Gransnet forums

AIBU

AIBU to think that driving at 97 is a tad unreasonable?

(199 Posts)
JessM Thu 17-Jan-19 18:54:44

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46912691 Apparently Prince Philip had a road accident today and is unhurt. It's a blessing that nobody else was injured. Trouble is that there is nothing (other than relatives) to prevent a 97 year old from continuing to drive. I would favour eyesight tests being made compulsory from 70. And some sort of cognitive assessment every 5 years after 80. Otherwise drivers can just keep certifying themselves as fit to drive, each time their driving licence comes up for renewal. Some people have the sense to know when it's time to hang up the car keys and others, evidently, don't.

BlueBelle Fri 18-Jan-19 12:05:01

I ve just been listening to a phone in on the radio about this a man rang in to say how difficult it was to stop his father after a hair raising trip with him in which he said himself he aged 20 years he rang DVla to be told there was nothing they could do but send a form He also said many years previous he gave the date but I can’t remeber on a remote road in Scotland the DoE ran him of the road head on Whilst deeply engaged in conversation with Prince Constantine of Greece He said there was only harm done to his car not him but neither DoE or the following minders stopped to see if he was ok

Deedaa Fri 18-Jan-19 13:01:02

I read that he was dazzled by sun and I had,a lot of problems with the sun myself yesterday. It was very bright and low and I had to stop at several junctions and look several times to be sure the road was clear.

Mycatisahacker Fri 18-Jan-19 13:48:20

I heard that too Bluebelle on LBC. Incredible but great radio grin

Yes he’s too old and no excuses he could have a police protection officer drive him anytime.

Selfish old fool. Sad it’s taken other people to be injured to come to this. Imaging if that baby had died!!

Telly Fri 18-Jan-19 17:42:06

Niobe - a quote from the governement website 'You don’t need to tell DVLA if you have, or have had, cataracts and you still meet the visual standards for driving.'

M0nica Fri 18-Jan-19 18:21:21

I agree with Deedaa the sun was low and very bright yesterday. It made me realise on the way home from the shops how filthy my car windscreen was inside and out, so when I got home, despite the cold, I wrapped up well, got a bucket of soapy water and cleaned the car, inside and out. What a difference!

loopyloo Fri 18-Jan-19 18:24:22

I wonder what the conversation was like when he arrived home and had a cup of tea with the Queen!

Menopaws Fri 18-Jan-19 19:20:42

My dad got quite dangerous and the rest of the family pussyfooted about it, I took out the spark plugs and when my mum said it was sad and he should be able to be independent I said I will go with her to the funeral of the child he runs over, only then did she listen to me.

Iam64 Fri 18-Jan-19 20:00:26

Niobe, I had cataracts on both eyes but still passed the test to drive, providing I had my specs replaced every six months as one of them was changing quickly. I had both replaced with lenses last year and no longer need specs to drive. I'm also confident about driving at night again because I no longer have the glare caused by cataracts.
Just having cataracts alone shouldn't stop anyone driving, till they reach the point where passing the eye test arrives. I was reaching that point in one eye so had the cataract done. I'm sure the royals get the best of medical attention and aren't languishing on NHS waiting lists. I was lucky. Because my ops were said to be complex I was referred to our Eye Hospital. Their waiting lists were such, I was referred to private provider. Brilliant service.

Jalima1108 Fri 18-Jan-19 20:22:23

After all these years of driving he has had an accident and thank goodness no-one was seriously injured.

How many young boy racers or in-a-hurry 40/50 something executives are involved in accidents?

If someone is fit then I see no reason why they should not still drive; however, the question is whether or not we should have to undertake a fitness examination.

And as for eyesight testing - asking someone when they take their test if they can see a vehicle registration at so many yards is fine - but what happens if eyesight deteriorates?

Leonora47 Sat 19-Jan-19 07:31:55

Are we absolutely certain that the DoE would be competent to take The Queen, or Prince George for a spin on local
public roads? If we are not 100 percent confident, but still believe
he should have the right to drive, we
would leave him free to risk, not only his own life, but the lives of those unfortunate enough to share the road with him.

maryeliza54 Sat 19-Jan-19 08:16:53

I love the idea that a broken wrist is a minor injury - especially with a baby to look after. Will his insurance pay for child care and a housekeeper for her until she’s fully fit and physio because the NHS wait may well be on too long? Oh and a chauffeur because she won’t be driving.

maryeliza54 Sat 19-Jan-19 08:31:18

www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-arm-or-wrist/

loopyloo Sat 19-Jan-19 08:39:59

My brother who was 82 at the time was starting to deteriorate cognitively so I wrote to the DVLA. Eventually he had an assessment and was told he could no longer drive.
From a pr point of view, he should send his licence back to the DVLA.

maryeliza54 Sat 19-Jan-19 08:46:11

loopy the only PR that will be evident in this saga will be the well oiled Palace machine releasing statements about how he’s sent wishes to the women.

maryeliza54 Sat 19-Jan-19 08:51:41

The news on the radio heard just now of a replacement car being delivered to Sandringham ( apparently from Balmoral) is just about the biggest ‘fuck you’ statement the RF could make at the moment isn’t it?

MawBroon Sat 19-Jan-19 09:43:21

Might be a gesture if they also delivered a new Kia Carens to the other driver!
And a personal, sincere apology admitting all blame

(What sort of person lives a 10 minute drive away from his wife anyway? Answers on a postcard)

MawBroon Sat 19-Jan-19 09:44:22

What if that had been Prince Louis in the back?
Kate would have had his guts for garters!

aggie Sat 19-Jan-19 09:48:46

or like some old fools I have seen round here , with his Grandson on his lap "driving"

maryeliza54 Sat 19-Jan-19 10:23:03

But we all know don’t we Maw that the RF only give a shit about their own precious children and not those of the plebs - I bet he’s never allowed to drive them and hasn’t been for a long time.

MawBroon Sat 19-Jan-19 10:58:15

I have never been terribly anti-Royal , finding them on the whole decorative relatively harmless and their history interesting, but the RF PR at the moment is doing them no favours at all.
The Dof E’s pig headed stubbornness plus his fallibility or I compete on this occasion nearly cost the lives of a young mum, her mum and a baby.
I think they need more than the smooth tongue of a Tony Blair figure (The Queen) to pull back from this.
So far the lack of remorse, any sort of recompense and a commitment to a more sensible course of action in future are conspicuous by their absence ??

MawBroon Sat 19-Jan-19 10:58:47

iPads! “Incompetence” on this occasion.

eazybee Sat 19-Jan-19 12:30:26

What an unpleasant tone the most recent posts are displaying.

megan123 Sat 19-Jan-19 12:43:05

The unpleasant thing here is the RF are as is normal putting out PR statements about a new car for the Duke - for gods sake who cares. Do they not realise how distasteful this appears when three people were nearly killed simply because the DoE was doing what he "wanted" to do, as he always does.

Jalima1108 Sat 19-Jan-19 13:10:43

So far the lack of remorse, any sort of recompense and a commitment to a more sensible course of action in future are conspicuous by their absence
We don't know, though, do we, what communications etc have been going on behind the scenes between the injured parties and the RF?
For all we know there may be much going on that we will never hear about and if the RF put out a statement to that effect then they would be accused of 'virtue signalling' or whatever the term is.

MawBroon Sat 19-Jan-19 13:21:08

Well I am sorry about the tone, Eazybee how would you like us to register shock, disapproval, regret for the consequences for the other car’s occupants and a degree of disgust at a situation which need not have happened?
tcrsad or tcrangry