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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be genuinely concerned about some of the older drivers on the road

305 replies

Melas · 05/04/2018 21:51

I work at a hospital. Went to lunch today and was approached by a very confused elderly man who couldn’t find the clinic he needed for his wife. He was stooped over, had a tremor and was really frail. I pointed the clinic out three times and he was still confused so I walked him to the doors (he was shuffling) and then went to find a porter to help with his wife.

I came back from lunch and he was driving out of the car park with his wife. Car creeping along at 2mphs, he bumped over the pavement and on to the main road still at around 5-10mph as he went around the corner.

He could barely walk, how is he still driving safely? I do not condone drink driving at ALL but I could have a large glass of wine and be over the limit and I swear I would still be more responsive than he was.

We had an awful incident here a few years ago when an elderly man killed a 16 year old girl on her way to college. He’d had an accident a few days beforehand driving down the wrong side of the road but the police were unable to confiscate his licence (I think this may have changed by now).

Shouldn’t we be retesting at certain age by now? Even if it was 80 that would be something. I can’t stop thinking about this man driving around the roads still.

OP posts:
Stillgameforalaugh · 05/04/2018 21:57

I totally agree I live in a town with many aged drivers. Highlights recently are one who managed to put her car on its roof...on a stretch of road where 20mph would be pushing it so God knows what speed she was doing. Another old man recently managed to... knock down a wall at the vets and then sped forwards straight across pavement and car park and smashed through the wall of the local coop.
No idea how he managed to end up perpendicular to the road oin the first place and also the speed he must have managed to get to to burst through the wall.
Scary.

Caterpillarx1 · 05/04/2018 22:05

Yanbu. I’ve thought this myself too, seen old people driving round on busy roads extremely slowly, hunched over the wheel. It’s not safe really but what’s the alternative? Everyone ages differently, some maybe fit as a fiddle so I don’t feel like an age ban would be fair.

Cerseilannisterinthesnow · 05/04/2018 22:11

Hm yeah I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately with the aging population there is going to be more and more of this though, maybe retesting after a certain age? I know you have to have a medical or send in paperwork to get given your licence again but I imagine a lot are creative with the truth if they think they may lose it

ShirlySue · 05/04/2018 22:25

I was sat at a roundabout junction recently and watched an elderly woman miss her turning, stop, reverse back round the roundabout and continue to take the correct exit... I'll leave it at that...

QuiteLikely5 · 05/04/2018 22:26

That sounds horrific. I would have taken his number plate and reported him to the police. Disaster waiting to happen!

enpointeredshoes · 05/04/2018 22:29

Yes retest at 60, 65,70,75,80 every 5 years infact!

RosieposiePuddingandPi · 05/04/2018 22:33

Quite I did exactly that in town recently, an elderly lady was trying to reverse out of a space into traffic so everyone waited for her but she could barely turn the wheel and ended up just parked across the wrong side of the road with people going round her. She seemed totally oblivious to what was going on. Police assured me that they'd check on her but I dread to think how she got through a busy town to get home after.

dangermouseisace · 05/04/2018 22:35

YANBU. When I was a student I did motor insurance claims as a part time job. There were loads of older people who had lots of 'at fault' claims on their record and just wouldn't give up driving. Usually relatively minor things, like going into the back of people at traffic lights/roundabouts...but repeatedly. But sometimes more extreme hings like tipping their car onto it's roof but having no idea how that happened, alongside going into the back of people regularly. Sometimes I just wanted to say "please, just give up driving!" but of course, I couldn't. They would have increased premiums, but it didn't put them off. When I gave up being a student I worked for social services...and found people who had been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease still driving...and their partners justifying it "oh, it's ok, I'm telling them where they should be going" Hmm

I think that people should have to do a kind of test resit every 5 years from the age of 75 onwards. Unfortunately it's down to the driver to inform the DVLA if they are not a competent driver, no one else can do that.

Quietlife1979 · 05/04/2018 22:35

I agree!!

Dd school is rural and there seems to be a lot of older folk living there. They bob along doing 25 in a 50 zone which causes tail backs and angry drivers.

