elderly drivers

[Tuearts right boot]

MY mum was a pretty good driver until the time she was found wandering around the town looking for her car.....the onset of dementia, we took her licence of her. After she died we were going through her stuff and she'd made the papers for s a speeding offence, a swift look on her licence and we found she was a bit of a Sterling Moss in her younger days, she was collecting points like they were going out of fashion. We noticed in her later years when we took her out she had a slight fear of country lanes, maybe a touch of claustrophobia and she always bought odd things with her ' just in case...'
My dad was banned for a year after he had a blackout, someone reported it and his licence was taken off him for a year on medical grounds, AFAICR he still drove though. Never a problem from that day on.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Self driving electric cars are the answer. These will eliminate the accidents caused by young, drunk and elderly drivers, and we'll look back at 20th and early 21st century driving as the 'wild west' of travel - similar to early train travel when they regularly crashed/ blew up. The tech is already there, and I for one look forward to going out on the piss in my car and sitting in the back telling it where to go.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

I’ve said for a long time that everyone should have to resit their driving test every 5-10 years.

The standard of driving is a disgrace on our roads.

Some thick **** drove into the back of me a few months back. When she got out of her car she was driving without fucking shoes on!

 

[Indaparkside]

I’ve said for a long time that everyone should have to resit their driving test every 5-10 years.

The standard of driving is a disgrace on our roads.

Some thick **** drove into the back of me a few months back. When she got out of her car she was driving without fucking shoes on!

It wasn’t zola budd by any chance

 

[Kompany Car]

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!

No it’s a way of normalising the data for direct comparison. All it shows is that if they all drove the same number of miles how many accidents would involve each age group.
The data for number of fatalities is also on the same government website and shows that both the over 86 age group and under 25s are significantly higher than all others, however some of the data behind the reports note that deaths in the older age group are skewed due to increased frailty of older people.
As regards you point about overtaking, well if it’s a problem for them safely overtaking another car then god help them overtaking a cyclist, who you are meant to give the same amount of room to when overtaking.
Bottom line is we’ve all got to share the road and unless you are a class 1 police driver, on the whole, most people massively overestimate their driving skills.

 

[Grassland Blue]

I drive a lot and I will soon reach the age of 65.
Driving has become a lot more arduous what with poor driving standards, poorly maintained roads, obscured/missing necessary signs, superfluous signs,

 

[SilverFox2]

According to the figures, drivers over the age of 86 have more collisions per miles driven than the youngest age group.

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.

For risk factors perhaps insurance costs would give us us clues?

 

[tommybooth]

Mum does not drive dementia. Dad still driving but also has dementia but still early stages. Had issue with his clutch foot due to lack of feeling. Mention getting an auto. Fffing and jeffing. Live in the sticks so buses are like rocking horse shit. Doctor had mentioned it to him and again he went into one. Like banging your head against a brick.

 

[mosssideblue]

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!

I've no idea what the statistics would reveal but I would be amazed if it wasn't the younger drivers responsible for the most dangerous driving convictions

 

[Grassland Blue]

I drive a lot and I will soon reach the age of 65.
Driving has become a lot more arduous what with poor driving standards, poorly maintained roads, obscured/missing necessary signs, superfluous signs,

Cont - over simplified (complicated) road junctions, excessive traffic lights etc.etc.
I have little intention of continuing to drive after 70 as the enjoyment has has largely gone - and as for the sense of freedom - taxis are your friend.