To think that too many people are in denial that they should not drive?

[Onomatofear]

I hear about countless examples of elderly people or people with health problems getting behind the wheel of a car when they shouldn't be. Why do they do it?

I remember my dh's granddad doing it. Now it's my dad. He's 78 and can barely walk without falling over and he refuses to accept that he shouldn't be on the road. About 6 months ago, he accidentally drove over a pedestrian island thinking it was an actual road. I pointed out to my mum that him being old wouldn't count as a defence. She still gets in the car with him(!)

And before you say why don't I report him, it's easy to say but I've reported someone before for the same sort of thing and he figured out it was me and went mad at me. It's even more difficult to report your own parent.

No one will be phoning them for a lift in an emergency will they. That’s a big assumption. Even the elderly provide support to their friends. And my DH (80s) most certainly would be phoned for a lift in an emergency by DC.

DP reported his Grandad to the DVLA because he started having absence seizures. He had no idea he was having them and would vehemently deny it even when we had just watched him have one. He would suddenly trail off mid-conversation, stare at the wall for 30 seconds and then resume. No memory of it. Wouldn’t go to the doctor so DP reported him for everyone’s safety. He had his licence suspended and had his first grand mal seizure a week later. Luckily that DID prompt him to see his GP.

That could never happen.
The waiting time for tests is ready so long.
You'd need way more test centres and way more driving examiners, which is unlikely.

And would these additional tests be free? Who would pay for them? Or would driving simply be something only the wealthy could do?

They'd also need to be a massive improvement in public transport systems across the whole country - not just in big cities - for those who can't afford to keep resitting tests.

It would help if my mum would be willing to stop him. She is the one who will be most angry if I report him.

Ultimately, she could stop renewing his insurance. Or even hide the car keys! She was even under the impression that elderly drivers get let off for being old!

I'm going to send her some articles about the poor children and people who were killed by unfit drivers. Sending her things to read works better than talking as she just starts shouting.

There are a lot of teenagers, 20yo, 30yo 40yo etc. People who shouldn't drive but they do

Why does being in your 70s and older make a difference?

There was a tv programme on about 7 or 8 years ago (cannot remember which channel though) about elderly drivers retaking their test. Maybe it's worth finding it watching it with your relative and then having The Conversation.

It is not just older people. There should be an end to self-declarations that you are fit to drive.

Start with eye tests regularly throughout your life if you hold a driving licence.

I know the new / young drivers are responsible for the most crashes. But I think if it was calculated per mile, as older people tend to pootle around villages or towns, I don't think there would be a lot in it. In fact I'm pretty sure I did see some stats supporting this somewhere, I'll try and have a look.

I was T Boned by an 87 year old, on a clear sunny day with no obstructions on a 60 mile an hour road. Once she hit me, she also just kept going pushing my car to the other side of the road. After what seemed forever she eventually got off the gas and reversed.

So the reaction time to even stop driving into me AFTER she crashed, was abysmal.

She was back on the road in her husbands car. I have reported her, no idea if it did anything.

I saw an elderly man drive down a whole trip of bollards in Tesco as he 'thought it was the way out'
I have a zebra crossing just outside my house, elderly pootle through it all the time with children crossing for school. The town is petitioning a lolly pop lady because of it.

Elderly woman crashed into the dry cleaners shop in my town too recently.

My town is predominantly 1 way. Elderly drivers going through the wrong way happens weekly, at least.

There is a problem with young drivers speed, but the crashes caused in the town are nearly always elderly.

Yes they don't want to 'give up their independence' (put things in place, plan taxi's, family share the load, move to a more populated area with good public transport)

But it shouldn't be at the expense of the general publics safety.

Whenever I'm on the M3 / M25, it's always the elderly trundling along about 2cm away from the steering wheel in lane two doing 50mph, refusing to get over to lane one.

Either elderly in a Honda Jazz or taxi drivers in a Prius.

I saw this!

Their reaction times were appalling.

At least with young drivers their cognitive / reaction results will be far quicker.

Doesn't excuse the speeds some of them drive at for sure.

I do think mandatory testing should be done every 5 years from age 70.

Some would say 'I'm fit as a fiddle and I don't need one' well then you'll pass with flying colours.
The tick box of reapplying for your license is not fit for practice.

Never made a driving error yourself? Driving over a pedestrian island is bad but I've seen many younger drivers make far, far more serious errors, drive while texting and there are lots of arrests for driving under the influence or drink and drugs. Young drivers have more accidents, statistically they are higher risk - will you take them off the roads too? https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-older-and-younger-driver-factsheets-2021/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-younger-driver-factsheet-2021

If he has trouble walking he'll be keener to drive. Encourage him to use a mobility scooter and have a taxi fund.

