elderly drivers

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bluethrunthru

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115 pts on my license see how it goes
saw my Dad today - he is not in the best of shape thanks to diabetes but he has just bought a new Audi Q2 ????

Brother in Law persuaded his dad to pack in at 92 after two accidents in a year - the second was going straight over a roundabout and through the fence and beer garden and hitting the Lancashire Fold pub in Middleton causing damage

We had an old guy over the way from us a few years ago who has passed now but his condition meant that he couldn't really look over his shoulder and he almost went on to the opposite neighbours lawn when reversing off his drive - but someone could have been on that pavement

So question is - do we rely on Doctors to report to the DVLA - which they really don't - to stop people driving. Should we rely on drivers self reporting or should we rely on re-testing elderly drivers given there is a backlog of tests?
 
My mum drove till she was 81 or 82. She rode motorbikes up to 125cc from the early 70s and drove 2 Reliant Robin's on her bike licence. They weren't reliant at all and she seemed to be always at the garage being repaired which cost her a small fortune.

When she was 70 i persuaded her to take her car test in an automatic which she did and she passed first time. She bought an ex demo Micra and loved it. I can't recall her having any accidents driving it but when she was around 80 i noticed she was starting to lose her awareness to other drivers and pedestrians.

I told her of my concern that she was becoming a danger to others and herself but she argued that she was a good driver and still competent. She was a good driver but i told her I'd regularly asses her driving which i did every couple of months or so.

The last time i assessed her she almost drove into a woman and 2 kids crossing the road at a junction. Soon after that she pulled out of another junction oblivious to an oncoming car which had to brake hard. When we got back to her house she asked me how she did and I said " I think it's time to to stop driving mum". The arguement was epic, such was her defiance that I'd dented her pride in telling her the stark truth that she was no longer fit to drive. I threatened to take her car keys off her there and then but she was having none of it. I told her I'd call the police which didn't bother her.

A week or so later she caved the rear end in reversing off her drive which caused enough damage for her insurance company to write the car off as an uneconomical repair. After another talk she reluctantly agreed her driving days were over and she caught the bus instead.

Everyone ages differently and mum drove competently to a good age. But a lot of old people think they still have the ability to drive safely which in my mum's case she needed an accident to make her realise she was no longer able to spot danger and react fast enough to avoid an accident.

If You have an elderly relative still driving then my advice is to do what I did and regularly assess their driving skills. Fortunately, my mum only damaged her car and gate post but it could have been much worse...
 
According to the figures, drivers over the age of 86 have more collisions per miles driven than the youngest age group.


02-image-2.svg


Data however suggest that when it comes to fatalities the under 25 age group is involved in a much higher amount than any other age group, relative to the number of miles travelled.
 
mosssideblue said:
I would suggest the young are more dangerous today
Click to expand...
So would insurers, but there comes a time when your parent has to be told to give it up, even if it's just a mile to the shops and back.

30 years ago I knew a guy whose dad was still driving even though registered blind!
 
Kompany Car said:
According to the figures, drivers over the age of 86 have more collisions per miles driven than the youngest age group.


02-image-2.svg


Data however suggest that when it comes to fatalities the under 25 age group is involved in a much higher amount than any other age group, relative to the number of miles travelled.
Click to expand...
I presume the "miles travelled" chart means the miles travelled by all drivers in that age group (or even an individual driver), so that just shows that older drivers do less mileage (and thus lose skills) but it doesn't necessarily mean they have more accidents (and more serious accidents) than a younger driver. But some of the latter's accidents will be trying to overtake a 90 year old doing 35 on a 60 limit road!
 
Its horrible when they have to admit its time. Had it with my nanna, she was coming home with a new bump every time she went out. And the row that followed was like the ones above. Its taking away there freedom.

Her doctor in many ways was a complete prick and and him encouraging her to drive for as long as possible , whilst only having her word that she was still safe, was just another example.

I do a lot of driving with work and its a good few times a week that i look at an elderly driver and think “fuck me he shouldn't be in that car”.

Yes of course there are bad drivers of all ages and young lads speeding around in their suped up piles of shite are equally as cuntish, but they grow out of that
 
My mum will be 85 this year and is still driving. I do travel with her a couple of times a month and she still seems competent. She needs the camera to help her reversing but other than that she seems fine. She does have a bit of a problem with glare on those winter days with a low sun so she stays at home on days like that.

There will come a time when she'll need to stop though and she's aware of that. It will be hard for her though as she will lose a lot of her independence.
 
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