AIBU to despair that an elderly man can kill a young girl who was on the pavement and the police were unable to suspend his licence?

[sneezecakesmum]

The police allegedly (I have to legally say this) stopped an 87 yo man for a driving offence and he failed the numberplate eyesight test. They tried 2 hours to persuade him not to drive until he could be properly assessed by the DVLA. They have no powers to take his licence.

The same driver later (allegedly) drove his car twice onto the pavement scattering pedestrians and crushed a 16 year old girl to death.

Is it unreasonable to be sick of unfit drivers (drink or health problems) getting no more than a slap on the wrist for killing and maiming innocent pedestrians??

The girls mum has started an e petition on the gov website to try to have the law changed, (Cassies Law)

Imagine how many people would fail the eye test. Most people have passed their driving test by the age of 20 and will never be retested. Scary.

I'd be in favour of retesting or at least eg 10 yearly medical requirement that would include eye tests, diabetes checks etc. Black cab drivers have compulsory medicals. I think a less frequent one would be good for all drivers.

In most countries you have to renew your license every few years. I think that makes sense- your eyesight and health can totally change within 5 years.

It's crazy that the police could not confiscate the license.

cupofbrownjoy you've put it much more articulately than I did...

Why do we have these sight Test requirements if they are not enforceable?

My sister and I got my Dad's licence taken away for a year because his diabetes was so poorly controlled he had fallen asleep behind the wheel and had a minor accident. We did this by phoning the DVLA, then writing to them, and also speaking to his GP. Luckily Dad was not the suspicious type and did not know that we were behind it.

Once it was more under control the GP let him start driving again.

About a year after this it became apparent that Dad was once more too unwell to drive. He would fall asleep mid conversation, could hardly stand, lips were purple. But he was still driving. I approached his GP about it again and found him a lot less helpful. At one point he said "you can't take someone's licence off them because they might have an accident." I was aghast and said "Um, can't you?" What about all the people with extremely minor forms of epilepsy that do not even involve losing consciousness, they are not allowed to drive for a year after an incident?

I was starting the process again via the DVLA when Dad was admitted to hospital with what was the final phase of his illness. A social worker was there one day and Dad was trying to give me his car keys for some reason. She said: "He's not still driving!!!!" with a face like this ---> I said that, yes "thanks" to his GP he was.

The trouble is that people know that they shouldn't drive, but if their health and mobility is bad, how are they to get about? [is what they think]. I remember being in a cafe with DH once and through the window seeing an extremely frail old lady looking as if she was trying to cross the road. She was leaning heavily on a parked car as she inched her way along, she looked as if she could hardly stand. Then she opened the driver's door and got in! She then kangarooed up the road in a terrifying fashion - her legs were clearly far too weak to control the clutch. She really shouldn't have been driving but I could see that there was also no way she could have walked to a bus stop. I can see why she would want to hang on to her licence for as long as possible.

I do feel so sad and angry about this. There are so many people who shouldn't be on the road.

My experiences with my Dad were incredibly stressful but I am so pleased we acted. We may have saved someone's life keeping him off the road. Not everyone has someone in their lives prepared to do that.

yanbu it freaks me out that some very elderly people are driving when clearly they shouldn't be, this isn't the first time an accident like this has happened and tragically won't be the last

I think when you get to 70yo you should have to retake your driving test and then retake every 5yrs, if you failed license it taken anyway.

I think that the current system is something along the lines of:

Police administer on the spot test and driver fails
Police ask driver to surrender license but can't force them to
Police submit paperwork to DVLA
DVLA cancel license subject to appeal from driver

I think the system that the victim's mother is asking for is:

Police administer on the spot test and driver fails
Police seize license
Police submit paperwork and license to DVLA
DVLA cancel license or return it to driver subject to appeal

Petition signed. Balloonslayer that is such a sad story, sorry for your loss.

its unfortunately not an uncommon occurance, driving with poor eyesight and killing people. A friend of a friend was killed, knocked off by a driver who said she was in his "blind spot", the driver was given a small fine and points for "defective eyesight" , then after that went on to kill a pedestrian. Her family can't even get her inquest reopened in light of the details coming out about the driver. I really hope you get somewhere. Signed and signed

I am (probably) going to be unpopular for saying this but I think there is a lot of ageism on MN.

I am not for a moment suggesting that what happened here is okay and I know my nan used to have to hide my grandad's car keys from him when he was suffering from alzheimers (the night he drove me from High Wycombe to London on the hard shoulder with no headlights on was terrifying) but this is not just about old age.

There are a lot of people who, for various reasons, should no longer hold a licence. I think automatic retesting (using a simulator to keep costs down) should be compulsory every ten years.

Remember these older drivers have never even taken a test in the first place! When did driving tests/licences come into force?

Signed petition and put link on Facebook

YABU for calling a 16 year old a "young girl".

dh had his car written off last year by an old woman who completely ignored a roundabout

People should have to submit the results of an annual eye test when they renew their insurance each year for a start.

People over the age of about 60 should be retested periodically and also have their responses checked. The majority of accidents are down to newly qualified drivers and the elderly.

TBH Olympia being as driving tests became compulsory in 1935 I think there are incredibly few out there that haven't taken them.

Olympia - I would be very surprised if there is anyone driving who had never taken a test (in the UK that is). In Belgium where testing began much later, you keep your numberplate and transfer it between cars so it's very easy to tell the people who probably never took a test and you know to avoid them.

Patti, i don't believe this is an ageist thread, but i do think people should be re tested every 5-10 yrs as standard, and retesting more freqently if you are past a certain age, 65 for instance when you are considered to be an senior citizen and can obtain a free bus pass, because it is just common sense that as we age our reaction times and eye site can be diminished considerably, and go unnoticed because of gradual decline in health.

I didn't realise the thread we were originaly on was deleted saggy, but i am glad some people were able to sign the petition.

I didn't realise either!
This thread isn't ageist. The point of it is that the police are helpless in the face of an unfit driver. They have no power to remove someone's license. It doesn't have to be the elderly, as in Balloonslayers post it can be to do with diabetes, or epilepsy. Not just old people have bad eyesight! If you are unfit, the police should be able to stop you driving. End of.

I didnt think it was an ageist thread either. Just thought it was a discussion about people driving when they obviously weren't fit enough. The thing is in the majority of people your eyesight and reaction times are worse as you get older, but thats not to say a young person could have difficulties and thats why I think your test should be retaken every 5 years or so. In order to cover costs you would simply pay for it yourself like you do when you want to take your test in the first place.

It is not ageist its about unfit drivers of any age. Unfortunately elderly drivers are no longer competent, but the majority I am sure are.

No I dont work for the DM, I'm a nurse and I used to work in A&E. One day an older man was brought in semi conscious having had a mini stroke. After a few hours he had recovered enough to insist on leaving to look for his car (he couldnt remember where it was parked!) as he was going to drive home. He ignored our advice not to drive. We were powerless even to alert the police (patient confidentiality).

I'm not even saying a full retest is needed (I struggle to parallel park as it wasnt in my test ) just eye test, and competancy under normal motoring conditions.

I'm pleased most posters agree with the madness of our driving laws.

Unfortunately some elderly drivers !!!

I should point out in the interests of the discussion that my Dad WAS an elderly driver, he was approx. 73 or 74 when the first ban started and 76 when he died.

Thank you so much, randommoment for your sympathy. We loved him and miss him of course but he died a comfortable death at a reasonable age, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

The more threads like this I read the more grateful I am he didn't die like the subject of the OP, it could so easily have happened - and my Dad PRIDED himself all his life on his Good Driving.