to think that driving ability should be re-tested at some point in old age?

[var123]

just that really.

www.itv.com/news/story/2016-02-12/eight-children-hit-by-car-outside-school-in-liverpool/

Even if it turns out that the woman involved in this case was generally fit to drive, there have been other accidents when you hear it was an 80+ person at the wheel driving up the wrong side of the motorway or something.

I know other drivers can be dangerous too, but in their case, its more usually that they are choosing not to drive safely at that moment than they can't, so its harder to test for.

I'm with those who say retesting should be mandatory every few years. It would serve to clear up a percentage of bad drivers from every age group.

70+ should be retested, 80+ banned imho. My great grandad killed himself (and my great nan within a fortnight) after crashing a sports car at 80yo. Should not have been sold a car, never mind been on the roads. Stupid man. Luckily no one else was hurt but my poor nan

Yes. Retest every five years for everyone regardless of age.

And much heavier penalties for driving without valid licence or insurance. Giving someone a year's ban for driving without a licence is just laughable.

Some of the most dangerous drivers would fly through a driving test. When I think about the stupid boyfriend I had when I was 16 he was a liability. Loved cars, modified his own car, technically a very good driver so passed first time but aggressive, always speeding, racing on the road. He wasn't stupid so he wouldn't do these things on a test. Far more of a danger to others than my 71 year old mother who has never had an accident. Monitoring device in every car which would record every bad driving incident. This wouldn't have to be law just half your car insurance if you agreed to have it fitted. Accident rates would plummet over night!

Fil had to get a "fit to drive" report from the GP. Fil was clearly not capable of driving safely, but the GP told him it was "up to his conscience" whether or not he continued. Of course fil continued!

I think the very worst elderly drivers are not those who have been driving for 60 years, but those who passed more recently, perhaps in middle age. I see some terrible driving from women who perhaps have taken over the reins from their dh. Traditionally women never drove and certainly never filled up with petrol. They just sat primly in the front whilst the husband squired them around. When they drive they start off at home and drive directly to Waitrose at a constant 25mph, and woe betide any obstacle, be it roundabout, junction or human being in their way.

Yes "mudandmayhem" there may be some 'dangerous' drivers who would get through a retest. But the great majority of incapable drivers would be caught, and demoted to provisional status until they could pass another test.
Relying on lower insurance to fit monitoring wouldn't work for people who could bypass it just by paying more.

cozietoesie The govt did not give the research title.

www.transport.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/licensing/LBU_DL_P_FAQ_ChangesOlderDriversLicences.pdf

Twinklefuck Someone tried to get support for that idea of people over 80 being banned and got howled down. That might be OK if you had 24 hr free public transport that could be easily accessed. Unfortunately that is not the case over here.

I had to get a car just to commence a 0700 shift as the first local bus from house to the station (then 45 min ride, plus 10 min walk) would get me to work at 0720. Completing a late shift at 2100 or 2300 meant a 40 min walk from the station as buses had ceased running. This meant I would get home at 22.35 or 00.40. Street lighting is crap and only on one side of the road in the suburbs.

What happens if one partner is slightly handicapped and needs transport. Family too busy working. Taxis? Who can afford them on a pension?

It is ridiculously difficult to pass the test here, and I think retesting will expose that. What would likely happen if they don't relax standards is that people who haven't been in an accident ever will fail.

If people had to bevretested every five years that would put more pressure on the low paid, who may well need a car to stay in work at all. Also where are all the examiners going to come from?
Perhaps every ten years at a pinch, but not every five.
It might be a good idea to retest at 70, but also raise the age for a full licence to 18.

Ozzie I personally think public transport should be free for low income pensioners anyway, but don't have all the answers. I do think most elderly are a liability on the roads/motorways and shouldn't be risking driving at all, people live quite easily without cars I don't see why someone over 80 would particularly need to drive anyway.

My 87 yr old aunt has been told by her doctor that it is a good thing she is still driving because it helps to maintain her independence. Yes great - except she is getting progressively more disabled, walks with a walker and is increasingly forgetful and confused. I'm absolutely sure she would not be able to react appropriately in any sort of unexpected situation.

I would retest everyone every 10 years (ie every time their licence is renewed). A big town near my parents' home recently got a new roundabout. A significant number of people in the area had never used a roundabout before (there are others in the town, but this particular road didn't have any, and it's the one you would use if you were coming in from a nearby village to go shopping, so it would be used by a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't drive much). People have no idea how to use it, which lane to be in, how to signal etc. A retest would ensure that people keep up to date with things that may not have existed when they passed their tests.

Having said that, I suspect DH would fail his test if he redid it. He thinks he's a brilliant driver, but actually is terrible - drives too close to the car in front, too fast, and doesn't anticipate anything, ever. He drives as if everyone else is a brilliant driver; if anything even vaguely unexpected happens (eg someone needing to change lanes last minute) he's totally thrown.

Silvercatowner Maybe she would be better off with a Gopher (motorised three wheeler) which people with disabilities (not necessarily aged people are allowed to use on pavements , and in shops over here.

Not too sure about UK rules though and just looking at earth satellite pictures of all the road markings in UK is confusing. I certainly wouldn't be able to drive there without undertaking further lessons.

The problem is sallyingforth the people who cause most of the mayhem on the roads aren't incompetent, just aggressive, selfish and drive too fast. Does being able to reverse park accurately make you a safer driver. Maybe compulsory gps monitoring on all cars would be more effective or even better driverless cars.

FIL is a terrible driver. When DS goes to stay there we insist on taking him & picking him up - dressing it with 'DH is up that way anyway'. His own wife hates getting in the car with him.

Last year he reversed at some speed into a post at his local Tesco & was ranting about suing them for putting it there in the first place.

Perhaps very heavily differentiated rates on insurance (GPS monitoring/non monitoring) might be a way forward?

The problem is sallyingforth the people who cause most of the mayhem on the roads aren't incompetent, just aggressive, selfish and drive too fast. Does being able to reverse park accurately make you a safer driver.
It take your point, but there is much more to the driving testing now than just reverse parking. It may let a few more arrogant drivers through, but it would certainly be an answer to the OP, without relying on an arbitrary and probably unfair age limit.

My grandad is 85 and, thankfully, not on the roads anymore but he managed to get a car on a technicality and my mum said he was an absolute menace. He failed his car test ELEVEN times but was allowed to drive a Reliant Robin with his motorbike licence, which is just ridiculous. My mum was eight months pregnant with me when he insisted on driving her home and she said it was such a harrowing experience that she made him stop and she walked to nearest bus stop rather than stay in the car with him.

I'm not against reassessments, provided they're based on proper evidence not anecdotes about the old man across the road who can't reverse.
My father stopped in his mid seventies - he said it felt like the right thing to do.

Yes! Yanbu. My 78 year old grandmother, who is actually quite energetic and sprightly, is awful in the car. She has a big crossover too so it's even worse. However she's always been like this and is getting worse. Getting in the car with her is like embarking on a suicide mission. She regularly travels long journeys on the motorway and how she isn't dead by now or hasn't killed someone else I really don't know.

No. Just retest anyone with any kind of driving offence conviction including speeding, regardless of age.

med wine may have addled my maths skills last night

www.sussex.police.uk/help-centre/ask-us/roads,-driving-and-cycling/how-do-i-report-anti-social-driving

other forces seem to use crimestoppers www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2996009/End-middle-lane-hogs-Police-handing-thousands-100-fines-anti-social-drivers-slow-traffic-splash-walkers.html- and here, sadly is a D Fail link -