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)

Anyone who fails an eye test should be banned from driving - don't care what their age is.

Was coming on to say this. It just seems sensible measures to me

All drivers should be having regular eye tests! I’ve worn glasses and/or contacts since I was 16, I am short sighted and there is no way I could (or would!) drive without my specs.

I keep a spare pair in my glovebox too. Never want to have gone out in contact lenses, have to remove one for some reason (it happens!) and then be caught short. I have my eyes tested every two years and I always have. It’s really no big deal.

I’d actually go further and introduce a hazard perception test at 70 and then every few years too if I could. My FIL is 72 and though he is a sensible driver there have been a few moments where I’ve questioned his reaction time recently.

I’d also lower the legal alcohol limit. No one should have having alcohol and driving.

I think that is called “Second Sight”? My friend who I've known since primary school vision has improved so much between 35 -45yrs she no longer wears contacts. The optician says the improvement is likely because she’s developing cataracts, but swings and roundabouts I suppose!

I think that 70 is a good age to start with compulsory eye testing. What puts me off driving at night are vehicles with the blinding LED lights and 4/5 people are similar to myself. The government is looking into the latter problem as well.

Everyone should probably have response times and eyesight checked as a requisite for a license every 5 years.

You’re assuming that everyone gets their eyes checked every 2 years and don’t have weird hang ups like being too vain to wear lenses or glasses.

I‘m surprised that the car insurance companies haven’t wanted this change so that they have a reason not to pay out in some circumstances where lenses or glasses would have made a difference to the outcome.

Plus charging drivers to renew their license every few years could have raised some money for the government and Ideally the money would go on roads.

Have you not seen the waiting lists for new driver tests? Where would all the testers come from if all over 70s were required to re-test every 3 to 5 years?

I do agree with an eye test every 3 years.

As for cognitive testing for all over 70s, again, who would do this - DVLA or GPs?

If GPs, that would add significantly to their workload and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) cognitive test is not specifically designed for picking up on potential driving issues.

@PollysPocketss
Thank you for your advice.
Good lord, would it not have occurred to you that myself and my family members are MOREthan aware of what needs to be done and when. 🙄

I agree with compulsory eye tests, I know someone reapplying for their license that is awaiting cataract surgery and openly admits to not being able to see well in the morning. They say but its fine, they just won't drive then. I don't believe them and am very worried they will kill someone.

Yes I have reported them. Again. They are reapplying after having their license removed due to a different medical condition that has been fixed

I am 70 next birthday and have absolutely no issues with the suggestion.

Sounds like you think your family should be allowed to keep driving even if they failed future eye tests.

Of course they shouldn't - they could kill someone.

And living in the countryside is a choice. Maybe this change in the law will encourage more people to think about where they should be living in old age and a place with good public transport would be a sensible choice.

Obviously the test would be for corrected vision..

My DH has never been allowed to drive - even with glasses he can’t read the number plate at 20m. He was told as a child that it would be unlikely he’d ever be able to.

I mfall into the proposed age bracket. I have no problem with being tested, although in fact this happens regularly because of known eye problems. I always ask if I am OK to drive, and the answer so far as always been yes. Now close work ......... not so good.

As I live in the wilds driving is important for me - but if I have to stop, then so be it.

Well arguably the driving test is what prevents young people who aren't yet skilled enough from driving. After they pass, they'll typically get more competent with each year as they gain experience. In contrast, there is no test currently to check when competence drops below an acceptable level (either eyesight or cognitive abilities). Whilst that could happen at any age, it's not in any way agist to identify any point when statistically it's likely to start declining more sharply in a significant percentage of people.It's all about balancing risk to other people versus cost.

Absolutely in favour of restrictions for younger drivers, such as not carrying passengers - which is known to particularly be a risk factor in young people - and restricting night driving. I'll certainly be doing everything in my power to restrict those activities for DD when she's that age, for her own safety.

Also in favour of eye tests in over 70s - and wish that could be extended to cognitive tests.

