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

[Melas]

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.

My dh's grandma faced a lot of pressure to keep driving to 'maintain her independence'. She wasnt safe or competent. The trouble was, if she didn't drive she was stuck, alone, without the ability to get a loaf of bread if she needed one.

Tara, that’s how I feel about my disability. It’s fa

Far less debilitating than some others - it’s Epilepsy - so I have no physical ailments as such. I just need to be seizure free for a year. Which I am now. But when I waiting that whole year to get to an arbitrary date when I’d suddenly be “ok” again, I felt nothing but anger that some people can still drive when they can’t even see.

My grandad was as you described @melas with memory problems shuffling etc. I reported him in the end as he refused to listen to us. He saw his family dr who he's great friends with to fill out the report and he said he was fine to drive. Two months later he was crossing a road when a 40 ish year old man had just had a row, came speeding out of a car park and killed my grandad.
Completely agree that elderly should be retested at a certain age but also that you can have all your faculties and still kill someone.

I've heard of many cases where someone with dementia has refused to stop driving, when relatives know 100% they're no longer safe on the road. But it can be extremely hard to get their licence taken away - GPs so often won't get involved.

Relatives have had to resort to disabling the car and having it indefinitely 'in the garage' , which is all very well if only that person was ever driving it.
There is frequently outright fury from a person who can't understand that they're no,longer safe to drive.
I was often v glad that my mother gave up her car voluntarily at 80, having become nervous in traffic - before she showed the first signs of dementia.

As for downsizing - how about a Downsizing Bond?

Available to people from 60 or 65 who sell their home and buy another for less. You can’t cash it during your lifetime; on your death your estate cashes it in. It does not earn interest but is revalorised in line with house prices where you sold. Free of CGT - like your home - but part of your estate for IHT purposes.

But if you go into residential care it is not part of your assets; in fact you might be allowed to give it away at that point.

So by downsizing you protect your children’s inheritance?

How does that sound to anyone?

GPs so often won't get involved

My view is that it should be a legal requirement for GPs (and opticians / optometrists / district nurses / hospital medical staff etc) to report any of their patients they know to have a condition that could impair their driving.

A bit like the safeguarding legislation around teachers - we are legally required to report ANY safeguarding concerns. Healthcare professionals should be required to do the same for patients wrt their driving.

Then it would be up to a 3rd party - DVLA - to determine whether the concerns are significant enough to revoke a license, or whether further investigation is required, in the same way as those in safeguarding roles determine whether the little pieces reported by teachers etc are sufficient to investigate a child / family or to act immediately via Social Services.

The reason I was looking to report FiL was that he has had more than 1 minor stroke. After the first one, a member of the team treating him said 'you should report this to the DVLA'. He did, and was not allowed to drive for a period of time. After subsequent strokes, nobody explicitly told him to call the DVLA, so he didn't, and carried on driving straight afterwards - even though the guidance is quite specific that, having had several strokes within a shortish period of time, his license should be revoked.

To my mind, the doctors concerned should automatically report a stroke to the DVLA every time, on the day it happens, rather that reminding - or not reminding - a sick elderly man to do it for himself.

totally disagree with retesting at 60-65, my DF is 65 and has never caused an accident dince passing at 17, never had to make a claim and is an excellent driver with very quick reactions, due to his job he covers hundreds of miles per week and I can not imagine even suggesting to him he should be retested!
Its on the individual I think. I witnessed an elderly guy few weeks ago in busy city centre, he was pulled up behind a bus on a red light, he then just pulled out from behind the bus and went through the red light into oncoming traffic, how he didn't cause an accident I dont know but he looked happily oblivious as the bus driver honked at him for ages!!

They should stop the 'self certification' and after the age of 75 all older drivers need to have a mandatory driving test each year.
Our population is getting older and it can only get worse unless we can a handle on it.
Also, many pensioners never took a test in their life!

A driving license is NOT a right!

The driving test was made compulsory in 1934. Are there many drivers born before 1917 on the roads?

poinsonous
I think it is very unlikely that there are many people drivng around who have been exempt from the test ! most pensioners were children in 1934
Legislation for compulsory testing was introduced for all new drivers with the Road Traffic Act 1934. The test was initially voluntary to avoid a rush of candidates until 1 June 1935 when all people who had started to drive on or after 1 April 1934 needed to have passed the test.

