mandatory retesting for drivers over 80

[InSlovakiaTheCapitalOfCourseIsBratislava]

It’s been a pretty even split on the mandatory retesting for over seventies, and a bit of ‘70 is too young but I’d support 80’, so, in the spirit of research, a refinement to the original query

This is not an opportunity for the ‘what about terrible younger drivers who are reckless and cause accidents’ - it’s agreed to be a problem.
Nor is is ‘what about drink/drug dricing’
Nor is is ‘what about the backlog of driving tests that currently exists’

Its a ‘is it unreasonable for over 80s to do pass compulsory driving test in order to hold on to their licence’

Tje recommendations from the FAI for a little boy killed by a 92 year old pensioner suggested it, there’s Scarlett’s law proposal in NI and someone in the previous thread shared a graph which showed a U curve of accidents against age - high for the 17-25, decreased, ans rose sky high at 80

My concern with DF driving wasn't so much him dying as much as him injuring/killing someone (and I would feel guilty for not forcing the situation), or even just denting someone else's car in a car park and the amount of admin that would then cause me .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-39325833

No it because this happened at the bottom of my road. I have a FIL who can barely walk yet is still driving, I will shortly be reporting him to the DVLA.

No because generally a fall does not risk other people's lives

They don't drive better than a lot of drivers. That is nonsense

I still maintain my opinion that health checks such as eye tests and retaking of the theory test should happen from a much younger age. Ending the excuse of 'it will be difficult/hardship' to avoid a driving ban should also end.

I have mentioned it frequently. Her husband doesn’t drive and I think that’s his excuse, although they only drive locally and can afford taxis, and she doesn’t see a problem. A phone call to the police will be happening.

And the crashes from older drivers also generally dont risk other people's lives as already stated. It is their own life that is the statistic.

I say this on all these type of threads, but I don’t think a full retest is required, a simple computer based reflex test that could be done at the opticians would certainly have weeded out DF from 80ish and would cost a lot less than a retest. Maybe if the person failed it they could have the option of a retest at actual cost.
But yes I think 80 is more practical and realistic than 70.

In which case he’d pass any test.

I think from 70 onwards, they should be required to take a test (or maybe at least proof of cognitive ability, eyesight etc) every year or two

Thank you for saying what I was thinking!

In these threads many people act as if the adult DCs ( or sole adult DC in my case) are singlehandedly responsible for taking away their DPs keys and any accident that happens will be solely their responsibility. In many cases ( certainly in mine) the poor beleaguered adult offspring is already juggling the increasing demands of elderly DPs with reduced mental capacity and trying to keep their jobs and sanity. Once I got the medical professionals to tell DF he couldn’t drive my elderly DP workload increased incrementally as I had to factor in shopping, library and bank trips into my visits ( hours drive each way).

A simple reflex test for the over 80s seems obvious to me and takes the onus away from their nearest and dearest.

People are forgetting how stringent the driving test is, and how much luck is involved in passing. You'd get a hell of a lot of people failing and having to retake. Imagine the stress and expense involved, not to mention the problems some people would face not being able to drive. It would also be an enormous drain on the state, unless driving tests could be privatised, at which point it would become a massive and predatory industry.

Talking about some of the suggestions above, here - people should be retested after every accident, every five years etc.

People with a dementia diagnosis should automatically give up their licence. I’ve seen it go wrong too many times, so many near misses.

I actually think that's a good idea, cheaper and more efficient.

I have a neighbour, 81 who recently bought a new car. She was nervous driving it at first because her last car had been written off through a rear end shunt by a 30yo woman texting.

If she'd been tested on her first day in the new car, she would probably have failed, after a month, she is absolutely safe.

These things are nuanced.

I think ALL drivers should have eye tests every five years. But mandatory driving retesting is impractical, unavailable and too costly so whatever SHOULD be done isn't going to happen.

Taking a supportive approach rather than telling your elderly relatives they have to stop driving because you know best, will aways be more effective.

Yes, and I think it needs to be repeated every 2-3 years after 80 as people's ability can quickly change.

I would say that my dad was a safe driver at 80. Competent, experienced and aware.

But over the decade after he hit 80, his ability gradually began to deteriorate. He was still experienced, obviously, but he became much less aware and much less competent. However, due to cognitive decline, it was very difficult for him to understand this - he was convinced that he was a good driver.

It was incredibly difficult for us as family to have to intervene and tell him that we didn't think he could drive safely any more. We tried a few times to say it very gently, but he was dismissive, assuring us that he was perfectly fine. Our concerns had first arisen not long after my mum died, and it felt so cruel to kick him when he was already down. Plus he was horribly lonely and protested that he would feel trapped and isolated without his car.

I thought we were actually going to have to contact the DVLA at one point, which would have felt like the ultimate betrayal. But in the end, I was able to get through to him and persuade him that he was putting others at risk. He agreed to give up his car, though he still maintains that he didn't need to and it was just me being overly anxious.

Having to do a retest every few years would have taken so much stress and anxiety away from us at what was already a very difficult time.

Yes, and it overlooks the emotional burden of telling your elderly parents that they are no longer capable and that they are putting others at risk.

They often cause damage, and even relatively minor damage can be expensive to sort out with the design of modern cars plus added inconvenience. The old man who scraped ours didn't stop and just pinged back his wing mirror and continued on his merry way while commiting the offence of failing to stop.

There will also be near misses that are averted by the reactions and behaviour of more astute drivers that never become statistics. That doesn't stop that initial driver from being a hazard to other road users.

Proficient capable drivers don't need to fear re-testing/ assessment because they'll pass and be able to continue driving.

Do you know my relative?

I could tell you you’re a bad driver if we’re playing that game.

They should definitely need to retest but I think most would fail. Most haven't a clue what is going on around them. They have tunnel vision. They drive at such slow speeds that it causes frustration which leads to dangerous overtaking and crashes.

There is the theory test, there are the cognitive tests that others have suggested, there are eye tests.

As for an extra driving test, if SUVs were a separate category of licence and you had to pass in one, the number of SUVs on the road would greatly reduce. Smaller car or retake driving test, I am sure most would choose smaller car.

We need infrastructure so stopping driving doesnt mean losing independence.

For my elderly neighbours... theres a dial a ride style bus, provided by the Council, to go to the supernarket. But not to the Doctors ir Hospital. A ten minute appointment can involve two half hour bus waits.

When they increase the age you can start driving to 25 then I would agree to retesting at 80.

My dad has just reached 70 and we have been talking about removing his keys. His car has its MOT in March and we're praying it fails as he won't replace it. Sadly though his mobility isn't great and he wouldn't get out much at all if he didnt have his car.
I think it should be much younger than 80!

A neighbour is 90-years-old (looks younger, like 70). However, he’s blind in one eye. He hasn’t declared it to DVLA. He regularly drives from the continent (where he has a holiday home) to the UK hundreds of miles. He’s an absolute danger on the road.