OAP driving

[Skids]

Continuing chinadoll's thread below....

I saw an old lady get into her car and reverse. As she did so she scraped her car all the way down the side of some other guy's parked car. As she drove off he chased her, on foot, and got level with her window, she saw him and sped off.
Another time I was in a queue of slow moving traffic and I was positioned opposite a T-junction. Another old lady came out of the T-junction and headed straight for me without seeing me. I had to speed up and get close to the car in front and the woman behind me had to jam her brakes on as the old lady just wedged herself into the queue.
Either I'm a magnet for doddering old blind-as-a-bat drivers, or they seem to have found an excuse to get their own way on the road, or, more likely, they're all over the place happily winding up competent road users in blissful ignorance.
Although there is no compulsory re-test over a certain age, should there be one, or should people be stopped from driving all togther beyond that certain age?

[woofgang]

I have seen young drivers behave in a very similar manner, should they be stopped driving until they are middle aged???

[outaboutnowt]

did she have a nodding dog in the back window? there are good and bad drivers of all ages.

[iwbus]

Well you'll be glad to hear the plan to give over 60's free bus passes announced in the budget so maybe some oldies will get rid of their cars and get the bus. It sounds good but I'm a bus driver so it's bad news for me!

[Elfin]

As licenced drivers, I reckon everyone should have to sit a re-test every couple of years or so to prove competence and ensure the required standard of driving, regardless of age.  If you have been the cause of an accident or gain more than one minor motoring offence, your licence should be revoked until you can prove that you can drive to the required standard.

Decent drivers would have nothing to worry about, eh...

[woofgang]

the retest every couple of years is not do-able in a meaningful manner due to the number of licence holders wo would need to be retested

[SteveD]

Keep well clear of the following:

- A car being driven by a person wearing a hat.

- A car (often red) being driven by a person who is smoking and not wearing a seat belt.

- A car being driven by a person who throws rubbish out of the window.

- A car being driven by a person talking on a mobile phone.

[The Tiggster]

My Dad is 70 & is a much better driver than most younger people I see. However I did see an man who must have been 75+ driving a meals on wheels car have 4 near misses in the space of 10 seconds yesterday (mounting the pavement & nearly hitting me, reversing into the path of on-coming car,driving onto the pavement towards me again, pulling out in front of another car, then driving with the accelerator to the floor through a red light!!!)

It is the agression of drivers that upsets me & drivers making mobile phone calls. Please stop it!

[BillyBB]

I think a twenty year licence instead of the forty year would be practical and sensible. Roads, cars and driving all change over time.

Some people over 70 had grandfather rights and did not have to take a test when they were first introduced. Some of these are still very good drivers though (cheers Dad!).

[Top totty]

My Gran is 90 next January and still driving. She treated herself to a brand new Mini Cooper in Silver last year which caused much amusement in the show room. She is a good driver and always keeps to the speed limit which seems to wind some people up a great deal as they think someone in a car like she is driving is bound to be a speedy.

 

Her only problem is forgetting where the car is parked in big supermarket car parks, then she has to get a nice looking young man to help her find the right car and their face when they see what car she stops at.  LOL

 

Keep driving Nanna.  XXX

[pjm007]

With most kinds of heavy plant machinery and manual handling equipment i.e, Forklift trucks, reach trucks etc. it is compulsory to undertake refresher courses/tests every 3 years I think, the same rules should apply with driving a car where there is a clear and present danger and more risk to peoples lives.

[netibiza]

As I answered before, here in Spain one has to be retested every 5yrs from the age of 50 (even if you have an English licence) The test consists of a medical and a video game driving 2 cars up 2 different roads at the same time - so us oldies can drive anywhere.  It's the youngsters who need watching!!!!

[netibiza]

I n a pickle - although I'm in Spain at present I'll be driving in East Susses (Eastbourne) in August when I'm over on my hold - watch out!!

[netibiza]

oops can't even type let alone drive - that should be over on my hols -

[Dom Tuk]

I travel a lot around the country and there is nothing worse than being stuck behind a car driving at 20 miles an hour in a 40 mph zone with open road in the front. The problem is not the OAP who is oblivious to a queue of traffic behind their car but the scaredy cat behind the OAP who is unwilling to overtake. I wish OAP s drove a the correct speed or were willing to ocassionally turn of the road to let the queue of traffic get to their destinations on time.

[jake-the-peg]

Found the figures for Scotland here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/transport/ras99-35.asp

drivers over 60 accounted for 8.8% of accidents

However in order to make sense of these you really need to know what percentage of journeys were made by the over 60's - I'd guess it was less than 8.8% but I don't know

[david.n.c]

there shouldnt be a test as such but an assesment where by a qualified driver of a younger age should get in a car with an oap and decide on the overall journey (10min drive about) if they should contiue or go to a re assement by a qualfied driving instructor or examiner

[Shire]

And who would decide that the driver of a younger age was a good judge of how long a journey should take.  I can go from Birmingham to Dorset in 2.5 hours, but my husband thinks that is too fast, but my mum has done the journey in less time than that, and she is now what you would probably class as an OAP (60 last year), so who would be right in those circumstances? 

[fluffpie]

Hi there.  I am a lady of advanced youth years.  My daughter and her partner have only recently passed their driving tests and you think "older drivers are unsafe"?  Please give us a brake, the wheel turns slowly, one day your life will slow down a gear and you will realise your tread on life is wearing away.  You do not have the licence to criticise only one group of a nation of bad drivers.