Over 70s to face driving ban...

[FridgeJenga]

if they fail mandatory eye tests.

What's your opinion?
Is 70 too "young", or about right?
Would 75 be a better compromise?
Currently there is no legal age at which you must surrender your driving licence.
Both my father and FIL voluntarily gave up their licences just before they turned 80. My mum at 76, and MIL is still driving at 78, though only very locally.

(Also in the same article, drink driving limits are under discussion to be lowered, in line with Scotland's laws. This one I fully agree with)

Forgot link!

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yllgezjk3o

They are only proposing testing eyesight, which is essential for safe driving.

So don’t see a problem really.

Age doesn't need to come into it for eye tests. If you can't see sufficiently you shouldn't drive. Eye tests should be compulsory for everyone to drive, but 70 is a good start at least.

The man in the article complaining he can't get an eye test is not really a great excuse at all.

I am assuming the age has been decided using crash data, no point in introducing measures if say crashes increase from age 70 and you say “nah let’s give everyone an extra 5 years to cause accidents on the roads”

Eye tests yes..I'm almost 75 have to regularly renew my license. I have very sensible neighbours in their late 80s who drive...boy racers who are incredibly dangerous as well.. there's not one size fits all.you cannot go by just someones birth date. I passed my test with a police examiner, and did other tests including motorway driving and I firmly believe 60% of drivers shouldn't be on the road.

I don’t get why he can’t get one - I got one the same day at specsavers and there’s so many opticians you can go to

I think it should apply to everyone regardless of age.

Any age should be banned if their eye sight, with appropriate corrections, is too bad to drive

The OP makes no sense? If you fail the eye test for driving, you can't get a driving licence.

I do think regardless of age everyone driving should have compulsory eye tests

I think it should go further. There should be some sort of medical. Mil self certified that she was fit to drive for years. She had alzeimers but was in denial and was very unsafe. So much so that I banned the kids from being in a car with her, even though it made my life much more difficult.

Someone reported her in the end but not after she had been involved in an accident that was entirely her fault (as shown by a dash cam) but she was insistent it wasn't her fault.

My family members live in the countryside with no bus routes. They are in their 80s. Still driving, getting regular eye tests. If they can't drive they cannot access anything. So, for as long as they pass their eye tests, they will drive.

They dread the day they cannot use their car. Not everyone lives in the city or has access to public transport.

I don’t think it’s too onerous an ask to have compulsory eye tests after a certain age when eyesight may well be failing. It’s a good idea to have your eyes checked regularly anyway as you get older.
There might be areas in which eye tests are difficult to get, but that certainly isn’t true where I live and if you’re wanting to drive a ton+ of metal round at high speeds then imo you need to prioritise an eye test every 3 years.
I’ve had some routine eye checks recently and it’s quite alarming how low the bar is for being able to see. My vision uncorrected by glasses or contact lenses is, apparently, not below the required standard, but there is absolutely no way I’d get in my car and drive it without them! That some people are potentially doing that is bloody scary!

Rather misleading thread title! The proposal seems to be just compulsory eye tests and a ban if you fail them. Sounds like a no-brainer.

I'd like to see compulsory eye tests for all drivers, with a form the optician has to complete and send to the DVLA. A simple yes/no to the question 'is this person's sight such that it is likely to impede their driving?' would do. I think it is discriminatory to bring it in for people at a certain age when younger people could be driving with far worse sight.

An eye test falls short of what should really be happening. The standard of driving in the elderly, generally, is fucking woeful. It’s not just eyesight but cognitive decline and we’re relying on them to be honest and declare when they shouldn’t be driving anymore. There should be a re-test every 3-5 years for over 70s.

Totally fine with mandatory eye tests and 70 seems sensible as that’s when most driving licences are renewed.

I would further suggest that an eye test should be done whenever the photo renewal is due ( currently 10 years).

I am in my 60s, wear contacts and so am regularly tested.

It’s not onerous , it’s an hour a year. It’s not expensive, and driving is a privilege.

I have a certificate of visual impairment which means my vision is severe enough that if I was to apply now for a driving licence I'd rightly be refused. But if I was already driving and lost my vision it would be my responsibility to inform DVLA.

I saw the programme mentioned in the article and was shocked at how bad at least one person's vision was. I've also seen episodes of Traffic Cops where they pull people over who claim they can drive but can't read a number plate at the required distance or they have the start of dementia and are in denial.

I don't see why anyone would have an issue with this. Also, they are considering lowering the drink drive limit in line with Scotland. I'll wait to see how many people complain about that one!

Everyone over 60 can get a free NHS eye test every 2 years. Lots of conditions that affect sight get more common as people age. Assume 70 has been chosen as you have to self certify from that age anyway.

Forcing older people to have a test may detect eye diseases such as glaucoma earlier. If those people are treated then they are more likely to retain enough vision to be able to drive longer than if they were untreated or diagnosed late.

However, hospital opthalmology departments are already under considerable pressure so hope the government increases funding for eye clinics at the same time to cope with the inevitable increased demand.

Yet it’s the youngsters who cause most accident and fatalities? What shall we do about them ?

70 is when you have to renew your licence so I guess that’s why it’s been chosen. Eyesight gets worse with age and cataracts become more likely.

I wear glasses and have done since a child. I have an eye test every two years and am no where near 70. This feels eminently sensible, especially after seeing numerous older relatives continue to drive well past the point where they were safe to drive.

The test should be for everyone. After every road traffic accident, and every five years, regardless of age.

It is a sensible thing to do.

But for the elderly they are likely to see it as a continuation of the culture wars against them under this government.

The problem is that the government is continually cracking down on the largely law abiding while doing nothing to curb more nefarious illegal behaviour. A lot of people struggle to see value in the police, when these days they don't even turn up to a burglary.

Re driving I would have like to have seen other age appropriate legislation put in place as well. For example banning under 21s from driving cars over a certain power, banning learners under 21 from taking passengers for their first year etc.

Young drivers continue to improve, and quickly. Elderly drivers continue to decline, quickly, and refuse to accept it.