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?

https://www.cognifit.com/driving-test#:~:text=This%20driving%20test%20is%20completely,reaction%20time%2C%20etc.).

An ONLINE driving test. OMG we have gone full dystopian

But what possible adaptations could be suggested to improve reaction time, or drive less hesitantly, or anything else that comes with age?

Surely it’s common sense to realise that there will be things that nobody can help with, bar inventing a Time Machine, and to ask what happens in those circumstances. I would have thought it pretty obvious that any driving test or assessment recommended by a GP is going to be connected to the DVLA in some respect and that they aren’t just going to say ‘We don’t think you’re safe to be driving, but we’ll leave it to you to make a decision’.

what you have said is why I think the OP hasn't told us the whole story and may not have the whole story themselves.

Its not connected.

That's hardly the same thing. Stopping someone from driving if they're not safe protects everyone- including the unsafe driver. So yes - it is helping them.

But it wont work for long will it because PEOPLE TALK

It really doesn’t matter that he’s upset. It’s much more important that there’s one less unsafe driver on the roads.

I think it’s absolutely fine to “trick” people into assessments if it’s the difference between them being able to put themselves and others at risk and being prevented from doing so.

And unless you are going to get them to sign an NDA afterwards this wont work for long

And the absolute stinking hypocrisy when you look at the dangerous state of our roads

Well, I'm sure people have talked before and yet there seems to be plenty of people here who don't know what the assessment might lead to. Also, perhaps there are some rational people around who realise that if they're assessed as unfit to drive, it would be a good idea all round to stop driving.

My concern is that it will be used to get older drivers off the road when they are perfectly safe to drive.

And how much would that cost?

What is the likelihood that someone would experience a significant cognitive decline between the ages of 35 and 40?

I had a look at the major causes of road accidents on the gov website - they are speeding, not wearing a seat belt, phone use and other distractions, drink and drugs and then things like driving too close.

NONE of which would be affected by testing every five years. For the cost of that we could invest in things like cycle lanes and improved bus services which would have much more effect on road safety.

Why would that happen? There's no reason to think it would.

And why would anyone want that?

This website alone is full of comments about how much traffic is on the roads and how much more damage its doing to the roads. Are seventeen to twenty four year olds going to be tested too? No because if they lose their licence they may lose their jobs which will add to the number of NEETS there already are. Dont treat the public like we are stupid

Well the impatient school run parents who get right up my friends arse while he is driving expecting him to break the speed limit certainly want him out of the way I live right opposite a school so see this regularly

If he's driving dangerously under the speed limit or dangerously hesitantly then he perhaps needs a driving safety check. If someone else is driving aggressively perhaps he should report them. Driving too slowly can be dangerous as can driving too hesitantly. If your friend is frequently having trouble with other drivers he may be the common denominator.

Why would anyone want legislation to take older people off the roads? It's utter nonsense

I know A LOT of young, working people through my work who have lost their licence due to vision or neurological conditions and it absolutely can mean they lose their livelihood and yet if they are medically unfit to drive that's just the way it is.

He was driving perfectly fine. He wasnt driving hesitantly There is also a dashcam in the car. And recently i filmed one of these drivers on my phone. People like you who think its all the fault of older drivers and parents on the school run can do no wrong have left us with no choice. he was not driving under the speed limit or driving hesitantly.

Oh and the road rage incident i watched from my bedroom window right outside the school involved two of the parents. Not a pensioner in sight.

Even if there is too much traffic on the roads, it's far fetched to think there's some secret plan to weed out elderly drivers. Everybody should want roads to be safer, and that can mean anything from preventing drunken driving, making people wear seat belts and stopping people who have poor eyesight or slow reactions from getting behind the wheel. (The latter two just happen to be more likely in elderly drivers.)

Yes, people of any age can be bad drivers or a holes. Of course they can. Believe me I am there feeling every moment of devastation alongside people when they are no longer medically for to drive and I live through their anger and disbelief and shooting the messenger regularly and I can tell you elderly people tend to wb the most abusive in that situation I have found.

If you see a road rage incident report it obviously, same with aggressive driving, I certainly would.

However there is no denying the existence of cognitive decline and it's impact on driving capabilities. Its really silly to stay saying 'well young people can drive badly too' no one is suggesting otherwise. However there does come a point if you live to old age where driving is no longer safe.for you and others

Also as a parent who does the school run largely on foot and has to contend with parents and grandparents parked on pavements and beeping at the crossing lady I assure you I am not on the side of driving parents in rush hour

They’re connected to the Dept for Transport. Their website was funded by the DfT. It says so on their website. The DVLA is an executive agency of the DfT.

Also, their website says ‘Some physical or medical conditions must, by law, be reported to the DVLA (or the DVA if you live in Northern Ireland). Other conditions do not need to be reported, but may still affect your driving.’ It’s not a mad stretch of the imagination that they might take it upon themselves to report it, rather than trust someone who may be unwilling to give up their right to drive.

Following on from posters comments re using computers to complete the test
and this test does have a time limit so is even more relevant

Heres an investigation carried out re whether the use of computers discriminated against those who don’t use them.

‘ Online driving cognitive tests can introduce bias, and in some cases, act as a form of discrimination against individuals who do not use computers or have low digital literacy

While these digital tools are often designed to be accessible and efficient, they frequently rely on skills—such as navigating interfaces, using a mouse, or responding quickly to on-screen stimuli—that are not directly related to driving ability but rather to computer familiarity.
Wiley +3

Evidence of Bias Against Non-Users

• Performance Discrepancies:Studies have found significant differences in test results based on "computer familiarity." Individuals with less experience (using computers "some" rather than "frequently") performed significantly worse on key domains like reaction time, complex attention, and cognitive flexibility, regardless of their actual driving capability.
• Technical Anxiety: Older adults, who are more likely to have limited experience with technology, often face "technology anxiety," which can hinder their performance and engagement with the test, leading to potential false-positive results (being labeled "unsafe" when they are not).
• User Interface Variations:Performance on these tests can be affected by the type of device used (e.g., tablet vs. desktop) and the user's familiarity with that specific interface.
• Wiley +4

Counterarguments and Context

• Good Validity for Users: Research on specific tools, such as the DriveABLE assessment, shows a strong correlation between in-office computerized tests and on-road driving ability, often acting as a high-accuracy, objective measure.
• Designed for Simplicity: Some developers argue their tests are designed to be intuitive, requiring no specialized computer skills.
• Practice Effects: Studies indicate that even when initial scores are low due to unfamiliarity, repeated use (practice) can improve performance, although this can also mask genuine cognitive decline.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov) +4

The "Digital Divide" and Accessibility
The shift towards online assessments is generally driven by the need for better access to testing in rural areas and faster, cheaper, and more frequent monitoring for older drivers. However, this shift risks excluding those who are not digitally savvy, creating a "digital divide" where individuals are penalised for a lack of technology access or skill. ‘

So it seems that the only way for these online tests not to be biased is for anyone taking them to undertake significant practice ??
So every day for many many years to be equal to all others.??

There needs to be alternate ways to test that neither give an advantage to the computer savvy nor a disadvantage to the computer illiterate
As another poster commented, until all things are equal, losing one’s licence through this test could well, and should, end up in court

That might have been me. I commented my friend cannot type fast enough and isnt computer savvy so i had to fill in an online medical form for him as the fields kept timing out before he could finish