Duke of Edinburgh’s Road Accident

[SirGawain]

AIBU to ask why on earth is the Duke of Edinburgh driving at the age of 97.

My DF was born in 1931 & did his "test" in the army during national service.

He had to drive round a corner & do a hill start.

Plenty of stories from that time, but none involved Motorways

Tbf if your unlucky enough to get in a road accident that wasn’t your fault ... but walk away with minor injuries you Would be lucky it was a member of the royal family at fault 🙈imagine the absolute joy of those phone people “ I have heart you have been in a car accident that wasn’t your fault in the last 3 years “ they would think that had one the lottery !

I wouldn't be getting into a vehicle driven by a 97 year old....but I'm terrified of driving with my 17YO too.

Very glad to hear he's not injured, and neither was anyone else, although the shock will take its toll on him.

I find it very difficult to believe that someone of that age has walked out of a crash like that without any lasting effects. I doubt we'll be told of any though, and rightly so.
My brother has been involved in two very serious crashes, and in both he was extremely lucky to have survived at all. The firemen who cut him out of the second one said that the most common cause of death in such accidents was shock/heart failure. Prince Philip perhaps has a very strong heart.

Out of interest, do you think if he had caused the accident and killed someone, he'd have gotten arrested/jailed? Or are the royal family above being arrested?

--Can you tell I hate the useless entitled bunch?

(Apart from Kate and William who actually seem like nice people)--

Weirdly enough I had a dream last night that Prince Philip had died and I was quite shocked when I saw that headline glad no-one was badly injured.

My Dad was born in 1924 and was another one who didn't take a driving test as he'd driven in the army in WW2.

My Mum's 88 and is very sharp for her age - most people think she's much younger. She's fine to drive and only does short journeys in her local area - takes public transport for longer trips or to go into city centres. DH's Dad is 82 and had to give up driving last year - he wasn't safe at all - everyone is different. Personally I think all drivers should be re-tested every 10 years.

I don't think that "short journeys in the local area" are necessarily any safer than others. That's what my dad used to say, but the actual journey into town (2 miles) involved one of the busiest roundabouts and dual carriageways in the county. He'd have been better off on a motorway, driving in a straight line.

I suppose it depends on your local roads and how busy they are - the routes are familiar though so there's no getting distracted looking for road signs.

He is too old to be driving - and has no need to. Lots of very old people drive 'locally' as if it's safer - despite the facts most accidents happen within a couple of miles of your own home.
I've seen lots of older drivers crawling along roads at around 20 - 23 mph. It shows their insecurity, poor reaction times and hesitancy - and causes other drivers to overtake them just to get out of 2nd gear. Bonkers.

Driving tests were introduced in 1935, suspended during the war and then brought back in. Whether the DoE took one or not, he's been driving for around 80 years without an accident from what we have heard.

He's known for normally stopping doing things once he realises he's not good enough, or could attract criticism for doing it (he gave up flying at 55), so I think he was still careful enough to drive locally.

This may not have been his fault, we'll have to wait to find out.

The DM is now reporting that two people were taken to hospital (but have since been discharged).

I smell a big fat lawsuit looming!

It also reports that both drivers were breathalysed at the scene and were negative.

Out of interest, do you think if he had caused the accident and killed someone, he'd have gotten arrested/jailed? Or are the royal family above being arrested?

I think so. Why not? Princess Anne was convicted under the Dangerous Dogs Act when her dog bit a person - a child, but that makes no difference.

Because of the publicity around the accident I guess Prince Philip might be charged with a driving offence if it was his fault and a prosecution was in the public interest. It does seem quite spectacular.

Of course there are those people who are convinced he killed Princess Diana and got away with it

I smell a big fat lawsuit looming!

You've been watching too much American TV.

I doubt it'll get that far. They'll get it settled privately and all tied up with a lovely NDA. It doesn't look like there'll be any dispute over liability and, even if there were, doubt they'd want to put him through the stress of it dragging on or investigations.

@limitedperiodonly that's good at least, what a nightmare, he really shouldn't be driving at that age with his health issues recently. Most 97 year olds aren't exactly in the best place mentally!

@TheCraicDealer lmao put him through the 'stress' 😂 if you do something wrong, that's considered serious enough to be arrested (which it doesn't seem like this is atm, but if it was) then I'm sorry, but that's the law! If it would be so 'stressful' for him he shouldn't be driving!

God I hate the royals... why do we still have them in this day and age? It's so medieval.

Mmmm - I wouldn’t like to be the person who tells him he can’t drive any more!😳😂😂😂

So.……………..a very elderly man had a Road Traffic Accident, in which nobody was seriously hurt, (Thank Goodness). It happens every day.
I expect that Prince Philip will choose to no longer drive.
As a determined independent person, he kept up with his hobby of "Carriage Driving", until...…..the Seventies, I think? Then his carriage overturned, and he stopped.
When I was a working Police Officer (a million years ago) I frequently had to persuade elderly drivers to surrender their licenses.
Some Norfolk Police Officer may be detailed to do the same with The Duke of Edinburgh. I do not envy him. Were it to be me, I think I would have delegated my conversation to my Chief Constable!

I had to wrestle my Mothers driving license off her at 83 with dementia, she was going to Tesco's in the car, forgetting about car and going home on the bus, then remembering the car in the middle of the night and walking to fetch it !

I heard that he pulled out into a main road, and hit an oncoming car, he really shoulden't be driving. Hope the other people involved were ok. I don't think personally, he was meant to drive on a main road, he might have taken a wrong turning.

@waterplease I'm talking about a claim from the people in the other car as referenced in the post or two before mine, not criminal charges this is an 97 year old man who, if reports are true, is severely ill. He probably shouldn't be driving, but if it's accepted he made an error then I see no reason to put him and the others involved through a protracted civil case to prove a point.

@waterplease I'm talking about a claim from the people in the other car as referenced in the post or two before mine, not criminal charges  this is an 97 year old man who, if reports are true, is severely ill. He probably shouldn't be driving, but if it's accepted he made an error then I see no reason to put him and the others involved through a protracted civil case to prove a point.

@TheCraicDealer ooooh I get you! Sorry!

Prince Philip still drives his carriages around the grounds of Windsor - and gives way to no-one!