Worried Man Blues
Well-known member
Aviva came out with a survey and found out that the older you are the more convinced you are that you are correct and the more likely you are to be wrong!!
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[Misc] Who taps us on the shoulder and says "time you stopped driving old fruit"?
- Thread starter Harry Wilson's tackle
- Start date
Boroseagull
Well-known member
Hit 70 here and it's a compulsory full medical (general health, height/weight ratio, eyesight, hearing) plus a reaction test before to pass before being able to renew your licence. Pass with flying colours and it's renewed for 5 years and later every 2 years as age progresses. Every town has a policlinic approved by DGT for the medical (equivalent to DVLA) and the price is approx 25 euros. Surely the safest way?
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
An insurance survey says…
My last prang was 1982. My other half is younger than me, still working, and had two prangs in 8 years. The insurance is in my name.
- Thread starter
- #44
You have just reminded me - there is an 'every 3 years' assessment for the over 70s. How onerous is it? My neighbour and pal with whom I watch telly football is 78 and massively paperwork-averse so I am assuming it isn't much more than a box tick. Perhaps that is sufficient. What do you think?
- Thread starter
- #45
That sounds great!
dejavuatbtn
Well-known member
Oh. Have they stopped using the red flags yet?
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
I think there should be proof the person has had regular eye tests every two years, and a reference number given by the optician.
Ideally a medical by a GP but getting to see one now is virtually impossible.
Coldeanseagull
Opinionated
And being check tested every three years.
Since I gave up being an ADI, even my driving has deteriorated somewhat....not much cos I'm brilliant at everything, but enough for me to tut at myself
Coldeanseagull
Opinionated
Yeah, all the old people have run over the blokes holding them!
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Who is going to tell him? Who would he listen to?
My family would tell me, so I’m not being arrogant enough to say I’m safe enough.
Worried Man Blues
Well-known member
Dad asked grandad why he was driving so slowly, he said there was a sign back there saying 35mph. Dad said that was for a bend, grandad well I haven't seen anything to change that! So they carried on at 35mph.....................both no longer driving or living!
- Thread starter
- #53
Precisely! But what if you lived alone?
One of my neighbours is in his early 70s. Lives alone. Was an industrial chemist and retired with a very good pension. He paid about £60K for an all electric Jag a few years ago. I got to drive it during Covid when he need a driver to take him to London for heart surgery. Amazing car.
Unfortunately he is a diabolical driver. A few weeks ago, in his upgrade (an £80K electric limo) he drove us home from a meal, and randomly slammed on. Even at only around 15 mph I got a nasty whiplash jolt that lingered for several days. He gave some spurious explanation that the card stopped by itself, but... and on the same journey he dithered so long at an intersection the people behind us were honking their horns.
More recently we noticed that he has a gouge the runs the entire length of the driver side. Both doors and front and rear panels will need to be replaced. He claims that a car drive to close to him on the motorway so he took evasive action and scraped the barrier. But....the scrape is on the wrong side of the car.....
Dave is very compos mentis, his usual arch and sharp self, but his driving is shit. Maybe it always was. I've only known him 10 years or so. Someone probably needs to suggest he considers his (driving) position. If I don't do it I'm not sure who will.
Don't think he'd listen to anyone TBH. I've offered to drive him places if he finds it easier and the like. He's a stubborn old goat.
That was probably my aforementioned neighbour who had his driving licence taken away. Proper bloody menace around BH town now on his scooterMy dad didn't learn to drive until he was in his late 30s and always had mopeds. He gave up the moped when he got to 75 years old. He was 82 this year and although he is still on the insurance (my mum is 76) he rarely drives and only keeps it just in case because where they live at the moment has very limited public transport. They want to move back to Sussex and when they do, he will stop driving and rely on public transport and his mobility scooter.
However, don't be fooled into thinking those with mobility scooters can't cause traffic issues. On Tuesday, I went to go into Burgess Hill town centre at lunchtime and got held up in a traffic queue behind a man driving his scooter along the roads - not to one side but in the middle of the lane so nobody could get past easily.
When I drove out of Burgess Hill later that afternoon, the same bloke was driving in the middle of the inside lane along the A2300 dual carriageway towards Hickstead
Well that is great going, but why have you added his profession in? I am sure there are working men and women without titles that have driven safely at the same age.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Because I don't know any. Most ordinary working men and women have died by then, or can't afford a car anymore.
Withdean South Stand
Well-known member
- Mar 2, 2014
- 646
A drivers license should only ever last 10 years. I couldn't care less how unpopular that would be - the number of morons on the road is insane. They need to get off the road and get on a bus or a train. The other thing about re-taking the test every 10 years is that they can adjust the test, so you should have to prove you understand the flow of traffic on a motorway and that you're not just going to sit in the middle lane forever. You should have to prove you know what a roundabout is for, how the priority works and how you obey the lanes when using one. It's clear that the standard of driving in this country is far too low and we should get serious about correcting it.
That said, until it is mandatory I probably won't put myself through taking another test!
That said, until it is mandatory I probably won't put myself through taking another test!
happypig
Staring at the rude boys
Unfortunately older drivers sometimes can't be told, even by those who care most about them, and need a (metaphorical) kick up the arse. We had a guy in court for careless driving. He was in his 80s, clean license for 60+ years, pillar of the community etc.
He'd gone into town, tried to park in a space and, in front of a traffic warden, had bashed the cars front and back several times while trying to get into the (reportedly quite large) space.
His son was with him and, before we heard the case, came into court and said "please disqualify him, we've tried but he won't have it. We're worried it will be worse next time".
The old feller was quite embarrassed at having to go to court. Unfortunately we couldn't disqualify as it wasn't within the guidelines but I had a chat with him and asked him how he would feel if, next time, he was in front of a real judge because he'd run over a child. Felt a bit shit about having to say that but he said "I'm going to have to give up aren't I ?"
I told him that it was probably for the best.
If only getting the M-i-L to give up had been as easy....
He'd gone into town, tried to park in a space and, in front of a traffic warden, had bashed the cars front and back several times while trying to get into the (reportedly quite large) space.
His son was with him and, before we heard the case, came into court and said "please disqualify him, we've tried but he won't have it. We're worried it will be worse next time".
The old feller was quite embarrassed at having to go to court. Unfortunately we couldn't disqualify as it wasn't within the guidelines but I had a chat with him and asked him how he would feel if, next time, he was in front of a real judge because he'd run over a child. Felt a bit shit about having to say that but he said "I'm going to have to give up aren't I ?"
I told him that it was probably for the best.
If only getting the M-i-L to give up had been as easy....