To think ROSPA should make it clear that Older Driver Assessments might result in a loss of license?

[sprucinitup]

An elderly relative was recently diagnosed with a medical condition which does not result in automatic loss of driving license, but nevertheless, his GP recommended that he undertake a free Older Driver Assessment, saying he thought it might be "helpful". He gave my relative a leaflet which also described the assessment as "helpful". My relative booked an assessment. It consisted of online cognitive tests and a practical driving assessment. At the end of this, my relative was told he was driving too hesitantly. But rather than offering the "re-training" mentioned in the leaflet, they removed his license.

He is understandably very upset about this, because he wasn't warned that loss of license was a potential outcome.

This is the website: https://www.olderdrivers.org.uk/driver-assessment/ . If there is info on there about loss of license then it must be well buried because I can't see it.

He is very responsible, and will of course accept the decision, but aibu to think that there should be a more transparent process, so that elderly folk don't feel tricked into giving up their license by stealth?

Rather than offering the "re-training" mentioned in the leaflet, they removed his license

I'm confused, @sprucinitup - I didn't think RoSPA could remove a licence, though I believe they can ask the DVLA to do it

Is this what you mean they did?

A friend of mine was in an accident a while back where an elderly driver turned the wrong way on a dual carriageway slip road and drove straight into oncoming fast traffic. Miracles no one was killed though several cars written off.
About a year later on the same road, an elderly driver and his wife were killed when he just went straight over the roundabout at speed without breaking at all, no skid marks anywhere till the car hit the ground the other side.
So I’d be keen on older drivers taking proper retesting regularly!

So they took the licence away? Or did they inform DVLA that the driving wasn't safe and DVLA took it away? Because DVLA are the main folk will only take away if severe, I doubt being hesitant would be severe enough.

We tried to get FIL's licence taken away when he became dangerous. He got rather defensive and mean when we asked him to stop. Asked his GP to inform DVLA on the quiet, we informed DVLA on the quiet. Nothing happened.

I think all drivers should be fit to drive and should know and be able to prove that they are fit to drive. It's a shame we don't have to prove it more often.

I am really confused about this. RoSPA can't remove licences. They have no more right to contact the DVLA than any other member of the public. Did he take it at a Driving Mobility Centre because there might have been an appropriate clinician there who does have a duty to contact DVLA but should have told him. With respect, were you in the room when he spoke to the doctor? have you seen the letter from the DVLA revoking his licence and does it give a reason why? I know a little bit about driver assessment, I used to suggest it to patients if they were asking me about driving after illness or injury or if they had things like arthritis, also my late husband used to volunteer assess for RoSPA but not the older drivers scheme. This feels like a slightly gappy story.

I know people who are definitely unfit to drive but they refuse to admit it. It's frightening when you know they are out on the roads.

Two years ago this week we were crashed into by someone driving on the wrong side of the road. My friend who had to swerve to aviod her is the same person i mentioned upthread. He swerved in time so she crashed into the back passenger door behind me instead of the front passenger door where i was sitting in the front passenger seat. A young care assistant on the way to her next client

especially when there’s people arguing how unfair it is on the unsafe drivers!

@godmum56 That was my exact thought and why I asked who 'they' were who removed the licence. I didn't think RoSPA would have the power to do this so I suspected we hadn't been told the whole story.

I don’t understand how you can be “assessed” and not understand you might fail??? I think your relative is reeling a bit because it’s a blow he really wasn’t expecting. The reality is his Dr assessed him and suggested that rather than blithely carrying on driving he really should be assessed. The assessment showed what the Dr thought might be possible. He isn’t as safe driving as he thought. This isn’t “tricking” anyone. This is very comprehensive care. The GP may have saved his life, as did the assessor and your relative by doing EXACTLY what they should.

Yes, it's really frustrating and scary, trying to get them to see sense if you've ever tried to too?

Perhaps they would be more likely to admit it if our public transport was better

Your relative hasn't been "tricked into giving up their license by stealth" and it's a shame that he feels that way. He's had his license taken away for a reason.

Hesitation is a recognised cause of accidents and I would assume that since he failed the test, it was considered to be at a level that wouldn't respond to further training.

He should be relieved that this was found out before he caused injury to himself and/or someone else.

Like the care assistant driving on the wrong side of the road who crashed into us

I think you are right. I did used to come accross situations where relatives would tell me what I had told a patient and chinese whispers was not in it! (am I still allowed to say "chinese whispers"?)

I used to do home assessments with patients and it was never a question of pass/fail. It was always about identifying the gaps between what the patient could do and what they needed to do to return home to live...then we would discuss how to bridge the gaps. Sometimes there was no way to do this and the outcome was that the patient did need to go to residential care or supported living but it was never a case of "you have failed therefore"

His wife was with him.

I agree that it’s not clear from their website. “Drivers aged 70 and over, looking for an honest and friendly review before renewing their licence” is probably the closest it comes to mentioning that they may stop driving.

Were you with your relative at yhe appointment with the GP and are you sure that this is exactly what’s happened?

I think I would sympathise and then help them to sell their car, get a refund on their insurance and an account with a local taxi firm.

So you think people should be tricked into having the test?

So they could be assessed as needing to go to residential care or supported living or failing to reach the required standard of care to live independently. You may not have phrased that as failing but it clearly was if the desired outcome was a way of remaining at home.

but you weren't? Have you seen the letter from the DVLA and does it give a reason for the licence removal?

I agree he has had his license taken away for a reason. But the process was underhand.

but you aren't answering about the letter and what it says?

I think a huge part of this op, is if he had been prepared and known his licence could be revoked, he could make plans for transport going forward. It must be very overwhelming to lose that independence so suddenly.

The letter was from the assessment centre, not the dvla..It listed the items that he failed on and said they would be writing to the dvla to advise the license be removed.

Nobody is disputing the outcome, only the process. He was understandably upset by it. If he had anticipated that potential outcome then he would have been less upset by it.