Elderly Drivers

[Khandro]

'Elderly drivers may face 'annual checks' to prove they are 'not a danger to the public'
they may soon be forced to go for annual checks to ensure they are still safe to get behind the wheel if a new campaign is successful in changing the law.' Express.
Does this make sense?

[aelmpvw]

at what age does 'elderly' start?

[davebro]

It might make sense if elderly drivers are having more accidents than other age groups. Unsure about the stats but I think I saw somewhere that 50% of young drivers have an accident within a year of passing the test.

[MallyJ]

yes...and if it happens to the elderly, whatever that may mean, then it should also happen to young drivers.

[ToraToraTora]

I think once the original licence (70) has expired then yes regular checks should be made, though I don't think an arbitrary age is the right way to go.

[woofgang]

khndro, can you not do links?

[woofgang]

I just found the article....my goodness that's a poor, muddled and uninformative piece of journalism. not worth a link

[THECORBYLOON]

Is having the expiry date for licences at seventy, not arbitrary.

If not based upon a specific age, what other criteria do you suggest?

[Sunk]

I would support a regular eyesight test for all drivers regardless of age.
Older people’s reactions and thinking time also diminish, and the traffic and conditions have changed greatly in the last 50 years. A retest after 30 years driving and then every 10 years thereafter would be good.

[calmck]

Over 70 here renewal every 2 years with doctor submitting form on line

[barry1010]

There are 5,525,452 drivers aged 70 in the UK that hold a full driving licence. That's an awful lot of annual tests.

[youngmafbog]

Yes, it makes sense, but the devil is always in the detail though.

//I would support a regular eyesight test for all drivers regardless of age.//

Me to, I have never understood why it is not done.

//Older people’s reactions and thinking time also diminish,//
Yes they do but that is offset by the experience not to get into many of the situations in the first place//
//The traffic and conditions have changed greatly in the last 50 years. //
Yes, but most have move through with them so what is your point?

//A retest after 30 years driving and then every 10 years thereafter would be good.//

Hmm, that would depend. No one drives like they teach you to pass a test - and rightly so. For me this would have to be an entirely different type of test if it was done.

[Khandro]

I don't know the stats either, but next door on one side I have two brothers in early 20s, one has written off his first car & the other drives like maniac in a fast car, - so it looks like he's due soon. On the other side I have a neighbour turned 80 who has driven hundreds of thousands of miles in his life, who drives a modest, low powered car & if I ever needed a lift, I'd rather it was with him.

[barry1010]

Sunk, you are right that driving conditions have changed drastically over 50 years but older drivers have been driving continuously throughout the changes - they are not experiencing sudden, drastic changes as if they've been asleep for the past 50 years and suddenly started driving again.

[barry1010]

Oooops, I meant there are 5,525,452 drivers aged 70 AND OVER ....

[davebro]

Results: Conventional crash rates were highest in the youngest age group and declined steeply until age 60–69 years. The adjusted crash risk instead peaked at age 21–29 years and reduced gradually with age.

Older Drivers (80+) are more likely to die as a result of a crash which is understandable as they would succumb to injuries a younger person would survive.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437517307600

[barry1010]

davebro, I wonder if those elderly drivers who died in accidents had the accidents because they were experiencing a medical issue such as a heart attack at the time. I've read about several fatal accidents of that nature, some involving men under 60.

[Sunk]

There are several instances of elderly drivers going the wrong way down motorways every year.

https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=elderly+driver+wrong+way+motorway+uk&tts=st_asaf_ipad

[davebro]

& foreign drivers - even in HGVs!

[Hopkirk]

Many older drivers choose to just drive on familiar roads and at quieter periods.

[Ellipsis]

> It might make sense if elderly drivers are having more accidents than other age groups

I've seen them cause a few without getting caught up in them.

For example - elderly driver on a large roundabout decides to turn right by going around the outside of the roundabout, fails to maintain their lane and half cuts into the lane on their right, driver on that lane is forced to quickly apply their brakes, they get rear-ended by the driver following them, the elderly driver continues happily on their oblivious way, all over the roundabout and off! Like a scene from a Mr Magoo cartoon ...