What will happen if I contact the DVLA to say I don’t think they should be driving?

[WhiteboardMarker]

NC

Just that ☹️ eyesight has gone badly downhill the last few months

Feeling absolutely wretched, car is their last lifeline

Will they have to do a test?

Please please report them.
My friend didn't, her DF got in a car and killed someone.

I get it's a pride thing, but it makes me mad and sad how many insist on soldering on despite not being fit to drive. My DGF hung his keys and driving cap up of own accord, he knew he couldn't judge distances, poor reaction time etc. We were all so proud of him. I wish more would be as unselfish as him

You can report it and they may get a letter and their licence revoked
However, it may not stop them and nothing will happen unless they get stopped by The Police for some reason or have an accident

I went to the GP with my dad and managed to signal to her from behind him that he shouldn't be driving. She twigged and asked him how he felt it was going. He of course said it was fine and she said she couldn't forbid him from continuing but that he should seriously consider jacking it in.
Fortunately, we persuaded him to come to the decision himself.

I have relatives living in Cornwall. The number of older people living down dirt tracks or in the middle of no where with no idea about what they are going to do if driving becomes impossible is staggering. What actually ends up happening is that they carry on driving anyway....

I know a PP said that maybe they didnt want to leave the area but not at the cost of driving around when they shouldnt be!

When the time comes for me I will be moving to a town which has great transport links not sitting there with my arms folding saying 'why should I move?'

So you inform their insurance company and the police.

Of course but again nothing will actually happen until they are caught driving. The Police can’t post someone by the car and the Insurance company will simply say the person isn’t insured if there is an accident.
It doesn’t stop them driving, it just means there are consequences if they are caught doing so

No, but you can call the police when they are out driving.

This is exactly true. I reported a relative online a couple of years ago. They had a test/GP visit and had license taken away.
never found out it was me who reported.

My relative did not go to the GP, they were sent straight to an optician.

I dobbed fil in using the anonymous form on the dvla website. He was called in by the DVla for a test fairly soon and had his licence revoked. Still doesn't know it was me. Well worth it.

Well done you might just have saved somebody’s life there.

Has anyone got any experience of the issue being general slow reactions/not being particularly observant of what's going on, rather than a specific medical issue?

I reported my Dad. Lots of forms to fill in (which I helped with). He was called for an eye test which I went to. Managed a quiet word with optician to stress my concerns. He failed test.
I imagine it’s quick & easy for DVLA to start by insisting on an eye test.

I also know someone who thought her Dad should give up. He wouldn’t and her Mum was killed in a car accident when he was driving.

Report.

My brother reported too. So two of us saying same thing.

That’s based on the idea that the elderly have restricted interests which can be accommodated by city centre living. The elderly do not suddenly decide that a fulfilling life consists of gentle visits to the shops enlivened by occasional outings to the doctor.

And also fails to take into account the very poor state of public transport in large parts of the country. A free bus pass is only of use if you can find a bus to use it on.

I live in a suburb which on paper is well connected with buses every half hour to the city centre (even if the 9 mile journey takes an hour). But cancellations are such that an appointment in the centre would need me to set out an hour and a half or even two hours early. Young people have limited employment opportunities unless they can afford a car.

Doesn’t mean it’s worth their dodgy driving, Mere. Nobody is ‘entitled’ to use the roads because they ‘like their freedom’ at the expense of the safety of others. There have been too many tragedies involving elderly people behind the wheel for there not to be mandatory retesting at 80 in my opinion.

My dad reported my grandad to the GP (admittedly this was approx 20 years ago) It absolutely broke dads heart to do it but it was the right thing- he was called in for some tests and licence revolked. Grandad never knew it was anything to do with dad.
I feel for you OP, my dad still feels bad about it to this day. But he couldn't risk the alternative and knows it was the right thing to do.

This was my DGF - nothing wrong medically, just generally elderly, reactions weren't as good and he couldn't judge distances anymore. He my post above - he voluntarily gave up driving

See* my post above

We reported my Nanna to the GP who said that she could surrender her license voluntarily or the GP would notify the DVLA
He didn't realise Nanna was still driving and was shocked!!!!
I mean she really shouldn't have been!!

I've spoken to a relatives GP about driving (twice) The first time he said relative has perfectly good memory, so no reason not to be driving, the second time they said if I was concerned to contact DVLA, but they wouldn't be doing anything.

My concerns were special awareness and slow responses. It turned out that a couple of slow scrapes in car parks out the insurance up incredibly high, which did the job for me.

Thank you all for your input, especially the ones who have told me exactly what will happen and those who offered sympathy. I know it needs to happen, doesn’t mean it’ll be easy and like bathbomaholic’s Dad I’ll feel bad about it forever even though I know it’s the right thing to do

Slow reaction is another cause for concern, it has to be done. I just know I’ll be expected to do it, no one else will offer even though it wasn’t me who noticed it

Thanks again all

Doesn’t mean it’s worth their dodgy driving, Mere. Nobody is ‘entitled’ to use the roads because they ‘like their freedom’ at the expense of the safety of others. I clearly stated I wasn’t saying that. Please don’t argue against me on the basis of things I haven’t said.

There have been too many tragedies involving elderly people behind the wheel for there not to be mandatory retesting at 80 in my opinion. The statistics do not suggest that that would be the most cost effective way of reducing the numbers of “killed and seriously injured”.

Would more frequent glasses changes help? If it's a pure eyesight thing it might help keep their license a little longer. It's a balance between the odds of hitting a pedestrian vs loss of independence with the associated mental effects. With modern safety systems like lane assist and automatic breaking it's getting easier to drive