? (Genuine question?)

Don't know much about cars but do know a bit about carriage driving which is a lot more difficult then it looks and requires very speedy reactions. If he's still doing that aged 97, then his faculties must still be very much intact.

NicoAndTheNiners · 18/01/2019 06:14

Well he pulled out of a side road/private estate road into oncoming traffic on a fast A road. So I can't see how it can't be his fault, unless she was speeding excessively. But even so he misjudged it. Apparantly at the scene he said the sun was in his eyes.

AlexaAmbidextra · 18/01/2019 06:15

I know someone who is blind in one eye yet still has is license!

It is perfectly legal to drive with one eye if you are able to fulfil the eyesight requirement with your only eye.

swimmerforlife · 18/01/2019 06:18

@Alexa probably should have added, the other eye has weakened eye vision too. So yeah he probably should not be on the road.

MyOtherProfile · 18/01/2019 06:18

He was coming out of a private drive onto a main road. Hard to see how it wasn't his fault.

EffYouSeeKaye · 18/01/2019 06:20

There’s nothing in the bbc news website report that says it was his fault.

Are you asking why any member of the royal family drives or specifically the DofE?

If he has a clean license and no medical conditions that prohibit him then he was doing absolutely nothing wrong by driving.

Your op assumes it was his fault. Have you got a link to that report?

NicoleNoPants · 18/01/2019 06:20

But he doesn’t seem in perfectly good health. He missed several engagements before he retired due to illness.

AlexaAmbidextra · 18/01/2019 06:22

Swimmer. Well of course in that case he shouldn’t be driving. The eyesight requirement is the same whether you use one or two eyes.

MyOtherProfile · 18/01/2019 06:22

There’s nothing in the bbc news website report that says it was his fault.
Other news websites are available and less partial

Womanreadingletter · 18/01/2019 06:24

Oh I see, didn't realise he had pulled out of private drive on to road; hadn't read news reports. Looks likely he was at fault although why didn't his protection officer stop him; perhaps he was blind-sided/blinded by sun too?

Itsnotme123 · 18/01/2019 06:24

I did the same thing once and got hit. I was unscathed and not prosecuted. The other car was not paying enough attention.

EffYouSeeKaye · 18/01/2019 06:27

Reports suggest it is a fast road which the council have been looking at reducing the speed limit on because of drivers regularly driving too fast along it.

EffYouSeeKaye · 18/01/2019 06:32

Other news websites are available and less partial

I’ve read three others now. Still nothing saying it was his fault.

almutasakieun · 18/01/2019 06:34

He looks quite frail. He's a stubborn old git though.

RoseAndRose · 18/01/2019 06:36

'He was coming out of a private drive onto a main road. Hard to see how it wasn't his fault'

That's the easy bit - how fast do you think a smaller car would have to be going to overturn a large landie?

Shmithecat · 18/01/2019 06:36

A very powerful car
🤣😂 it was a Freelander2. Not exactly adrenaline inducing.

UnalliterativeGeorge · 18/01/2019 06:37

It's a horrible road, people speed along it constantly and there's a couple of hills which mean people appear suddenly depending where you're getting onto the road and the sun this time of year is in your eyes constantly.
I'm more surprised there haven't been more accidents.

user1457017537 · 18/01/2019 06:39

Well we don’t know how fast the other car was travelling for a start or what happened.

It is quite easy to overturn a 4x4 sideways on. Personally I have more of an issue with all the uninsured drivers driving around.