Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Unreasonable to beep at elderly drivers?

67 replies

Pixienott0005 · 25/04/2016 09:34

Is it unreasonable to beep your horn at elderly drivers? I over heard a conversation in the shop where an old man pulled out on a mini round about, the driver beeped but the old man pulled over as it scared the shit out of him being beeped at. Frightened of the driver by the sounds of it.

What else are you actually supposed to do? I beep at anyone if they don't see me but never thought about how old people might think and what it could do to them.

OP posts:

LunaLoveg00d · 25/04/2016 09:35

If a driver is so scared by beeping that he has to pull over, he shouldn't be driving. Whatever his age.

neonrainbow · 25/04/2016 09:36

If hes that shaken by someone beeping he shouldn't be on the road. Ditto if he regularly pulls onto roundabouts in front of other cars. Otherwise you should only beep as you say, to alert someone to your presence ie at a blind bend. Not to tell people off.

Collaborate · 25/04/2016 09:38

I don't know why you're even asking. The answer is so obvious. Being elderly doesn't give you a free pass to drive dangerously.

Nocabbageinmyeye · 25/04/2016 09:38

Surely it would be ageist not to beep

PuntasticUsername · 25/04/2016 09:39

Depends why the beeping is occurring, I'd say. According to the Highway Code, you should only use your horn if you need to make other road users aware of your presence - not because you're annoyed at someone for pulling out in front of you. Obviously, this rule is routinely ignored by many drivers - including me, in occasions.

But I agree with pp that if the elderly driver is regularly executing manoeuvres that attract angry beeps and it's walk upset by these that they need to pull over, they should probably be evaluating their position as a driver.

ApocalypseNowt · 25/04/2016 09:39

What neonrainbow said.

Dawndonnaagain · 25/04/2016 09:41

Of course you beep, it sounds as though he should be giving up the car.
I was driving on a 60mph road last weekend and beeped at the driver that was doing 20. Yes he was elderly. I finally got to the one stretch at which it was safe to overtake, looked back and the car behind me turned out to be an unmarked police car and they were in the process of pulling him over.

Collaborate · 25/04/2016 09:41

You need to beep at someone who pulls out in front of you. They are executing a dangerous manoeuvre unaware of your presence. It is precisely because you need to make them aware of your presence that you sound your horn.

Also, if no one beeps at people who regularly fail to notice other cars, they'll never be aware of all the accidents they've narrowly avoided.

ScouseQueen · 25/04/2016 09:42

Yep, don't beep in a dickish way, but no driver should be exempt from normal standards. Every one on the road should be able to cope with standard road stress or they need to give up driving.

MarthaMonkeynuts · 25/04/2016 09:44

In most cases I imagine you would beep before noticing the driver was elderly.

MyBreadIsEggy · 25/04/2016 09:48

YANBU.
As pp have said, if the driver is scared or startled by someone beeping at them, then they shouldn't be driving in the first place.
My DH's grandmother is 82, blind as a bat - but still refuses to stop driving. She is honestly the most dangerous driver I have ever come across. I think the only thing that will stop her driving is when she causes an accident and hurts herself or someone else.

Voteforpedr0 · 25/04/2016 09:51

I only ever beep if someone is about to drive into me, I do however support the case for over 65s to be retested after witnessing so many elderly folk driving terribly. Hearing and partial sight loss is much more common among that age bracket so why on earth isn't there compulsory testing or at least annual reporting of gp certificates ?

funniestWins · 25/04/2016 09:59

Not unreasonable OP. I'd beep before looking to see who the driver is and as it's a standard noise for drivers to hear, they should be able to hear it without pulling over in shock

@MyBreadIsEggy -

I think the only thing that will stop her driving is when she causes an accident and hurts herself or someone else

or her family could act like responsible humans and however difficult the conversation may be, stop her driving. Hope they can live with themselves if she kills someone because they were too cowardly to do the right thing. I realise they're you in-laws, but does your DH realise how dangerous she is?

ajandjjmum · 25/04/2016 10:05

Many people beep out of impatience not safety, regardless of the age of the driver.

KitKatCustard · 25/04/2016 10:07

Oh good. Another "all old people are dreadful drivers and should be retested" thread.

