Quote:
|
Originally Posted by entwisi
The problem is that the 'medical' involves getting your GP to sign a piece of paper. It does not require a sight test, reactions, or any check of the ability to make rational decisions quickly.
I know from my own experience that towards the end of his life my Dad was not really fit to drive. He knew it himself as well and would always make me drive if we were going somewhere together. It is very hard for people to give something up like that. That is why we need regular checks. Without sounding ageist in any way, I personally think that we should ALL have to take a checkup/test every few years. People will say it costs too much, how much does an accident cost when all services are taken into account. Its just that goverments seem unable to think proactively anymore.
|
I had to go to Writhington Hospital to have my driving skills reassesed when I had to inform the DVLA that I had Parkinson's Disease.
The tests were very thorough. I had to go on various machines to test reaction times for two hours, as well as drive for an hour around Wigan.
They could have taken my licence off me that day, renewed it for a year, or for three years. Happily they renewed my licence for the maximum three years before I have to go through it all again.
If the tests older drivers are as thorough as the ones I did, they deserve to be on the roads, and they are probably a lot safer than a lot of the boy racers, who seemed to have picked up most of their driving skills from playing on the Playstation.