Re: To old to drive?
 

it was before i even knew he existed jaysay .. i cant drive him round the bend .. its more like him driving me ..

I havent driven since May 2005 that was when i lost my licence for the second time ... i didnt become a member of accyweb till july 2005 .. :D

Re: To old to drive?
 

It feels a lot longer :p

Re: To old to drive?
 

Google 'Elderly drivers reaction times' Its in one of the many web pages on the subject.

Thank you Neil, I am sure if they did they would view things alot differently, but they are lucky enough not to so I respect their input. They think this is an isolated incident involving elderly drivers but its happening more and more, often with a fatal outcome.

Same rules as HGV licences, medical at forty five and then every five years.

Absolute rubbish, most accidents are preventable with the correct safeguards in place, it just takes something terrible to happen for people to wake up and do something about it (Stable door) thats why we can't use mobile phones whilst driving and we have to wear seat belts, people ignore these rules and people die. If I fail my medical at 45 they take my HGV licence off me, it should be the same for car drivers, its called prevention - when peoples control prevent one set of circumstances effecting another set of circumstances.

Re: To old to drive?
 

I used to work for a bloke who choked on a mint while driving. If he hadn't crashed - he'd be dead. The impact dislodged the mint.

Tragedies happen for a multitude of reasons, not just age. I agree with Ian - a repeat test every few years, and you have to pass three before being allowed into a powerful car.

Re: To old to drive?
 

Suggest you also Google;
young drivers bad driving habits

Re: To old to drive?
 

Although I did not do the job fireman does......I was a Nurse and I did see some of the results of road accidents.....they were not pretty.....but I still stand by the comments I have posted.

Neil if you put the proposed safeguards in place, there would still be accidents of this nature occasionally.

It was an accident that could not have been foreseen, or prevented....the people involved were all unfortunate victims.......I think more concentration needs to go on other issues of road safety......using mobiles whilst driving, driving under the influence, driving recklessly......all the aforementioned kill both drivers and pedestrians, but because this driver was elderly then you have the knee jerk reaction of 'let's get older drivers off the road'......OK, maybe that isn't what you are saying, but that is, in effect, what would happen when the older drivers started to get their re-test notifications through the post.
This would isolate and marginalise older drivers on the pretext that they are unsafe...... a sweeping generalisation.

Re: To old to drive?
 

Well said Margaret - have a look at the Insurance rates for older drivers at Saga - much lower rates than a 20/30/40 year old yuppie, so who has the most accidents?

Re: To old to drive?
 

same as companies that specialise in younger drivers, or ones that specialise in women drivers, so no argument to be had on that one mate !!!!

Re: To old to drive?
 

not only should there be a full medical at 70 there should also be a compulsary refresher course on not only their ability to control a car but a test to make them learn what the new regulations and rules are .There are many elderly drivers out there who dont have a clue how to deal with a mini roundabout and just zoom accross regarless of what is coming and dont have the faintest clue on how to not only drive on a motorway but how to deal with the new road markings and modern filter light systems.

young drivers are not more likely to have an accident because they are inexperienced they are more likely to have an accident driving like a knob head trying to impress their mates.

Re: To old to drive?
 

There are many safe older drivers who use motorways safely and can negotiate roundabouts using the appropriate lane discipline, they also indicate their intentions.....and thus you may say what have they to fear by being re-tested....well, actually nothing.....other than the fact that their ability to drive safely and with some confidence is being brought into question after probably many years of safe motoring....that alone will put some older drivers off.
If someone has not driven for a number of years them maybe they would need to be refreshed as to the newer regulations...like not using a mobile phone whilst driving, using seat belts, having any children or animals they are carrying secured safely and in accordance with the law....you can see infringements of these basic common sense rules every single day of the week...and I might add not by seniors.

Re: To old to drive?
 

My brother had a head on collision with an elderly man who died at the wheel before he hit my brother I think the elderly should be re-tested at 70 and the police harder on the boy racers most the time they get away with a warning. There should be compulsary extra lessons, re-tests and short term bans to the young boy/girl racers messing about on the roads.

Re: To old to drive?
 

I don't think there are many insureres who discount their rates for younger drivers......I know that some insurers do discount for women drivers, but Saga only insure those over 50 years of age(at a discounted rate).

Re: To old to drive?
 

Compare the rates is what I was suggesting - have you bothered to do that?

Re: To old to drive?
 

bring in health, drug and character tests

Re: To old to drive?
 

So what do we do? Nothing?

I agree that almost all accidents are preventable.