I really couldn't do nothing about this just to safeguard my inheritance. I couldn't have it on my conscience. If your father injures or kills someone, will it have been worth keeping schtum and sitting on your hands?

I've tried encouraging him to use a mobility scooter. He won't hear of it. Of course there are other dangerous drivers of all ages. I think there are a number of drivers who don't even have a license.

In my county there is a voluntary scheme where elderly drivers (over 65) take an assessor out on a drive and are given an assesment of their capabilities . It has no legal standing but, at least , provides an external pressure if their driving is bad.

My parents in law next door neighbour alerted us to how bad my FIL driving was. My partner didn’t want to do anything about it until my FIL wanted us to help renew his licence and he hadn’t put down his cataracts or memory loss. By this point my MIL was directing where he should steer. We put down the memory loss etc on form and as far as we know his license was renewed.

We reported to GP who got them in asked my MIL did she feel safe , she said yes and that was it!

At this point I was agitating to take the keys away . My MIL had dementia , my FIL had bad eyesight, memory loss etc but my partner said they never drove far and it would destroy my FIL. My FIL passed away shortly afterwards but the car was a wreck from the various battle scars it acquired.. I thank God that no one got hurt.

When we moved we moved to somewhere with good transport links and amenities and even now use public transport a lot. My parents in law never would. It is a problem as where I used to work was close to a pharmacy and there were many accidents involving the elderly who had just picked up their scripts.

Horrible position to be in, dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t.
My DM is 92 and only stopped driving recently after some falls.
Doctor was happy for her to drive locally but DM took that as driving where she felt comfortable.
Her biggest worry when she stopped was how she would get to church! Church is 5 minutes away and no taxi would take her as too close.
She has now been diagnosed with a life limiting illness as a result of her falls and her minister comes to her.
I am glad she made the decision for herself though. Very difficult if they don’t.

My mum gave up driving entirely of her own accord and gave her car to my DB, a few years before she was diagnosed with dementia. She then forgot she’d done this and accused us of taking the car and imprisoning her in her house.

I’m now 63 and still perfectly capable. I hope my automatic car and satnav will keep me driving for a good few years yet!

Other areas may do something similar https://www.olderdrivers.org.uk/driver-assessment/self-assessment/

I agree OP I live in an area of high retirement/elderly people and the driving from them is abysmal (not saying younger drivers are any better but they should improve), they drive at 30 everywhere which causes tailbacks and people to take risky manoeuvres trying to get past (fair enough if the weather is bad but this is on good clear days as well), slamming brakes on for no reason, slowing down when cars are passing them in the opposite direction, pulling out of junctions in front of me when im going the speed limit and then don’t speed up. And as another poster pointed out 9 times out of 10 they are driving massive SUVs that they can barely see over the steering wheel and have to be right up at them.

Independence and an actual enjoyment of driving? My mum will happily give up her license however I can never imagine my dad doing it as his car is also a hobby. Acceptance or ignorance of the risk also goes along with it. I think as you get older you accept dying more easily and maybe they don't consider they could kill someone.

Maybe it's time cars with driving aids or a retest was mandated for older drivers. But what's old?

Might just buy my dad an XC90 when he gets older.

My df used to drive quite a powerful car, I persuaded him to get a smaller more manageable car, when that got too much, he didn’t got out as much, but he had a fall and that stopped him driving for good and walking. To my mum’s relief as she used to be scared in the car when he was driving.

My mum lives in a well-known "retirement town" near the welsh border. The driving round there is shocking!
She's reported a couple of people over the years - including a friend who managed to hit a wall when reversing off their own driveway, of the house they'd lived in for 40 years.

We've agreed that I'll tell her when I think the time has come to dial back on the driving. She's 69 and we're not there yet, but it might be within the next decade.

Surely a church is a community that helps each other? Would none of these church goers pick her up?

One solution would be black boxes for everyone over a certain age.
Does insurance cost leap up with older drivers?

While I do agree that some elderly drivers shouldn't be behind the wheel, I think it's a bit off to sit there as a young, capable driver and say "well, if I were him, I'd happily stop driving". It's so easy to say that when you're not in that situation.

Giving up your independence is really scary and upsetting for many people, especially when you've driven your entire life and suddenly find yourself facing a future where you rely on other people for all your needs.

I completely agree that we'd need more test centres and examiners. Those would be paid for by the test fee. Of course, the test fee would be paid by the pupil. Driving is a privilege, not a right.