[News] Driving wrong way on a motorway

[Best Foot Forward]

How on earth can this happen?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-45878215

 

[AmexRuislip]

It did, my Mrs and myself were caught up in it

 

[Badger]

"The driver and passenger in the Subaru, both in their 80s"

I can only assume the elderly driver got confused and went the wrong way.

 

[banjo]

Always amazes me how this can happen. RIP to those who were killed.

 

[happypig]

"The driver and passenger in the Subaru, both in their 80s"

I can only assume the elderly driver got confused and went the wrong way.

Yet another reason to start compulsory retesting of older drivers.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

RIP.

I actually did this a 16-year-old on my motorbike, pulled out of the woods after doing a bit of boys stuff off-roading.

Saw two lanes decide to go right, thinking I was on a normal road and after about 5 cars nearly hit me head on, I saw a dual road to my inside.

I was only in the fast lane going the wrong way.

The dual carriageway that had a wide central reservation with woods in the middle from where I had pulled out, obviously there were no signs as I should not have been in there.

I was a very lucky boy and a very embarrassed one too as I had been giving the mad driver a few hand signals for their mad driving.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

Yet another reason to start compulsory retesting of older drivers.

Absolutely.

A car is a lethal weapon, and allowing someone to be in charge of one who isn't capable of being so is quite frankly absurd. Living in Eastbourne I can't tell you the amount of times I've been sliced up, pulled out on, or held up behind (going at 15mph) a car being driven by someone who isn't mentally or physically capable of taking charge of a motor vehicle. They're never aware they've even done what they've done as they're too busy trying to focus on the three feet of road in front of their bonnet, and muster up the strength to turn the fecking steering wheel left and right.

I get the whole 'independence' thing, but at the cost of lives? Nah....

 

[Best Foot Forward]

Hope this link works....footage of them on the motorway (not the crash).

https://www.facebook.com/patryk.fir.../UzpfSTEyMTY1NDgzOTQ6MTAyMTc5ODY0MDc5OTEyMzY/

 

[chimneys]

"The driver and passenger in the Subaru, both in their 80s"

I can only assume the elderly driver got confused and went the wrong way.

Elderly, and car having foreign plates possibly meaning not used to driving on left, backed up by fact he is in outside lane, which would be the slow lane if used to driving on right.

Having seen the video, I keep asking myself why he didn't just stop. Panicked confusion I guess.

Absolutely tragic!

 

[chimneys]

Yet another reason to start compulsory retesting of older drivers.

Wouldn't help if, as likely, he/she has a foreign licence.

 

[Driver8]

I’m assuming they joined at the Oxford Services junction which is a bit confusing tbh. Surely though once you realise your mistake you stop and don’t just plough on killing an innocent driver.

 

[Triggaaar]

Hope this link works....footage of them on the motorway (not the crash).

https://www.facebook.com/patryk.fir.../UzpfSTEyMTY1NDgzOTQ6MTAyMTc5ODY0MDc5OTEyMzY/

God it's worse than I'd have guessed. I imagined they went the wrong way down a slip road and hit someone, but they're actually dodging traffic and still going! FFS.

 

[Triggaaar]

Wouldn't help if, as likely, he/she has a foreign licence.

Well I guess the compulsory tests should apply in other countries too.

 

[happypig]

Well I guess the compulsory tests should apply in other countries too.

If only there were some sort of organisation enforcing continent-wide safety legislatio....oh.

 

[Simster]

I’m assuming they joined at the Oxford Services junction which is a bit confusing tbh. Surely though once you realise your mistake you stop and don’t just plough on killing an innocent driver.

They joined at Tiddington in Warks, near Stratford Upon Avon. I was there this weekend myself and really can't see how it happened.

 

[happypig]

Looks like we are all in agreement that there should be at least frequent mandatory testing for the very elderly.

Unfortunately, I don't think we could subsidise nor expect the elderly to pay for these tests. As sad as it is, perhaps they should not be allowed on the roads at all.

Self driving cars are close to becoming a reality, so it's a short term problem anyway - but as mental and physical health deteriation affects ALL people in their 80's, a blanket ban could save many lives.

I'm not sure that their independence is a fair argument against it either... the elderly has subsidised homes and bus passes. The modern world is designed for the disabled. I don't think they necessarily have to lose any independence if we take away their right to drive.

A driving test is £62. If you can afford to run a car you can afford to pay for a test every couple of years.

 

[Badger]

Looks like we are all in agreement that there should be at least frequent mandatory testing for the very elderly.

Unfortunately, I don't think we could subsidise nor expect the elderly to pay for these tests. As sad as it is, perhaps they should not be allowed on the roads at all.

Self driving cars are close to becoming a reality, so it's a short term problem anyway - but as mental and physical health deteriation affects ALL people in their 80's, a blanket ban could save many lives.

I'm not sure that their independence is a fair argument against it either... the elderly has subsidised homes and bus passes. The modern world is designed for the disabled. I don't think they necessarily have to lose any independence if we take away their right to drive.

We're DECADES away from self-driving cars being in regular use, despite what the tech companies tell us. There's so many problems they need to solve first. Not to mention, will people actually want to use self-driving cars?

It is a tricky one though. Some people in their 80s are completely switched on and aware of what is going on around them. On the other hand, there's people in their 60s who shouldn't be on the road. Where do you draw the line? My dad is nearly 77 and he's still a perfectly competent driver.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

We're DECADES away from self-driving cars being in regular use, despite what the tech companies tell us. There's so many problems they need to solve first. Not to mention, will people actually want to use self-driving cars?

It is a tricky one though. Some people in their 80s are completely switched on and aware of what is going on around them. On the other hand, there's people in their 60s who shouldn't be on the road. Where do you draw the line? My dad is nearly 77 and he's still a perfectly competent driver.

We will have loads more self driving cars within ten years.

 

[Creaky]

Looks like we are all in agreement that there should be at least frequent mandatory testing for the very elderly.

Unfortunately, I don't think we could subsidise nor expect the elderly to pay for these tests. As sad as it is, perhaps they should not be allowed on the roads at all.

Self driving cars are close to becoming a reality, so it's a short term problem anyway - but as mental and physical health deteriation affects ALL people in their 80's, a blanket ban could save many lives.

I'm not sure that their independence is a fair argument against it either... the elderly has subsidised homes and bus passes. The modern world is designed for the disabled. I don't think they necessarily have to lose any independence if we take away their right to drive.

Indeed it could but far fewer lives would be saved in comparison to raising the minimum age to hold a driving licence to 25.

There doesn’t appear to be any correlation between the age of a driver and driving the wrong way along a motorway. Just Google the subject and you’ll find it covers a full range of ages.

There are over 1.5 million drivers on the UK roads aged over 80 and in proportion they are involved in fewer accidents resulting in death or serious injuries compared to drivers in other ‘age bands’.

Personally I’d be in favour of all drivers being subject to a sight, reaction and anticipation test every time their licence is renewed. All of which could be simply completed via the use of a computer at test centres.

 

[Taybha]

Sat Navs