Elderly drivers should be tested

[HeidiHoNeighbour]

91 year old killed a 3 year old in Edinburgh.
She’s been arrested.

Where I live (NW London) lots of elderly drivers are scarier than the teens racing.

A woman was killed in Sainsbury’s car park near me and the 80ish year old was upset he’d be late!

I think everyone should be retested every ten years.

My grandad is in his 80s and shouldn’t be on the road. He’s been showing signs of dementia for years and he’s been recently widowed causing him to deteriorate further. Every time I see my mum I ask when they’re going going to tackle his driving but they’re reticent to do it incase it makes him spiral further. It terrifies me that people like my grandad are on the road.

Yanbu. My dh

Unfortunately telling everyone in lockdown not to drive anywhere exacerbated the problem, as not driving for 12 weeks means many people will have lost confidence behind the wheel. Add to that even a gradual diminishment of cognitive abilities and I'm surprised there weren't more accidents once lockdown was lifted.

Can everyone on this thread please go and report their own relatives/neighbours/friends if you think they shouldn't be driving??

That would solve a lot of problems. The DVLA will reassess them and rem9ve licences if necessary.

Ahhh finger slipped.

My dh has a license but hasn't driven in 15 years. Lots of encouragement from friends to just get a rental and practice.

Instead he's retaking lessons. His driving instructor said when he started that he was a hazard on the road. He's slowly getting better

In our area, the police and local authority fund driving assessments to over 65’s. My 80 year old mum does it every couple of years. They go out with a driving instructor and go through a sort of mock test. Not legally binding but at least raises awareness. I agree with you that regular testing throughout life would be good but I’m not sure how practical.

@Jargo who would pay - well the driver like everything else to do with driving....odd question to ask.

It is youngsters followed by over 80s.

Youngesters aren't re-tested no but they have lots of restrictions and limitations placed on them (no way near enough imo), Insurance companies now often require speed limiters, and or data recorders to be fitted as a condition of the insurance. The data recording because a condition of the insurance is that they can only drive between 6am and 8pm.

All that the older generation have is a reapplication where the DVLA check to make sure there’s no registered conditions - so many holes in that though.

I work with the Police btw.

You did sound like you were being a bit of a dick.

OP - great idea, would be beneficial for everyone.

You can report anonymously to the DVLA. All those who know someone who should not be on the road please do this as it may save a life

If the OP is really interested in testing, how about mandatory sight tests after every accident, with swingeing fines for those not wearing relevant sight aids.

Sight test and adjustment on driving licences every five years for all diverse.

Drivers, not diverse.

@SunshineAndButtercups

You can report anonymously to the DVLA. All those who know someone who should not be on the road please do this as it may save a life

This!! I can't understand these people saying their relatives shouldn't be driving and then either wanting someone else to do something or doing nothing! It could save a life!! My grandad started showing strange behaviour (start of dementia in hindsight) wasn't safe behind a wheel of the car. You can't meet a more stubborn man! Reported to his GP, DVLA and took away the car keys in the meantime just incase!

Agree 100%, my parents live in an area with a high % of older people. Driving around there sometimes is like the fucking dodgems. I keep a huge distance from any drivers around there, as usually there is quite a bit veering, no indicating and sudden breaking, unfortunately there has been a few serious accidents near them, including some fatalities. Once in an EMPTY car park (I was the only car as was there before the shops opening), a lady just reversed directly into me, this is with popping my horn repeatedly once I saw her reverse lights come on and luckily moving out of the way in time (just caught the back of my car) as she thought her accelerator was the break. She said she couldn't see me (I drove a bright red family car). She was really upset, and kept asking me to not tell anyone as her family had asked her to stop driving, I felt awful but told her if I hadn't seen her she would have killed my daughter (also in the car)- it was a really upsetting experience all round.

Agree that if you think your elderly relatives shouldn't drive, please report them.

@SunshineAndButtercups

You can report anonymously to the DVLA. All those who know someone who should not be on the road please do this as it may save a life

Definitely.

I totally agree. The renewal form is literally that, just a form and it relies on the honesty of the person completing it.

My dad had dementia and, after he moved into a nursing home I discovered he'd been driving (badly) on an expired licence over the previous two years.