Once I seen a older lady lady walking around a car as if she was about to pass out. He leg was bad and I though she’d had a fall. I crossed over the road to help her but she carried on around the car - still leaning on it with both hands and got in and drI’ve off Shock

I do think you need to be mandortory retested at 70 (sorry )

Shadow1986 · 05/04/2018 22:35

Absolutely agree and have thought this many times.

wonderstuff · 05/04/2018 22:38

Statistically young drivers are a bigger risk. But I agree retesting should happen, maybe throughout our lives? You see such awful driving so often, I love the freedom driving gives me but if I could cut the motorway out of my commute to work I would, I’ve seen so many accidents over the last few months.

kaitlinktm · 05/04/2018 22:38

Yes retest at 60, 65,70,75,80 every 5 years infact!

Bit harsh to be retested when you are still of working age I would have thought.

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 05/04/2018 22:39

The program on ITV ‘100 Year Old Driving School’ absolutely terrifies me with some of the drivers on there who simply have no awareness of what they are doing/the road/the kerbs/speed limit etc.

frasier · 05/04/2018 22:40

I agree! You would think with all the cameras around that they would be able to spot people driving on pavements, or in the exit at the car park which I saw yesterday, or whathaveyou and stop them.

An elderly person I knew joked about driving up the wrong slip road (so going onto a duel carriageway the wrong way) TWICE and still kept on driving until something happened that scared them into stopping (they never admitted what).

ShirlySue · 05/04/2018 22:41

"Yes retest at 60, 65,70,75,80 every 5 years infact!"

Sounds like a good idea on paper but some places have a 4-5 month wait for a driving test as it is. Imagine if every 60, 65, 70, 75 and 80 year old had to have a test? We don't have the infrastructure, however nice an idea it is! (Though 60 is a little young IMO)

MistressDeeCee · 05/04/2018 22:41

I agree. I was knocked down by an elderly driver. & I was on the pavement. Thing is I could see the car approaching slowly and thought wow, he looks a bit shaky. Next thing the car had mounted the pavement and knocked me flat. His wife was in the car with him. He was so panicked ..but I had to report him as he was a danger on the road. & also the pavement, I guess.

BudgieInABeret · 05/04/2018 22:41

I have been discussing this today. Last year there were 3 deaths round here caused by elderly drivers. There needs to be a proper way of evaluating whether people are still capable of driving.
I also saw a very frail confused woman wandering around, I was shocked when I saw her get in her car and drive off.

frasier · 05/04/2018 22:41

*Dual! (Though "duel" may be more accurate in their case!)

BearFoxBear · 05/04/2018 22:42

I agree. I've reported an elderly neighbour in the past who was just utterly beyond driving safely. I felt bad but it was the right thing to do.

Bolokov · 05/04/2018 22:47

Yes, plenty of elderly drivers who are cognitively impared therefore can't self appraise and still think they are good to go. Plenty of people driving around who are mentally disordered intoxicated or under influence of drugs; all of who have valid licences. Most dangerous people on the roads though are people who think they are brilliant drivers and are over confident, particularly at higher speeds.

WhatShallIDoWithMyself · 05/04/2018 22:47

OP I think you live in the same town as me. The police got new powers as a result of a campaign after that poor young lady was killed.

Only today an elderly driver somehow managed to smash through a wall and down into a pedestrian underpass near the town centre. Thankfully no-one was hurt, but he has been reported for careless driving and referred for a fit to drive course. Clearly he isn't fit to drive.

All that is required after 70 is for a driver to self declare every 3 years. Ridiculous.

ManicUnicorn · 05/04/2018 22:49

A few weeks ago DM and I saw an elderly lady drive her car along a tiled walkway in a supermarket car park. We just stood there with our jaws on the floor as it's quit clearly a walk way and not a road. Its a good job no one was walking on it at the time, as she'd probably have knocked them over.

YANBU

Namastethefuckawayfromme · 05/04/2018 22:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bluelady · 05/04/2018 22:57

Unfortunately you're all right. I'm really hoping that when the time comes for me to give up driving I'll recognise it. It is a difficult decision though, and men seem to find it particularly hard.

I have to say that most of the people who cut me up aren't even remotely old!

Vinorosso74 · 05/04/2018 22:59

You're right. As people are living longer there is the belief of being ok to continue as they always have done. Sadly sight deteriorates due to age and reaction times do slow etc. I definitely think there should be more checks on people's fitness to drive.