To think that maybe elderly drivers need to re take their driving test?

[lonelyonee]

Title is to grab attention although not far off my point. (Long post sorry!).
My AIBU is AIBU to think that if you are driving on the roads which are mostly 30 mph that you should be indeed doing or at the very least near to the speed limit?
I'm sure it is still classed as a minor on your driving test if you are going too slow in a particular speed zone right?

Driving on my way home just, I was stuck behind a car who was being driven by an elderly male. That's fine if he can drive safely (I've seen 100 year old drivers & am aware some are fantastic!). My issue is he was driving EXTREMELY slow, sporadically 25mph then slowing down to around 10mph at points where there was no need to slow down or go that slow. So as this is happening I'm obviously having to slow right down almost to a stop with tonnes of traffic behind me. That's fine, annoying but it's not forever as long as the person behind me is paying attention.
What really made me angry (and made me alert them to being dangerous with my horn) was that he sped up quite a lot on the approach and to go around a very small roundabout with very high visibility to then whack his breaks on as soon as he got around it (not indicating to turn into anywhere or pull over). Obviously I then had to also do the same, and so did the cars behind me.
Now I'm not being funny but it's very dangerous for me to be doing stops like that as I am currently pregnant and it worries me driving with the seatbelt being across my bump area (I do tuck it as far down as possible but it's still a worry for me).
I was not going excessively fast, in fact I was going fairly slow as I was now used to him also going very slowly & was taken aback when he sped up.
The response I had from him and what I presume was his wife was her waving her hand at me as though I was in the wrong.
I have a feeling he was purposely brake checking me here.

Now being pregnant and hormonal I'm aware I may be being unreasonable (hence this post) but to just pop the icing on the cake they had to little stickers in their back window. One read: "I hope your insurance is as good as your brakes" and the other something regarding tailgating.
Makes me wonder if he is a serial slow driver and often gets people alerting him to his dangerous driving? Or they do this for fun in rush hour traffic?

Final question off the back of this to stimulate debate, should pensioners have to re take their test when they reach a certain age? After experiencing this I believe they do indeed.
Thanks for reading. I look forward to your responses/thoughts etc...

State retirement age will be 68

Employment retirement age no longer exists. So if you are healthy, you can drive taxi, bus, lorry etc
People also volunteer when they retire

People are living longer

Actually I agree me and 2 of my children were in a serious car accident last year I came round a corner on a country road to find a car on the wrong side of the road she was 86 and had no idea she even kept denying it was her fault. Her bumper was under my car on my side of the road. I still have flashbacks am really scared of driving but I have no choice where we live. It. Also left us massively out of pocket as the car was only 5 days old we couldn't get the same car for the same money anywhere we had driven a long way to get that one! I've had a lot of experiences with older neighbours bad driving too. So far this year he's been involved in 3 crashed 2 near misses and hit next doors parked car. I could be biased though as I grew up bloody terrified of having to get in the car with my mums uncle and he was a liability I genuinely feared for my life from the second I got into the car his car looked as though it had survived an apocalypse!

The problem won't exist in the future with robotic self drive electric cars

Hopefully I'll be living in a situation where I am not wholly dependent on my car to be independent. Yes, well that's likely isn't it? Even where I am, in the suburbs of a large city, the only public transport takes you into the centre of the city (timetabled at 1 hr for a 9 mile journey). Want to go 3 miles around the circumference? - bus into the centre and bus out again. Want to go into the country? Forget it. As long as we have a public transport system which is totally inadequate, and a belief system that the only need for a person in their 70s is to get to a shop and the doctors, we'll have people tempted to carry on driving longer than they should.

If we're moving towards the technology for self driving cars, we should have the technology for assisted driving cars, to reduce the chances of accidents. Lets hope it comes sooner than later.

Just because there are many bad young drivers doesn't mean that there shouldn't be rules in place to ensure older people are safe to drive. I don't know what the answer is, self declaration doesn't work because too many people think they're good drivers or if they do to know they're not as good they feel they need to drive or don't want to admit they're losing the ability to drive safe.

Maybe everyone should be have to do a medical every so often or when they reach certain birthdays? Or a test.

Those saying about younger drivers, there's also a lot of debate about that taking about curfews, black boxes with speed limiters etc. The problem with those is that is punishes the law abiding young people who need to be out at night to work etc. I suspect there's no perfect solution.

Making everyone do a test every few years won’t stop shit driving - having a lot more Police might.

I drive a fit bit for work (12k miles pa) and see all sorts of terrible driving. Observationally, aggressive drivers are nearly always male, slow drivers are nearly always over 70, those not wearing seatbelts are nearly always male and driving transit vans and those who struggle to park are females in very large SUVs!! So there are all sorts of poor driving habits and trends on the roads. I’m sure I’m not perfect! I completely agree with the concept of retesting, perhaps every 10 years up to the age of 70 and every 5 years thereafter.

I completely agree with the concept of retesting, perhaps every 10 years up to the age of 70 and every 5 years thereafter.
What difference do you think retesting would make to all the shit driving?

I think everyone should retake their test every few years.

