Should Motorists Retake Their Driving Test

[emmie]

after aged 70. I don't have a link but the case is prompted by a man
who's wife was killed by an elderly driver who put his foot on the accelerator
but was in reverse, she was knocked down and lost her life. The driver got three years in prison..

[emmie]

he sadly died just after going to prison...

[aelmpvw]

don't statistics show that drivers aged 70+ are the safest?

[Canary42]

Would a driving test have prevented this accident - I very much doubt it.

[Mozz71]

Yes, but the tests need to be free.

[emmie]

i don't know the stats. And surely if you have taken the test when young, then getting to 70
means you have picked up quite a lot of bad habits....
no?

[emmie]

i honestly don't have the answer to whether this would have happened, but perhaps it's worth a try...

[ToraToraTora]

no, having retaken the driving test would not help in the situation you describe. Now they should have reaction tests maybe but it's pointless to re do a driving test. Most people would not pass a drving test 6 months after they originally passed.

[emmie]

https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/29/driver-87-dies-prison-days-jailed-killing-woman-car-park-11971526/

[emmie]

that is worrying TTT

[Tilly2]

I have a couple of elderly friends in their eighties. The wife is trying to get the husband to give up driving because she no longer feels safe in the car when he's driving. His reactions are slow, he has had a few prangs and has brought the car home with bumps and dents which were always 'some other idiot's fault'. He is very reluctant to stop driving and yet I feel that if he took a driving test he would fail. There should be some test of competency over the age of eighty, at the maximum.

[emmie]

Tilly, that is also worrying for his wife...

[alavahalf]

Dont worry his GP will give him the OK ..

[emmie]

who?

[Milo2]

If this was the case, I would need to re-take my test but I am a much more careful driver than many younger people, including members of my family.

[alavahalf]

Sorry emmie .. That was in reply to Tillies statement.

[Prudie]

Statistically far more people are killed by the inadvertent actions of much younger people. I can see both sides but it's very discriminatory and 70 is too young IMO.

[Arrods]

The statistics say otherwise. I think all drivers should only drive vehicles limited to the prevailing speed limit and banned from turning right until they reach the age of 30.

[shoota]

Perhaps a driving assessment may be more use than a fresh test, with assessors who are not afraid to point out areas of concern they may identify, followed by a second assessment in a few months for those found to have issues.

[emmie]

so you don't think that 70 is too old.....

[Denton]

I don't think 70 is too old.