100 Year Old Drivers !

[Smowball]

Good god - the first chap can't even hear lol!

[tonyav]

What channel, Smow ?.

[Smowball]

ITV

[tonyav]

Thanks, Smow.

[Smowball]

Can't believe they don't get re tested !!

[sunny-dave]

Pardon?

[Smowball]

They have to renew their licenses every three years but not re do their driving test

[tonyav]

Surely a doctor has to pass them fit to drive !.

[TWR]

I honestly think that persons over the age of 80 should on the point of safety surrender their licence unless they take a full test, I have seen persons of that age & they can not understand how much of a danger they are, we have had 2 fatalities in this area reagards the really elderly, I can expect the Comments regards my post & say there are people younger than that not safe, that is my view.

[Togo]

If you took all the over 70s off the road, would there be a case for taking all the under 24s off the road? I know which one of the two groups cause more death on the roads.

[Smowball]

At 70 you're licence is automatically revoked unless you re apply to renew it.you do have to declare medical issues but it's looking like they may take your word as several of these just shouldn't be on the road lol

[hellywelly4]

I do agree to a point TWR. I am 75 and passed my advanced driving test in 1983. I had a voluntary appraisal in 2004 and passed that. I hope I will have the good sense to realise when I'm not safe on the roads, however, I think I am among the minority. I know two gentlemen in their 90s who definitely shouldn't be driving, one has family, one doesn't. Whose responsibility should it be to stop them? Should I report them? If so, how do I go about it? Would I be vilified if it came out that I had stopped them? It's a minefield, and I think there should be some mandatory test, particularly relating to eyesight, when we reach, for example 80. I wouldn't like to be the person to set it up though!
Having said that, I know some people younger than me who are so nervous on the road and crawl along at 40 in a 60 area, with long tail backs - they are just as dangerous.

[vulcan42]

I know this won't be popular, expense, inconvenient, etc but everybody should be tested every ten years and every five after the age of 70.

[jambutty]

The younger ones Togo !

[TWR]

Helly, I'm 15 years away from the big 80, having driven HGV's for a living & can up with a story or two regards persons near the age of 90, they do not realise the carnage / Hold Ups / Tension / Bad Tempered / person behind them get, it get's to a point of Danger, when a driver in a line of cars will take a Chance to overtake causing a Crash, I've seen it happen many times, I am not at all knocking the very elderly but there comes a time when they authorities say's that it.

[EDDIE51]

I have said this several times before, at 70 you only have to self certify that you are fit and meet the eyesight requirements to drive, there is no check!
I think a full driving re-test is too much , but you should have to get a doctor or an optician to do a proper eye test. We had to stop my Mum driving at 86 when we realised she could not read her own number plate while standing in front of her car ,and less than 4 ft away!

[Hopkirk]

The youngsters these days have to take a hazard perception test.

Perhaps that could be brought in to re-certify those of mature years.

[TWR]

With respect Eddie, why not a full test? a driving test should be a driving test when Lives are at state.

[EDDIE51]

Re testing every one would take so much time there would be no spaces for new drivers, there is a 6 to 8 week delay to book a test now. We would need 3 or 4 times as many test centers / testers as we have now.
Good idea if we can get over that one.

[TWR]

EG Eddie, I broke down a few years ago near Gerards Cross, I was off the Motorway but awaiting the Brakedown service ( HGV) got booked as I had my head down waiting for the mechanic, the same week 2 old farts which turned out they were majors in the Army, driving down the M4 the wrong way, got a smack on the hand because of their age, Justice, my rs.

[vulcan42]

My suggestion would be the initial driving test would be much more thorough then the present one, Night time, skid pads, and speeds in excess of thirty would be included. Where I live the learner is taught on the roads where the test takes place and is taught to pass the driving test not how to drive properly, this shouldn't happen. After every ten years we are retested on simulators which wouldn't take as long as the road test.