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)

of any age.

Well I'm in my 70s and don't think I'll drive much longer. I hate the aggressive drivers, hate the Devon lanes (I live in south Devon) hate the blinding headlights. Aided by new bus route close to my home.

Maybe it’s due to logistics and the fact eye sight is a major problem after certain age.

With respect, they should move somewhere more appropriate to their age.
What will happen when they stop driving? I am guessing they will then rely on younger members of the family - who have their own commitments - ferrying them about.
It's not on.
I went through this with my dad - 86, unable to walk, couldn't move his shoulder at all, deaf and with poor eyesight (although that was the least of it), yet even after two accidents, he and my mum insisted it was OK.
My husband and I have made the decision to move into a large village or town with public transport long before we reach that stage.

I think all drivers should have regular sight tests and I agree with lowering the alcohol limit. I’m more worried about drug driving, people using phones, those driving without insurance and people who don’t know how to drive around a roundabout than my neighbours who are late 80s and 90s who are driving.

A tip for those waiting for eye surgery, tell them you are driving and you will get seen quicker. This will be the issue - can the NHS respond to the rise in demand?

I thought this did already apply to everyone, and I think it does to the extent that you must pass the eyesight element of the driving test, and if at any point after that you were found not to have good enough eyesight you would need to surrender your license. I guess the difference is that people might not be tested, but this idea is that everyone must be over 70? Well, they should be at any age. I think they should make this mandatory for everyone and then not only will it be much safer but no one group can complain.

It should be the age when eye sight declines. Which if me and my friends are anything to go by with our peering and our readers, is late 40s/early 50s. Accident data is no use for deciding when eye tests are required unless the data makes a strong link between eye sight and cause of accident. There will be 70 somethings wearing the correct prescription glasses who can see a lot better than 50 somethings who can't afford eye tests or don't want to wear glasses.

I suspect that the rise in 2, 3 or even 4 car households has far more to do with the decline in rural public transport than a few people still driving over the age of 80. In most rural households every adult has a car; go back 20 years and while 2 car households were pretty normal, everyone having their own car was not

I think this should be mandatory for all drivers, irrespective of age. As for the drink drive limit, I personally think it should be 0.

Edited to add that my PILs are still driving at 81 and 79 and my DM still drives at 86 but I don't like being a passenger in any of their cars!

70 is the right age, obviously others need to give in the licenses sooner but I think 70 is good.

Having spoken to family members in their 70s who admit they're not as good at driving due to slower reflexes as they used to be, it is scary. We had a neighbour who proudly drove well into his 90s- he never damaged his car but I can almost guarantee he would've caused accidents.

I think from 70 onwards, every 3-5 years they must repeat the theory and practical driving tests (for free, or at a reduced rate).

I can also guarantee that at least 50% of the driving population could not pass today's driving tests.

Going by the impatience ive seen from parents on the school run there seems to be

Too right, a very elderly couple drove straight into the back of me at some traffic lights. Turned out they shouldn’t have been anywhere the road their eyesight and reflexes were that far gone.

So it’s ok for someone to die because the driver will get better ? ! We need to tackle all sources of poor driving or it just comes across as hate

Hate? Do you honestly think the people behind this proposal said, "Right, we hate old people, so let's penalise them"?

It's actually a fairer way to establish road worthiness than self certification. 70 does seem a bit young in some ways, but I'm sure I'm mostly thinking this because my father drove until over 90 and his vision was better than mine.

I’m sure there’d be no shortage if driving instructors were given the responsibility of assessing? It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same as your first driving test. I didn’t say that they needed to have a cognitive test. Just a driving assessment to ensure that they’re still confident and capable. As long as they pass, great.

Doesn't matter what age you are. If you fail an eye test you shouldn't be driving.

If they are talking simply about having the over 70's take mandatory eye tests then they are targeting the age group most at risk of failing eyesight, so I can't see a problem with that.

It's a risk-based approach - same as why breast cancer screening only starts at age 50.

The cut-off should be based on data. But real data, not self-declared 'I'm sure I'm fine' pseudo-data.

The problem with the misleading headline is that some older people will run scared from this test and continue driving illegally rather than have the test and be banned. They'll be the people that need the eye test to get glasses and continue driving - but will not get glasses and drive illegally instead out of fear.

MSM do stoke up a lot of fear and hatred

I’m 66, drive and have my eyes tested every year. I wear contact lenses. I don’t have a problem of a compulsory test at 70 as I wouldn’t want to drive if I was a danger to others. I do think though that all ages should be subject to mandatory eye tests periodically

No - transport was trashed first resulting in more people moving away from villages, increasing property prices in the small towns and running ever older cars. The bulk of driver miles in rural areas is not older people.

Over the past 20 years even small towns have lost their transport options and core services have disappeared to regional “hubs”. Your argument that rural dwellers have only themselves to blame assumes there is somewhere better served for them to move. Those who made that choice trying to be practical 20 years ago found that ever larger population centres were stripped of transport and services and they had given up their local support network for nothing.

I’m glad we agree on evidence based policy.

That doesn’t support additional medical checks for 70 somethings over and above 40-60 somethings. The data would suggest taking under 21s off the road would have a greater impact on road safety - funny how that is never suggested.

The problems described on these threads are already covered by legislation - people just don’t want to face up to their responsibilities and have difficulty conversations or even simply report notifiable conditions anonymously. We all have that responsibility, whining that we want “the state” to do it for us doesn’t solve the problem.

I would be perfectly happy with strengthening the current legislation to include the kind of health/visual regular checks required in other countries for all ages, even if it were only on the ten yearly renewal. However the data does not support focusing on 70 somethings over teens and young twenty somethings or new drivers of any age.

Many people have done that in the past, only to find transport and services withdrawn from the large village or town. The same problem also creates difficulties for younger people. Rural transport is a huge issue and for many there simply isn’t the option to up sticks and move every time another bus route is cancelled. Better transport, reducing the total reliance on cars even in semi rural areas would be a huge contributor to reducing car miles.

No one of any age should drive anywhere if their eyesight is not perfect. Sadly, some older people have ticked a box saying their sight is good enough for driving when they know it is not because they would feel isolated without the car. Making it obligatory to have a certified sight test every 3 years would mean these people would no longer be a danger to others on the road. It's a good idea.

I agree to a point. But even depleted public transport is going to be better in a more populated area than out in the sticks

@Katypp
As organic farmers thats not something they are able to do.

They work the land, employ people, pay taxes and need transport. Not every person in their 80s should be living in town or pushed into a retirement home. Some people in their 80s are dynamic, fit and able. Not too blind to drive.
Country life is different. Are you familiar with farming life?