You could drive without a test if you had already been driving in 1934. Assuming people didn't drive until they were 15 or so, that will catch anyone now aged 99 or more. And in practice such drivers would need a licence to get insurance for the last few decades.

Most people on our roads have been deemed competent. Scary, eh?

I do think serious thought should be put into incentives to live somewhere nearer to services, whether that's downsizing or not. I'm against all this wealth being preserved at all costs to provide inheritance, often tax free, while the state pays for care. That's definitely one reason people refuse to move.
DH's sister and her husband downsized a bit less than 10 years ago to an upstairs flat on a posh estate in the middle of nowhere with no nearby services. They're both nearly 80 now and we had our first conversation yesterday about their isolated location. They're trying to sell their flat because they need the money, there won't be any inheritance, but no one is interested in buying

As Cantkeepawayforever say it absolutely should be the responsibility of those professions to inform the DVLA if any of their patients are not fit to drive.

I'll be 70 this year, my driving licence has to be renewed but no one other than me is going to judge whether I'm fit to drive - which fortunately I genuinely am - but it's ridiculous.

I wear glasses, will my optician have to sign the form saying my eyesight is fine? Not as far as I'm aware. Is my GP going to have to countersign the form to say I have no health issues that mean I shouldn't be driving? Nope.

It's just me, saying yes, yes, I'm fine. Madness.

My mum had told me she will stop driving on her 80th birthday.
She has stopped driving on motorways and only goes to the nearest 2 towns and back.
The main issue is that people lose their ability to drive just when they need it most. She comes to us on the train but struggles to carry anything, finds stairs hard etc.

I'm old but not as old as the drivers you mention, my eye sight got worse, I generally came to the conclusion I was unfit to drive. This is something that many people need to do, as in be honest with themselves, about whether they should be on the road at any age.

Whilst it is a mature decision of someone my age, it was more common sense over anything else.

Rules have changed so you can be on certain prescription meds and be liable during a crash, if it is deemed you are affected by the medication, which should be an easy call to make yourself.

In my heart and head is the fact I don't feel safe and how guilty I'd feel if I was responsible for an accident, as I've been in accidents not in vehicles that have been life changing, due to a lack of common sense by persons involved.

It's ok thinking you're ok, if you are on any of these medications I think it should be up to your GP, or maybe a DVLA simulation to check your response times.

I recall an accident a long time ago involving an elderly person who mounted the pavement, causing distress over physical injuries. I think the consensus at the time was the person shouldn't have been driving.

It's more than a problem for the elderly, it affects more people than you realise. I believe taking codeine which in times past they handed out like smarties, have this warning, along with other medicines with an ability to sedate or alter consciousness.

@iamPickleRick it’s frustrating isn’t it? I had to notify DVLA as soon as I was diagnosed yet have probably had MS for 20years prior and not known. Why am I suddenly an unsafe driver? Yet old people who can’t see and are confused easily can merrily keep driving with no problem! I’ve sent my renewal off to DVLA and have TIL 27th May to get my licence back or I can’t drive! Yet there’s been no change at all in my condition in 3 years.

This is something that many people need to do, as in be honest with themselves, about whether they should be on the road at any age.

I think that if the reason someone shouldn't be on the road is a PHYSICAL infirmity or impairment (especially if it develops fairly rapidly), they are relatively likely to make the right decision.

The issue is that many drivers are being required to make this decision at a point when they are becoming COGNITIVELY impaired as well / in isolation.

The system therefore requires those who are increasingly unable to make such a critical decision to be solely responsible for making it, and that is wrong.

I've had my car written off by an elderly driver who came at me on the wrong side of the road. I stopped in time but he just drove straight at me. Needless to say, the police were called and they later told me that he had handed in his licence.

It isnt an easy call to report someone to the DVLA to have them stopped from driving. FIL's driving is definitely deteriorating, but if we reported him, he would be completely isolated in a village with no shops, no GP and a minimal bus service. He is recently widowed so needs the support network of neighbours and friends around him, which makes moving very difficult. And he really wants to stay where he is until he dies. We just dont know what to do, at the moment its just the odd additional dent in the car, but it will get worse rather than better wont it

I dont think it will become compulsory to re-test - too expensive, older people's votes, and the logical argument that if you are going to test older people, then you should also be re-testing the 17 - 24 age group regularly (particularly males) as they are so dangerous.

Could his neighbours and friends have a rota whereby there is someone he could call each day if he needs a lift?