Arthritis is not unique to the old and in most cases does not impair driving ability.

A dementia diagnosis is a notifiable condition for driving, her family should be notifying DVLA who have the power to require an assessment and if necessary revoke the licence.

The powers are already in place - her family and possibly the GP are choosing not to use them. More legislation will not fix the issue of relatives looking the other way to avoid a difficult conversation.

The legislation will reduce the issue if drivers have to actively pass an eye sight test and ideally a cognitive function/reaction speed test in order to keep their licence.

Sure, they might still drive without a licence, but then they can't just pretend it's all still OK - which is very easy to do without guilt if they only need to self-declare.

@strawberrybubblegum Also in favour of eye sight in over 70s - and wish that could be extended to cognitive tests

But not eye tests for the under 70s? Don’t I need to be able to have good or corrected eyesight to be safe to drive?
Most of the insurance data on reaction time vs road experience shows the cut off to be over 80-85. In other words the speedy reactions of youth do not outweigh the advantage of experience until most people are well into their 80s.

Drivers already have to make a declaration about eyesight on every licence renewal.

There is no earthly reason to make this an age issue - if its to be tightened up it should be for everyone on the road.

Nyctalopia - poor vision at dusk or in low light conditions is a common issue, with millions affected worldwide. In the UK alone, 17 million drivers report difficulty seeing at night. Whilst this can be a symptom of eye problems, it doesn't need to be. In particular, many normally sighted / corrected sight people struggle to see at dawn or dusk because the eye's photoreceptor cells don't react as well during these periods - that is perfectly normal and common, and affects many drivers who would pass an eye test. Very few people adapt their driving or even think about it.

Whilst I am in favour of everyone having regular eyetests if they are going to drive, there is a deeper issue here - everyone is so convinced that they are great drivers that they simply won't consider any alternatives or any other factors. Most people shrug off the fact they don't see as well at dusk and dawn - it's their imagination or whatever. Those who drive faster than the speed limit know they are great drivers so nothing bad will happen. Etc. Etc. Very, very few people take accountability for the way that they drive. That isn't just an issue about older drivers - and if I am honest I do wonder how many of those older drivers who don't see themselves as bad drivers never saw themselves like that; and how many of the younger bad drivers will be the older bad drivers one day?

I completely agree that it needs to be controlled and that unsafe drivers need to be off the road.

At the same time it’s a lot more than an ‘inconvenience’ for people to make the change. My parents have lived in this rural community for nearly 60 years, and in their home (which they built themselves) for nearly 40 years. This is where their entire support network is, it’s where all their friends are. My sister and I don’t live close by, so the friends and the supportive community they live in is a huge part of their lives. It’s a very, very big deal for them to contemplate moving in their 80s, to a completely different kind of place (town), not knowing anyone, and to go from being surrounded by trees and fields, to being in a town. It’s going to break their hearts. Maybe they should have sacrificed it all earlier in anticipation of this happening - but I’m not blaming them for staying put as long as they can, I would too. They will of course do whatever is legally required, and of that means they stop driving, so be it. But the fall out for our family is going to be as lot more than an ‘inconvenience’ .

i think everyone who has a driving licence should be regularly tested (say every 10 years) for eyesight

Are eye tests not mandatory in the UK when (initially) applying for a driving licence??

Anyhow: Eye sight tends to worsen with age. The likelihood of somebody's sight decreasing to dangerous levels that make driving (even with the appropriate sight correction) unsafe will therefore also increase with age. So why wouldn't one make those tests mandatory?

One could argue that everyone's sight should be tested regularly. But I would assume that the cost would massively outweigh the benefits...

Are eye tests not mandatory in the UK when (initially) applying for a driving licence??

Kind of - unless things have changed the examiner asks you to read that number plate over there!!!

Are eye tests not mandatory in the UK when (initially) applying for a driving licence??

When you take your driving test, you have to read a number plate from a certain distance. I can’t remember if you declare whether or not you wear glasses or lenses when you apply for a provisional license.