This would be a nightmare. You can be perfectly competent at driving, with a long, unblemished record, but awful at taking tests. It would be incredibly stressful, the stress compounded by the consequences of failure if you live somewhere with particularly dire public transport options, as the results would determine your mobility and independence, and possibly your ability to keep your job. This is one thing as a youth likely living at home with parents who can be a taxi service if necessary, but quite another for someone older and running a household. No thanks. Fortunately it’s extremely unlikely to happen.

Retaking your test after an unsafe-driving conviction (as can happen now) regardless of age, seems like a better idea.

This.

DM says she drives everywhere at 20-30mph because she just does not know what the limits are on various roads where we live anymore

I was hit earlier this year by an elderly male who just didn’t stop at a junction and went straight into me, have been left with awful injuries that may end up being lifelong and a lot of mental pain, you should have to retake your test once you get to 70 and then every 5 years from then

@BackInTime can you not report your DM.It would be awful if she ad an accident that could be prevented.

And just because younger males have more accidents,doesnt give some elderly drivers a free pass.

Statistically, I believe the most dangerous drivers are males in their 20s.

I understand you got a fright at him braking on roundabout but that is the point of travelling at a correct stopping distance; to prevent hitting the car in front, sounds like you were too close and already frustrated. I do 30,000+ miles per annum for work and the unsafe drivers are; under 25s, large car drivers, elderly; in that order. Under 25s I find girls are the worst; distracted, no spacial awareness, almost as if they don’t realise they’re in charge of a vehicle. Big car guys (and women)are just arrogant selfish arseholes, the elderly; loss of confidence and awareness.

@BackInTime
If that’s the case your DM should not be driving, she’s a danger to herself, pedestrians and other car users.

Everyone should retested every 10 years.

I'm in two minds about this. My grandparents (both 84) are still very active. Their car is their freedom. A lot of us in the family own caravans and they often come visit us for a night and then leave the following day because they have the means to do so. They go to all their own appointments. They visit friends and family.

BUT, I've sat at the side of my grandad when he's driving. He rarely comes out of second gear. His Micra is literally screaming at him to change gear. He drives exactly on the speed limit but often below. He hesitates massively at roundabouts and won't move out of the inside lane on the motorway.

I know if he was asked to resist his test, he would fail. My grandma also has her licence but hasn't driven now in over ten years. But the last time she did, it was to take my grandad to hospital when he was having a heart attack because the ambulance was going to be over an hour. So she saved his life. But she too would fail her test, and I know she would never now willingly drive if she really didn't need to.

So, they both fail their test and their freedom is gone. This would be really detrimental to their mental health, so I'd not want them to lose it.

@alwayscauseastir sorry, so you admit your grandparents wouldn’t pass their test therefore are not safe drivers, but want them to keep their licenses? How utterly selfish of you and them. I hope to god they never cause a serious accident or kill someone.

Maybe in his thinking you were to close even though you were not. So therefore was trying to get you to increase the distance between you both. Maybe he feels safer if the car behind has more than the legal stopping distance for the road conditions. Not saying he was right just trying to think of a reason for his sudden halt

Predictability is the key to being safe on the roads, you need to drive as a reasonable person would expect, so 70 on a dry sunny dual carriageway, not 45, that's going to have an HGV up your arse pretty quickly. If your car is in limp mode, put your hazards on and let people know you know you are a hazard. Slower on it's own isn't safer as some (mainly the elderly and other shite drivers) will have you try to believe. If you are overly nervous or hesitant, or cant process the amount of information you need to at a speed that lets you drive in the vicinity of the speed limit on most roads (rural possibly the exception, as NSL 60 isn't always appropriate) then maybe driving isn't for you. It's not a right.

@alwayscauseastir
What a selfish attitude, so his want to drive is more important than everyone else’s safety? He’s 84 if he stops driving then the family will need to step up and help; which I think is the main reason ppl won’t report dangerous elderly drivers because selfishly they don’t want to help the person. Disgraceful attitude.

Non driving can take away some independence

Which has absolutely no business being considered as a relevant factor here. Driving isn't a right and people who can't drive safely should not be doing it. I'm sure it would be detrimental to some elderly people's quality of life not to be allowed to drive anymore. Wouldn't do much for theirs or that of anyone involved if they killed someone either.

I agree with OP but would probably go further with retesting every 10 years before perhaps 70, then more regularly thereafter. There would no doubt still be shit drivers who got through this process, but it would eliminate some who simply aren't able to do it anymore.

I've only just turned 50 but we planned our last house move so that in the future we can manage most things without a car or by using taxis for short journey. I know this isn't for everyone but its something people need to think about. When my FIL dies my MIL will struggle to be active as she doesn't drive and there is so little public transport. I wish FIL hadn't been so resistant to moving to somewhere with more facilities.

Maybe in his thinking you were to close even though you were not. So therefore was trying to get you to increase the distance between you both. Maybe he feels safer if the car behind has more than the legal stopping distance for the road conditions. Not saying he was right just trying to think of a reason for his sudden haltz

If he thought the op was too close,he shouldnt have just jammed on then.I dont know why people are making this to be the ops fault.

She didnt crawl around a roundabout and then just stop.

You should be leaving enough gap between you and the car in front so you can stop. If you think doing an emergency Stop is going to injure you or your baby then maybe you shouldn't be driving.?