To wonder how on earth they will sentence a 96 year old?!

[dreamer24]

news.sky.com/story/woman-96-admits-causing-death-of-pedestrian-after-she-panicked-and-mounted-the-kerb-13204265

A 96 year old woman killed a woman in her 70s after she lost control of her car. Due to be sentenced on Monday, apparently. It's obviously completely tragic that a woman has died, but I can't imagine a woman who is almost 100 will get a custodial sentence?

She’ll get a suspended sentence. She’s probably already given her licence up.

That’s awful.
People need to retake tests after a certain age in order to keep driving. That poor woman and her family. What the hell is a 96 year old doing behind the wheel
of a car!!??

She carried on driving when she must’ve known her reflexes were slower than necessary. Because of that, another family has been robbed of a loved one.

Age doesn’t make you less guilty of a crime, if you’ve ignored that it makes you less capable in the first place.

I did jury service & the defendant (found guilty) was 90 - he got a custodial sentence.

Her age should not mean the sentence is more lenient. If she was a serial killer, she would not have a suspended sentence due to her age.
A suspended sentence in this case would be due to other factors.

There must have been people around the driver who knew she was unsafe and did not stop her. They’re equally guilty.

I had similar thoughts tbh. I wouldn't be driving at that age, that's for sure.

Where do we draw the line though? Who gets to decide when people are 'too old' to be in possession of a driving licence? And what age should people have to give it up? 70? 75? 80? 85? I know plenty of younger drivers who are poor drivers - and dangerous, and who need their licence taking off them. Conversely, I know plenty of over 75s who are really good safe drivers. Including a few people in their 90s.

We can't just have a blanket rule that says pensioners should stop driving! It's a lifeline for many, being independent with their car, and most are good, safe drivers If over 70s need to re-test every 2-3 years say, then so should everyone else.

Sad for this woman who died of course, and the story is tragic. The 96 y.o. woman can't go to jail, and it's ridiculous for anyone to say she should. But to say all elderly folk should be re-tested every few years (and no-one else should) is just ludicrous.

You cannot possibly know this.

Is it possible to give her a suspended sentence to be turned to custodial if she would ever sit on the driver's seat again?
Is it possible to make her pay to the victim's family?

In my country people have to have a doctor's confirmation since a certain age, so the process would check whether she had one and whether the doctor issuing it followed the law. It isn't about age, it is about ability.

@LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway

Well I've got almost 60 years to go before I reach that age, so you're right I can't possibly know. But I can't imagine my reactions or mobility will be the same as now in my 30s at almost 100! Surely that's just common sense.

But she’s not a serial killer. Death by dangerous driving sentences can be lenient already. Her health which the article says has deteriorated will be a factor. I don’t think anyone would benefit from imprisoning her despite her guilt.

I really hope there will be self driving cars and scooters which will allow us to keep an agency in the older age, so this question will be moot.

The insurance company will pay the family.

@FloydGerhardt

If she knew her health had deteriorated, that is even more reason for her to have stopped driving before things got to this point.

I think everyone should have to retake their test every 10 years.

My parents lived in Spain. They had to have a vision check and a virtual driving test to make sure their reactions were good enough to drive every few years, once they were 70+.
I think that is a good idea.

Nobody is saying there should be a blanket ban on pensioners driving. Just that they should retake their test.

If they are safe to drive, there’s no problem. If they aren’t, better to find that out in a test and not when they plow into a child on a zebra crossing.

I’d have no issue with everyone retaking every 5 years regardless of age, if that makes you feel happier. I don’t think nervous 25 year olds who won’t go above 40 or overtake on a motorway should be driving either.

Yes this. ^ There are bad/dangerous drivers in all age groups.

it isn't a blanket rule to say pensioners should stop driving, it's a blanket rule to check that pensioners are still safe to drive.

most pensioners think they are more capable than they are, look at Trump and Biden.

after age 60 the human brain starts declining in terms of decision-making, and reactions are slower. that's just biology.

Which is why she was prosecuted for death by dangerous driving rather than careless. Too many families are more concerned with their aging family member’s independence than everyone else’s safety. As someone with a medical restriction on my licence since I was 45 I am very aware that I will not drive for many more years because my getting from A to B doesn’t trump everyone else’s safety.

Our prisons are massively overcrowded

The reasons for incarceration should be around public safety and repeat offending

There is no real benefit to sending this person to jail. She will never drive again. She has to live with the consequences of her action.

And yes I know the woman who was killed has a family who deserve justice but I do not think this would be it.

I can absolutely guarantee I would not be driving at this age, should I reach it

It's not just 'people in their 90s' who have the ability to 'plow into children' as you so eloquently put it. The woman who did this in that horrific and tragic incident in Wimbledon was in her mid 40s.

Ageism is alive and well on Mumsnet as per usual. 🙄 The sweeping generalisations about older people on here are disgusting.

I'm out! This type of thread really boils my blood!

To be honest the UK courts seem hesitant to put anyone into prison, I keep reading about rapists getting suspended sentences for example. I’m sure her guilty plea, her acceptance of her low driving standards, culpability etc would have all been done to mitigate the chances of a custodial sentence