How about retesting everyone who gets any points on their licence? Seems a much better idea to me. There are good and bad drivers of all ages.

I understood you should only use your horn if there was imminent danger. Doesn't sound like it in this case.

PurpleDaisies · 25/04/2016 10:09

Many people beep out of impatience not safety, regardless of the age of the driver.

I agree with this. I've seen some particularly horrible behaviour towards learners recently (tailgating, beeping, flashing lights, overtaking them safely). How they think that will help anything I don't know.

I got stuck behind an old man driving consistency at 15mph along a 40mph road, randomly swerving into the other lane. Very difficult to keep temper in check.

Does anyone know if anything happens if you report people for what appears to be dangerous driving?

80schild · 25/04/2016 10:13

The only people I ever see driving badly are those in the white vans - bloody aggressive bastards.

I beep people when they don't see me or if they haven't noticed traffic light change and that is it (unless it is a white van driver).

CocktailQueen · 25/04/2016 10:19

MyBreadIsEggy - My DH's grandmother is 82, blind as a bat - but still refuses to stop driving. She is honestly the most dangerous driver I have ever come across. I think the only thing that will stop her driving is when she causes an accident and hurts herself or someone else.

If you have noticed this then it's up to her family to get her to stop driving. If you don't say anything, and she kills someone, you will all be partly to blame. I know it will be a difficult conversation but for her sake, and that of everyone else on the roads, she needs to be told. FFS.

Ninjagogo · 25/04/2016 10:21

Beeping to alert a driver to your presence is fine. Beeping at me because I did not pull out from a junction fast enough for you is not
Thinking about it, if the cost of tests came down, maybe every driver could be tested every few years, that way problems would be picked up quickly, more people could be employed as testers, the U.K. gets better drivers.... dons hard hat

LuisSuarezTeeth · 25/04/2016 10:25

You only need to beep if you think you haven't been seen. Beeping because someone did something wrong is unnecessary and will scare the shit out of pedestrians as well.

Jengnr · 25/04/2016 10:31

And if she refuses what exactly can the family do? It's not their fault at all. The responsibility lies with the dangerous driver.

parmalilac · 25/04/2016 10:34

Beeping should be done to alert another driver to the fact that they are about to do, or have just done, something dangerous. Some elderly drivers don't have the response times they used to have, and can make questionable decisions at roundabouts etc, for example they think they can 'nip' out in front of you, but they are slower than they realise and hence it's dangerous. DH and I disagree about the beeping AFTER the dangerous thing, but I think you should still let that driver know, elderly or not, that they have just done something stupid and wrong. DH says I will get a punch in the teeth for this one day (from the beeped-at driver, not him!)

Suziesome1 · 25/04/2016 10:35

I used to test peoples eyesight, occasionally people would have such poor vision that they would no longer be deemed as safe to drive, all I could do would advise them to stop driving until vision had been improved(glasses/surgery etc) and that from this point onwards, if they were in a crash their insurance would be invalid as they had been informed. (And i would be documenting the convo) The vast majority took no notice whatsoever. A couple of months later, one of these people killed an elderly pedestrian, went to court etc and I think was charged with manslaughter. If you dh gm has been informed her vision is that poor, she'd be in the same situation if a scenario like this ever happened. You really really really need to have a family intervention. That poor pedestrian died because of someone's denial/stubbornness.

ajandjjmum · 25/04/2016 10:35

So you randomly beep white van drivers 80schild? Glad my van's silver!!

RobinsAreTerritorialFuckers · 25/04/2016 10:36

I think if you beep because someone is currently pulling out, and could stop if you alerted them to the fact you're there, fine.

If you beep because they've just cut you up, not fine.

No matter what age someone is. I really hate it when people do this - no one know why you beeped; chances are everyone (except the dozy one who didn't look) had a moment of panic, and all you're really doing is showing you're angry you had to slam your brakes on. Ok, I'd be angry too. But you're not actually stopping someone hit you if you beep after the fact, so it's really just letting off your annoyance.

I do think anyone who can't cope with being honked at shouldn't be driving, though.

Flip

1 2 3