I don't think a retest should necessarily test for 'perfect' driving, just competence and road awareness.

They get license renewed every three years from 70, and any one who'd done it knows it's NOT just a box-tick excercise In between renewals it's compulsory to declare many health conditions to the DVLA, and of course over=70's are pretty likely to attend their GP with new qualifying conditions or have hospital referrals for it. .

www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving

; the DVLA will then insist on medical examinations, and driving fitness tests. I've known plenty of older people whose GP or consultant insisted the DVLA was informed, resulting in a temporary license suspension during assessment, or the license being cancelled for good.

I've

Absolutely agree. My dad was lovely in every way but he had this blind spot about his own driving. Way to fast on the country roads where he lived because he 'knew the roads' the number of times I tried to explain that if there was a broken down vehicle, a child, an animal found the next corner he would hit it.

He died in a single car accident 😔

@Scubalubs87

My grandad is in his 80s and shouldn’t be on the road. He’s been showing signs of dementia for years and he’s been recently widowed causing him to deteriorate further. Every time I see my mum I ask when they’re going going to tackle his driving but they’re reticent to do it incase it makes him spiral further. It terrifies me that people like my grandad are on the road.

people like your grandad are on the road because people like you and your mum do nothing to stop him. He's the one with dementia, you've got no excuse.

I think driving should be much more tightly restricted in general. Far too many people see owning and driving a car (and keeping it parked on the public highway, depriving the community of shared space) as some sort of 'human right', when it is anything but.

There should be much tougher penalties for driving offences - dangerous, drunken, irresponsible driving should mean a life time ban. Don't like it? Tough. Get a bike.

This past week I have had two near misses due to elderly drivers pulling out in front of me at a roundabout. Luckily for them, I could see their intention before they did it (you know that feeling you get when you just KNOW someone is about to move?) and was able to correct my path (slow down/change lane) safely to avoid the accident. I have a dash cam and would have been confident they would have been found at fault for any resulting accident. I think a lot of it is confirmation bias... there are a LOT of poor drivers on the road - anyone can be prone to a lapse in concentration due to fatigue, mind wandering etc which can range from sitting in the middle lane for too long to ultimately possibly killing someone. The answer is continued assessment throughout a person’s driving life, not just a specific age group

My fil stopped driving about two years ago. He was early 70's and recognised himself that his reaction times were getting slow. He hadn't gotten to the point we felt he was unsafe yet (although it was a little frustrating to follow him in the car as he wouldn't move from junction or roundabout as soon/often as he should and would pretty much wait until there was no cars at all).

I'm glad he didn't make us stop him driving and came to the decision himself.

I think most people over 70 should probably stop driving. Even an online hazard perception/reaction test would be a good start.

It is very difficult to get someone off the road. My DF is 86 and has Parkinson’s - his processing is very slow and he moves slowly - he has episodes where he freezes. The DVLA and insurance are aware of his Parkinsons - I have reported my concerns to his GP, his consultant, the Parkinsons Nurse and the community nurse. I have also spoken to him and my mother directly. He is still driving. He has full capacity but is (and always has been) extremely selfish. TBF someone organised some sort of driving assessment but that was cancelled due to Covid.

I agree my Mother had to be forced out of driving, at 84 with Alzheimer's, as soon as we noticed something wasn't right, diagnosis followed some years later. She hadn't actually ever had an accident herself but I'm sure she caused many.

I lived at that time on a very busy stretch of road, she just used to pull out, 'they don't think I'm going to wait forever do they' to the scream of tyres and honking of horns. Going round every roundabout in the outside lane, 'I'm not getting into that bloody mess in the middle'

I agree! My Dad still has his licence but no way is he safe to drive. He has multiple health issues and is weak but the online renewal form, which I was sure would be our way of getting the car off him, allowed his issues to fall between the questions and he got a renewal. However my brother and I have taken the car off him and put it on his drive and SORN'd it. Dads not happy but he and other road users are safe!

My dad was a dangerous menace in the car, but because he could self-certify as being fit to drive, nobody could stop him.

Older drivers should be tested.

@Wankpuffin from your description your Dad sounds fine. You should anticipate that lights will change.