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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think a cometency driving test should be done at retirement-ish age?

133 replies

hidinginthenightgarden · 18/03/2019 06:57

A few weeks ago I read about a crash caused by an old lady who tried to over take a tractor but couldn't go fast enough and ended up knocking a lady off her bike. Her husband then ran over his wife and killed her. It was one of many incidents I have heard of where people of a certain age cannot drive fast enough (or safe enough) to be on the roads. Yesterday I saw a man on the motorway doing 50mph in a brand new landrover. My own Grandfather gave up driving on the motorway when he felt uncomfortable driving the required speed - sensible, but others will not want to lose their "freedom" so won't make such decisions.
Shouldn't there be some sort of competency test around age 65/70 to test you are still able to see far enough, drive fast enough on a motorway and so on? Or if deemed fairer, maybe we should all have to do one every 10 years until we reach 65 and then it becomes every 5 years?

OP posts:
havingtochangeusernameagain · 18/03/2019 07:18

No I think 50 something male Audi drivers are most in need of it.

AuntieCJ · 18/03/2019 07:20

Keep your ageist shite to yourself, OP. Statistics will tell you that older people are safer drivers than young people, they have fewer accidents. Maybe not let people drive until they are 30?

Chickenvindasaag · 18/03/2019 07:21

Totally agree OP

Original poster
hidinginthenightgarden · 18/03/2019 07:22

Auntie CJ young people are shit drivers because they are arseholes, not because they genuinely cannot see far enough, drive fast enough.
I do actually think that they should increase the age limit and that they should say no back seat passengers for the first 12-18 months. This would stop young drivers showing off to their mates!

OP posts:
TheSultanofPingu · 18/03/2019 07:22

I think that all driver's should have to take one every ten years.

LizzieSiddal · 18/03/2019 07:23

No, the vast majority of deaths in the road are caused by young people. They should have more conditions placed in them. Not people who have driven for years and have a lot of experience.

Also if you want to highlight “risk”, men are much more likely to cause accidents so test them more frequently too.

Redlocks28 · 18/03/2019 07:25

A few weeks ago I read about a crash caused by an old lady who tried to over take a tractor but couldn't go fast enough and ended up knocking a lady off her bike. Her husband then ran over his wife and killed her.

I don’t understand this accident at all-was it all one incident?

My retirement age is 68, so should I have a competency test for my job as well? What happens if I fail?

AuntieStella · 18/03/2019 07:25

Yes, and I read about some appalling motorway driving by someone in their 20s, and a very nasty school run incident wth a driver in her 30s

You need to discard the anecdotes, and look at th actual database.

The insurance industry is nit known for either benevolence of political correctness. Older drivers are cheaper to insure. They have fewer accidents, and those they do are generally less serious.

If your aim is to have safer roads, then ditch the ageism, use the industry data and have a more rigorous driving test in the first place to make younger drivers, where the actual problem is, better drivers at the outset.

Shortandsweet96 · 18/03/2019 07:25

Yep I agree.
The amount of old people that have pulled out on me and said they couldn't see.

Ive even had to park, and get a lady out of a parking space because she admitted she was too old to look freely while she was backing out and reversing.

Also agree young people cause a lot of accidents showing off.

Flobochin · 18/03/2019 07:29

I wonder if at 60 the IP would like all people put out to grass?

Flobochin · 18/03/2019 07:29

What about all those over 60's taking care of their grandchildren? Round them up and shoot them perhaps.

Original poster
hidinginthenightgarden · 18/03/2019 07:30

Red locks- wife and husband on motorbikes, him behind her, old lady knocks lady off bike, she rolls towards her husband who cannot stop in time and runs over his wife killing her.
And no, unless your job is driving a lorry or something you should have to do one for your job. And if you fail, then it would depend on what you failed on. Can’t see far enough? Time to stop driving. Can’t drive at 60 on the motorway (still a bit too slow) then time to stop using the motorway!

OP posts:
nometal · 18/03/2019 07:31

Agree that nobody should be allowed to drive unaccompanied by an experienced older driver before they are 35 at least. That would drastically reduce accidents based on current statistics.

Or maybe just look at the bigger picture and accept that older drivers aren't actually the menace the newspapers make them out to be.

Original poster
hidinginthenightgarden · 18/03/2019 07:32

Flobochin, if they are driving children around then surely that is even more reason to check people are safe drivers?
I wouldn’t want a partially sighted grandparent driving my kids around!

OP posts:
SmellsLikeAdultSpirit · 18/03/2019 07:32

Aibu to say a spelling test should be taken before being allowed on mumsnet?

Buggeritimgettingup · 18/03/2019 07:32

Nah Flobochin the Inuits had the right idea Wink

Original poster
hidinginthenightgarden · 18/03/2019 07:33

No metal- I haven’t read anything in the papers, but 9/10 when I am on the motorway stuck behind someone who is going less than 60- it is an elderly driver.

OP posts:
Flobochin · 18/03/2019 07:33

You're being utterly ridiculous OP

Come back when you're 60 and let's see what you have to say then.

goldengummybear · 18/03/2019 07:34

I think that people should at least have mandatory vision tests for driving purposes every 5-10 years.

Going too slow causes accidents too.

Tinkerbell456 · 18/03/2019 07:34

Believe that here in Australia, it’s an annual practical test after 70 years or so. Seems reasonable. How Prince Phillip was still driving at 95 amazes me! I imagine it is hard to give up that independence, but there are alternatives out there for elderly people.

Original poster
hidinginthenightgarden · 18/03/2019 07:37

Flobochin- if u am suggesting this then I obviously know it would be applied to me- I am okay with that! I think people are the last to believe their reactions have slowed down or that their eyesight isn’t what is was. If they said tomorrow that people had to take a competency test every 10 years, I would be fine with that.
I would also reduce the number of points allowed for new drivers to stop them pissing about. 3 points max in the first year or you get suspended for a month.

OP posts:
k1233 · 18/03/2019 07:38

I think EVERY time someone, regardless of age, renews their licence they should do a written and practical driving test. Why, you may ask. Because road rules evolve over the decades. Just look at roundabouts and the number of people who cannot drive through them correctly. If you're in a skills based profession you have to do continual education to stay current with rules. The same should go for driving.

Flobochin · 18/03/2019 07:41

How are you going to police all those over 60 foreign truck drivers OP?

Original poster
hidinginthenightgarden · 18/03/2019 07:41

K1233 - Fair point. I agree with you there.

OP posts:
MsChookandtheelvesofFahFah · 18/03/2019 07:48

What is wrong with 60 on the motorway? If you are 'stuck' behind them, why are you not reading the road and overtaking before you get in that position? If they are in the wrong lane then that is a different matter but there is no reason why 50 or 60 aren't reasonable speeds. I think towing a caravan is 60 limit anyway. People forget that driving is a means of getting from A to B. Not getting from A to B as fast as you can.