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?

My brother is 72 and runs up mountains. ( in races). His coordination is still excellent. I do think if everyone took some form of test over 55 it would be beneficial though.

They can be held responsible for allowing her to get behind the wheel of a car. A car is a weapon in the hands of those who are too old to drive. Some time ago I helped at a day centre. We had an elderly man suffering dementia. His wife used to bring him and collect him later.
One day I was looking out of the window when I saw the wife park the car and got out. Then she set off in the opposite direction towards her house. Now I suppose you could argue that she had every intention of leaving him there, but no.

When I raised the alarm she was brought back. Turned out she was really no much better than he, yet she had been driving him around for a long time.
In that case I doubt if their children would have noticed too much if they were used to them, and if the wife did not go to the surgery much, it could have been missed, but if she accompanied her husband to his appointments, it should have been noticed.

If she had had an accident, would she have been entirely to blame if she killed someone?

I think the correct judgement was given although I can see from this thread that public perception is going the way of no one ever being able to make a mistake and that everyone even slightly involved (including friends and family apparently) needs their life completely ruined as some sort of revenge. It's an absolute tragedy what happened but she is at the very end of her life and obviously has huge regret and remorse over it so I don't see the point in jailing her. Honestly some people act like she got in the car that day knowing she was going to kill someone.

"Honestly some people act like she got in the car that day knowing she was going to kill someone."

You could say the same about someone who causes death by drink driving though?

Yes - she may not have known that she was going to kill somebody that specific day, but it was entirely predictable that if she couldn’t see and couldn’t walk she was going to have an accident at some point. That is the issue - she should have known she was entirely unfit to drive.

I think as something that could be introduced ASAP that when people renew their licence they should have an eye check.

there is a thread about that on here somewhere - most people seemed to think it was not a viable option

In my post I was referring to killing someone. To drive a car under influence of drink and drugs or extreme old age and do not report them should be a criminal offence.
This elderly 96 year old should not have been driving. People know if they are fit to drive. A DUI arrest is probably not the first time the person has driven drunk. If she is on medication, or her legs cannot press the break fast enough, then she is a danger to all, and the person who helps her get to the car should be punished too.

What I don't understand is why a life time ban hasn't been handed out - why 5 years and why hasn't the person handed their licence back and said they'll never drive again?

Because the ban has to be consistent with other people with the same crime. If you make it unduly harsh it can be open to appeal.

Reality, the odds of her outliving the ban has to be fairly low.

I think the problem can be self-awareness.
My late aunt was as sharp as a tack mentally right to the end of her long life, but realised that her physical reactions were slowing down to the extent that she should not be driving any more.
My friend's family, on the other hand, had a really tricky time convincing their DM that the ever-increasing frequency of minor bumps and scrapes were not just bad luck; fortunately, no serious harm ensued before physical infirmity intervened, but at one stage, my friend's DH was seriously considering quietly "nobbling" the car.......

5 years is the minimum ban, I don’t understand how anything higher than that would be “unduly harsh”.

Where are all the extra examiners and centres coming from

a mistake? This is a death.

She has handed her licence back, immediately after the accident

the sentencing declared a 5 year ban, thus my query on that point

Honestly some people act like she got in the car that day knowing she was going to kill someone.

probably due to the fact its far more likely as the human body gets to 90 years this instance is a lot more expensive at this age

Where are all the extra examiners and centres coming from
first port of call would be a simulation test, why should anybody have to go out in a car with a 70, 80 or 90 year old until they have been proven capable of actually being able to drive safely. By the time you've failed 50% of over 70s, 70% of over 80s and 85% of over 90 as not capable of driving, you'll not need as many examiners

A five year ban to someone of 96 who’s relinquished their license is a lifetime ban.

The ban means she can't apply to have her license returned within 5 years.

Why would you be holding 70+ years olds to a much higher standard of driving than anyone else? because that's the only why you would achieve the fail rates you suggest

Absolutely. The only difference between my driving now and 20 years ago is I’m no longer a girl racer with speeding points on my licence.

DH is 70, my uncle is 89, I'd rather go out with either of them than some of the idiot young drivers around here. I presume you don't think anyone should have to go out with them either or do your 'standards' only apply to older drivers?

It seems unnecessarily lenient though imo, why not have the same sentence as most convicted people in this situation? Her age shouldn’t come into it.

I wouldn't want to go out with a young idiot driver or an 89yo driver.

My mom lives in a retirement town and the entire island knows how awful the drivers are there. My 75 year old mom even complains about it!

The ban isn’t that dissimilar from other people that have caused death by dangerous driving. When I used to work with road death civil litigation cases bans over 7 years weren’t very common.