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?

I can’t see the problem when the effect is exactly the same. However long the ban was she’s never going to drive again - which is pretty much the point. Any ban is meaningless when someone has voluntarily surrendered their license.

I needed a lift somewhere and put it on the local social media site. It was answered by a man who said he was 82, and as I didn't want to disappoint, I got in the car. It wasn't very far.

Then he told me all about his brain tumour.

That's a different scenario to what the previous poster is suggesting though. She seems to think that the minute they get to 70 half the population shouldn't be allowed to drive.

You can have a brain tumour at any age.

True.

Only because she thinks they'd fail the test though. Which may or may not be true. But if they DO fail then surely they shouldn't be driving?
FWIW I don't reckon half of 70 year olds would fail. Maybe half of 80 year olds though. And I can't imagine many in their 90's would pass at all.

I think her guesswork is out - it comes across as her wanting people off the roads when they get to a certain age regardless of their ability.

It all depends on the individual. As I said in another post, DH is 70. He's probably a better driver than me to be honest and I'm 49! My uncle's mind and eyesight are both fine and he's sensible about when and where he drives. His partner on the other hand stopped driving long before she got to 89 as she was no longer confident and he supported that.

Suspended sentence, 5 year driving ban and a fine.

The husband of the deceased did not want her prosecuted.

Sorry obviously you already knew.

https://lifeasawidower.com/blog/2014/12/22/tell-them

Oops, I meant to post a comment as well as the link. It is a raw and harrowing account for anyone needs a way of broaching the subject of stopping driving with relatives; the author makes it clear that you are welcome to share his writing in the hope that it saves another family from the pain and trauma. Apologies if it has already been shared, I haven't read the full thread.

Oh wow, that was a shocking read. What a terrible thing to happen to a young family.

If you kill someone with your car by crashing, should you be driving again? regardless of age why is it that licences aren't taken away for life, many crashes with drivers seems to be the 2/3 court case and yet they still don't just take away the licence - they allow them to get it back and do it again

You've completely twisted what I said - I believe 50% of over 70 year old would fail a test
I didn't suggest that the minute you get to 70 half the population should be banned from driving without a very valid reason - failing a driving simulation test

She'll likely be dead by the time the ban is over at least. I don't think prisons are equipped for elder care and are already ridiculously overcrowded. It's highly unlikely she'll reoffend too.

What do you base your assertion that 50% of people over 70 wouldn’t pass a driving test on? Where’s the evidence?

If the majority of us went to sit todays driving test we would likely fail. Just on the driving habits we get into after passing countless years ago.

You’re probably right so why would people over 70 be singled out?

The woman in question lived in Merseyside. She is entitled to free bus and train travel in the region. There are public transport stops all over the place and everything has level boarding. Why would she need ferrying anywhere?

As it happens, I won't be ferrying anyone. I don't use a car myself any more (because the things are bad for the environment, bad for society, and bad for my bank balance) and my parents have started their retirement by moving to a bungalow 300m from a railway station and a bus stop, 600m from a doctor, and 800m from a Co-Op.

Not an option for everyone, granted, but my grandparents (who retired to rural Ireland) used to have a weekly taxi trip so there are alternatives. Driving when you're no longer competent should never be an option, no matter how inconvenient it may be to stop. There are lives at stake, and this is hardly an isolated case. I reserve the same scorn for the use of the "hardship" excuse to get out of losing one's licence when someone has been caught speeding enough times to rack up 12 points or more.

Do you have any statistics to back up your belief that 50% of over 70 year olds would fail?

I agree. I think the pass rate for people taking their test after years of driving (with no lessons) would be shocking.

Beside the basics of driving, lessons teach you how to pass a test.... and how you drive during a test is not how people drive in reality.

Does anyone really put the handbrake on whenever a pedestrian passes you on the path when you are trying to parallel park? Or when a car passes?

The pass rate is below 50% for most age groups and there's a close correlation between age and pass rates (older drivers being more likely to fail).

I can't find UK statistics for age groups above 60 but two thirds of 60 year olds fail.

www.passmefast.co.uk/resources/driving-trivia/news/pass-rates-age

I have read a few articles and nowhere does it say she couldn't see and couldn't walk? Do you have a source for that? She arrived to court in a wheelchair yes but this is months after the accident happened. All I can find as a cause for the accident is she felt the accelerator dropped for some reason and panicked. She knew people were in front of her so she could see, she just felt she couldn't control the car and was unable to prevent hitting them. If there are no prior instances of her driving dangerously I don't see how it's not just a tragic accident? How was she to know that would happen if it never had before? I mean if she shouldn't have been driving purely due to age then they need to change the law, people are living longer and keeping their independence longer.

That’s such a good point.

I had to dob my Dad in twice to the DVLA - the first time, they referred him to his GP who let him carry on driving. The second time - in which I stressed his poor eyesight as well as his cognitive issues (it was clear he had the beginning of dementia), he got sent for a special eye test and his licence was revoked.

I'm just saying his relatives MIGHT have tried.