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Original poster

Prince Philip back on the road

277 replies

Widgeon · 19/01/2019 19:53

I'm annoyed to read that he allegedly has a brand new Range Rover bad is back on public roads without a seatbelt today.

With elderly parents I know it's difficult but he's being a fool. OP post edited by MNHQ

OP posts:
bobo228 · 19/01/2019 23:46

yes,a brand new range rover,it was reported on the news.I wonder if he was breath tested like members of the public would be........yeah right

jacks11 · 19/01/2019 23:48

Also, I think the latest pictures are of him driving on private land? If so, it's got absolutely nothing to do with anyone as you can drive on private land without a licence.

Craft1905 · 19/01/2019 23:49

yes,a brand new range rover,it was reported on the news.

Arrrggghhhh!! The car he crashed wasn't a Range Rover, the new one isn't a Range Rover. FFS....how many fucking times......

jacks11 · 19/01/2019 23:49

Bobo

It was reported that both drivers were breathalysed and both came back negative. For all I know those reports may be untrue, but it is what was reported.

Redyoyo · 19/01/2019 23:52

This is a total witch hunt!
Be honest if you were in an accident and not injured are you all trying to say you wouldn't get back in a car and drive?
Life goes on people have ACCIDENTS every day, and dont get stick like this.
He's been deemed fit to drive, he showed immediate concern for the other people involved. Its not like the man is doing this every week.

tinstar · 19/01/2019 23:54

I think most of the Sandringham Estate is open to the public all year round isn't it? So he may not have been on a public highway, but still a danger to members of the public?

Redyoyo · 19/01/2019 23:55

Also Its definitely not a brand new range rover its a freelander and they stopped making them a few years ago!

Jiggins · 19/01/2019 23:57

This is a total witch hunt!

Donald, is that you?

Birdsgottafly · 20/01/2019 00:00

"So by that logic is it ageist to say a 14 year old can't drive? A 15 year old? There has to be a limit. 97 is a ridiculous age to still be driving,"

Thays a ridiculous argument, you have to be over 17 to drive.

All of the children that I've read about being killed, or cases, such as one's involving Mothers crossing, pushing prams, have all been killed by younger Males. Then you get the pricks in their fancy bigger/expensive vehicles and they tend to turn people into wheelchair users.

But one accident from someone over 75 and everyone says they shouldn't drive again.

Perhaps greater tests are needed.

But I guarantee if you put stop and searches in large cities, you'd take a third of young male drivers off the road, who are drug driving.

When it comes to road safety, as in any safety concerns, its young males that are the issue

bobo228 · 20/01/2019 00:05

Red Yoyo
Of course he would be deemed fit to drive,who would dare accuse him of being otherwise,as Queenie might say.....orf with their head......

PoshPenny · 20/01/2019 00:06

If he was half as bad a driver as people are trying to make him out to be, I'm sure he wouldn't be allowed to drive. His protection officers would refuse to get in the car with him. They are police officers. He might be 97 but there are a lot of elderly people in a far worse physical and mental state than he is. My father is 93, still drives himself about and is absolutely fine. Unlike the old lady I saw in a local car park doing a 3 point turn using the brick walls to know she'd gone far enough ---- Dad and the DofE are the exception to the rule, I accept that. Oh and the car is not a Range Rover, it's a Land Rover Freelander. Much smaller.

SirVixofVixHall · 20/01/2019 00:09

He may be at fault, he may not be. None of us know the facts other than that he and another driver had a collision, on a tricky road known for accidents.
He is a very old man, but it is also possible that the other driver was completely to blame. It isn’t fair to blame anyone at this stage.
And as for driving again, as a pp said, I imagine he is a “back in the saddle” sort of man.
We should wait and find out the facts before making such damning statements about people who have just had a very shaking experience, surely ?

jessstan2 · 20/01/2019 00:10

He's too old to drive at 97, that is evident. He can drive on his private land.

