my 93 yr old mother insists on driving !

Izabella - that's a very frightening story. Since my accident last year that kind of scenario has been giving me nightmares.
If Topsy is still here, (from Feb.), I wonder what happened with her mother?

I cant believe my DF has had his licence re-newed. He has been having dizzy spells for the last few months that his doctor is investigating, his eye sight is bad and his memory even worse. My brother spoke to the Doctor months ago and told him my dads driving was a problems as he has had 4 accidents this year yet the Doctor still says he is ok to drive.Thankfully my DH always get the car ready for its M.O.T and between him and the mechanic who tests it they will make sure it fails as DF has said this is is last car.

If she has eye problems and that n itself is dangerous and doing things that put other road users at risk, I would tell her in no uncertain terms that if she continues she will end up killing someone. She us 93, my beautiful 17 year old granddaughter passed her test two weeks ago, it makes my blood go cold to hear of such selfish people, she has to be told. There is no excuse for her poor driving whatever age, in fact she above anyone should nknow better. she knows right from wrong I have absolutely no sympathy and if she doesn't stop should be made to.

And in the news today. Two women killed by elderly driver outside a hospital In Manchester. The 89 year old driver has been arrested and remains in custody.

Or a Drivers Awareness Course. The one I went on was excellent!

Re-education is what is needed

There are many bad drivers like Topsys mother. Unless the police catch them doing something bad they get away with it. If she gets caught speeding she'll get points and that'll larn her won't it?

I fail to see why Mair keeps getting so worked up about young drivers, that is not the subject here, nor is overseas drivers ( millions? really?), beside which, when was the last time any of us had to sit a driving test to drive a car in Europe or USA or anywhere else

I am not 'worked up' about younger drivers. I am simply pointing out that those 'worked up' about the risks allegedly posed by elderly drivers clearly do not undertand risk and th fact that some other driver groups are more of a danger than elderly drivers.

Re foreign drivers. I think while we have to accept a foreign 'qualified' driver who is only a visitor, once they become settlers, or students who are here for say more than one year they should have to pass our test.

There are several reasons, driving on 'wrong' side of road, understanding of signs and rules, and the fact that our roads are far far more congested than most other countries. Many foreigners in this country dont even realise they musnt cycle on the pavement!

You see we are told the poster's mum is sharp as a tack. Except when I was first driving on a motorway I would say to myself that for every exit road there is an entry road so I would be prepared to mirror signal and move over if necessary. So if I shot off by accident on the wrong exit I would know that if I carried on I could just get on the motorway again. I don't know that particular motorway but generally if you are sharp as a tack you do that. IMO she should not be driving. And I totally agree with Mair over foreign drivers. We have many foreign students here who don't seem to have driving skills for the uk . I still remember one Iranian wife ( pre Ayatollah days ) who could "drive"- a lot of it on the pavement.

The question by OP was about how we think she should tackle her Mother who terrifies her family with her dangerous driving. I fail to see why Mair keeps getting so worked up about young drivers, that is not the subject here, nor is overseas drivers ( millions? really?), beside which, when was the last time any of us had to sit a driving test to drive a car in Europe or USA or anywhere else, or are we assumed to be ok because we are Brits? Let's keep this away from politics, and just answer the question that was asked, and give advice for what was asked.

The 87 year old granny who lived with our neighbours drove an oldish car and although she was fully compos mentis her driving was quite dangerous and erratic. Overnight her car was 'stolen' which brought up the question of whether she really needed another car. The 'theft' worked a treat and all parties lived safely ever after! ?

I think the main problem with topsy's mother is not her age or health, but more her state of mind. She's a girl racer who thinks she has right of way in any direction. Re-education is what is needed but I fear that she would neither accept it or believe it!

I used to know a lady who sounded very similar. Nobody dared cross her. She was killed when a lorry was driven into the side of her car when she driving out of her close onto a side road. We were all shocked that someone had the temerity to do such a thing! She was 96.

Indeed the original query was about a particular person who just happens to be old. It may be that statistically 93 year olds in general are not very likely to have accidents, but this individual is considered to be unsafe and that is what is being addressed.

Because that's what the original OP was about. You seem to be taking this very personally Mair.

Because tt asked the question, not other drivers.

Then why focus on the OPs mum while ignoring the really dangerous drivers?

"agenda"

"Ageist a=enda" - I think you will find that my posts are about poor and irresponsible drivers and not about age.

Not that I am trying to tell anyone not to carry on being worked up, if they want to be.

Other road users are not the question here.

We are responding to a question from topsyturvey about her concerns re her mother's ability to drive.

tt has cancelled her visit and has not got back to us so there is little point in us continuing to be worked up about it.

absam

Sounds like he had undiagnosed dementia.
This is not the case for the OPs mother who she says is sharp.

The facts show older drivers pose a low risk to other road users, unlike young drivers who are killers!

I do not think that statistics help at al

Not when they dont suit your ageist agenda! LOL

www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/relationships-and-family/are-you-worried-about-someones-driving/

I would also be worried about the safety of other drivers. My late father-in-law had a series of strange accidents in the car - one where he ended up in someone's driveway where the owner's grandchildren had been standing just a few minutes before and eventually we talked him into not driving any more. In a way I think he was quite relieved.

I do not think that statistics help at all. It is all about individuals - if an individual driver (whatever their age and whatever their statistical likelihood of causing an accident) is driving in an unsafe manner then they need to lose their licence and be kept from the roads.

I do not think carnage is too strong a word - I have watched these people being scraped up, and worked to put their lives (and those of their families) back together again - carnage is exactly the right word. If that was truly grasped by the general population then the casual attitude to breaking the laws of the road might change.

older drivers up to the age of 80 have collision rates that are comparable to those of middle-aged drivers

The comparatively greater fatality rates of older drivers can be accounted for by their greater fraility and lower resilience to injury. It is also accepted that the risk of injury which older drivers pose is predominantly to themselves rather than to other road users

Nothing like looking at the facts rather than the ageist hysteria propagated by the tabloid press and radio phone-in presenters on the very very rare occasions an elderly driver kills a younger person.

Young drivers (17-24 year-olds) only account for about 7 per cent of all full driving licence holders and also, on average, drive fewer miles than drivers aged 25 and over. (A typical young car driver covers around 4,000 miles a year in comparison with an average of 5,600 miles per year covered by an older driver). Yet young car drivers made up 18 per cent of all car drivers involved in reported road accidents in 2013.

By this account should people have to wait until at least 21 to learn to drive? Get the boy racers off the roads!