Nothing wrong with a Range Rover, my husband has driven one for years, they are good solid cars - but not for a 97 year old.

There was a programme on telly a couple of years or so ago about '100 year old drivers', they weren't all 100 of course but were very old. Some were seriously dangerous, others not so. The DofE would do well to look at that! I bet his wife has given him an ear bashing.

I do know plenty of people who cannot bear the thought of giving up driving but it comes to all of us eventually.

Schmoobarb · 20/01/2019 00:14

I will craft, I don’t tend to think about it much in my 40s though hence why not mentioning it! I can see my dad’s driving deteriorating already from what it used to be and he’s only in his early 70s, I’m sure he’ll see it too.

Redyoyo · 20/01/2019 00:15

Ffs the man has had one accident!

Jiggins · 20/01/2019 00:16

97 is too old to be driving. The poor chap should just slum it with a chauffeur.

nicoala1 · 20/01/2019 00:22

Whether we like it or not, the RF is beyond any reproach and will never have to appear before the beak.

So what is anyone's answer? If he is treated like any other 97 year old driver what's the problem? Is there a protocol for the age or health of any driver or what? Not that any of the RF would have to worry anyway.

HelenaDove · 20/01/2019 00:28

Mumsnet needs to make their minds up about pensioners . One minute they are well enough to work way past retirement age.

The next they are doddery old farts.

Ginormoustrawberry · 20/01/2019 00:31

This thread is fucking hilarious:

He’s been deemed fit to drive

He showed concern for the people in the other car

It’s been reported that breath tests were negative

THERE WERE NO RANGE ROVERS INVOLVED

Fucking eejits 🙄

HelenaDove · 20/01/2019 00:34

@PoshPenny My dad is 83 this year and is still working as a taxi driver.

redredrobins · 20/01/2019 00:35

I see the passenger from the Kia has gone for her 15 minutes of fame/pocket full of cash by selling her story to the tabloids.
"why hasn't the queen sent me flowers?"

Jiggins · 20/01/2019 00:38

He showed concern for the people in the other car

Why do people keep saying this as though it's some great act of kindness? Bare minimum I'd have thought.

pigsDOfly · 20/01/2019 00:56

I'm on the fence about someone of that age driving tbh as reaction times are going to be pretty slow I imagine.

However, it doesn't appear that he is crashing his car every few weeks and age in itself isn't a reason in law for someone to stop driving.

I know someone in her early 90s who has been having regular bumps and knocks for at least the past 15 years and no one has suggested she stops driving.

Her insurance is through the roof but as far as I can tell as long as she's prepared to keep paying out thousands every year for insurance she'll be permitted to go on driving.

Can't see why Phillip should be treated any differently from someone like this woman, who in my opinion really shouldn't be let loose on the public highway as she clearly is a danger to other road users.

The fact that he's arrogant and privileged and people don't like him, and he's a member of the royal family is completely irrelevant. There are probably thousands of elderly drivers on the road that are no longer as safe as they were but unless the law is changed or their health no longer permits they will be allowed to go on driving. And as far as their health goes that's only down to how honest they are in reporting health problems.

The truth of the matter is there are thousand of young dangerous drivers too. In fact there are drivers of all ages who are dangerous and unless we make every driver take a yearly or even five yearly test we just have to accept that there are some drivers who should just not be allowed to be behind the wheel of a car.

Original poster
Widgeon · 20/01/2019 01:27

This is truly Mumsnet gone mad.

OP posts:
jessstan2 · 20/01/2019 02:12

I'm very pleased no Range Rovers were involved :-). I wonder where that rumour came from, anyway he was driving a car and rolled it. Nobody was severely hurt but I read or heard someone in the other car had a broken arm, had that been me I would have been very unhappy about it.

Prince Philip should not be driving on public roads at his age, no doubt about that. I will ask his wife to have a word.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a storm in a teacup. No worse than Kirstie Allsopp breaking her sons' ipads which was a hanging offence on Mumsnet a few months ago.

Life goes on.