Geriatric drivers!

The law seems to be pretty sketchy around this issue, or at least enforcement of any laws does.

I've known a number of people who have decided for themselves that they're no longer safe to drive.
Usually to the relief of their friends and families.

eazybee

I am attending a family party tomorrow about nineteen miles away., held to compensate for a much reduced covid wedding. To drive there takes half an hour and costs about £4; to go by bus takes one and a half hours and costs £7, last bus arrives 7.30pm, next one available Monday.
Taxi costs £50 at least one way, more later in the evening.
Fortunately I have scrounged a lift, which I hate doing; as few people are coming from the same direction it was difficult. Since I retired I have done my share of driving people about who don't/can't drive, and I know how reluctant many people are to go even slightly out of their way to give a short lift.
This is is why the elderly cling on to their cars.

But an older person's bus pass would make this a free ride surely?

I have encountered older drivers who, as already pointed out, really are oblivious to what’s going on around them. Also the “leaning forward, clutching the steering wheel, peering myopically over the top” whilst almost wiping out another driver/cyclist/pedestrian.

Whilst it’s true that bad drivers are everywhere it’s also true that many drivers over a certain age just don’t have the faculties anymore in order to be safe on the road. I’m all for retesting.

My DD who drives an automatic suggested I should swap to an automatic too. I said that I had heard too many stories of experienced ' manual' drivers having accidents having switched to automatic.
I lost a bit of confidence over lockdown but am back on the M25 now..but find night driving difficult and avoid whenever I can, despite have glare reducing glasses

I’ve heard of many cases of people with dementia who their families know are no longer safe to drive, but because they haven’t yet actually had or caused anything like a serious accident, it’s incredibly difficult to get the authorities (DVLA or GP) to stop them.

What’s often recommended is somehow disabling the car, so they can’t drive it, and subsequently having it towed to a garage for ‘fixing’ - which will take an awful long time. Merely taking the keys away just (understandably) provokes a lot of anger.

I remember covering a court case years ago where an elderly man had pulled out onto a main road, seriously injuring a motorcyclist. He was ordered by the court to have an eye test - and it turned out his eyesight was so bad that he could legally be registered as blind. There must be many similar cases out there. My own FiL, 95 next month, was still driving up until a few years ago, until we persuaded him that it was time to give up. He would never have been able to live with himself if he had caused an accident.

Mapleleaf

Yes, there are some awful older drivers, but equally, there are some awful younger drivers too.

I totally agree so why should older drivers be singled out to have a take a test when they reach 70?

It is hard to admit you aren’t longer a good and safe driver after fifty or sixty years behind the wheel. I asked DH’s Parkinson’s consultant to tell him he had to stop driving, something which upset him but averted the accident which was going to happen. He took absolutely no notice of me, of course.

I limit my driving to local roads which I know well and hope I will be honest enough to know when to stop. My annual eye test will show if my sight isn’t good enough, and when I keep scraping the car I shall know that my judgement is failing.

I think if people think their relatives' driving is a cause for concern then they maybe should think about informing the DLVA - and then leave it up to them to decide what to do. One of my Mum's friends was reported to the DVLA and she had to attend an assessment and they took her licence away straightaway as she was a danger on the road. But nobody knew who had reported her; it was thought it might have been her daughter. If you know a relative is going to kick off if you talk to them directly about their driving, then maybe this is a way round that problem and it could take a dangerous driver off the road.
There was a campaign or something a few years ago that tried to allow doctors to inform the DVLA if they felt that one of their patients wasn't able to drive safely anymore but was ignoring their advice not to drive. Don't know if this was allowed in the end or not?

There is a backlog of learner drivers wanting to take their tests. If you add 70 year olds to the mix…..

I always loved having a car. Indeed, would even describe myself as a 'tortoise', as the car was my shell. Never imagined a time I would not be driving. BUT...... also hoped that I would be sensible enough to recognise when the time came to stop. Not having to wait for the large accident or several small ones that so many oldies seem to need to get this information through to them.

I drove throughout Lockdown, where necessary. Would easily do the 150 miles journey along motorways and across London to visit one of my AC.

A few months back, I found myself, listening for noises in my car, obviously concerned that something was going wrong. This followed a rather bad puncture that I had experienced. Talked to myself......if I am no longer really relaxed whilst driving, then perhaps the time has come to cease. So, I sat down and worked out exactly how much the car (fully paid for) was costing me. I no longer liked the long journeys by myself - so I was using it once a week for an eight miles round trip to Sainsbury's - and the very occasional trip of a very few miles locally. Most of the time it was tucked up in my garage - and I discovered this was costing me close on a grand a year!!!!

This was soon fter my 80th birthday - and I sold the car, cancelled my insurance, etc. dug out my Bus Pass and found I could live quite well, and without the worries about this.

Yes, when I made my last home move I made sure I was living somewhere with good public transport links. Buses stop outside of my block of flats. So much more enjoyable doing those local journeys by bus.......I can gaze at peoples homes, at shops, and at the beach and let someone else worry about the lights, and other vehicles.

Do I miss having my own car? If I am totally honest, very slightly on occasions. But, for most of the time, not at all. However, it is very important that older people try to ensure that they have alternative means of travel. All those who 'Escape to the Country'. may find themselves very isolated when no longer being able to drive.

You make some very good points Franbern. The trouble is, my small market town doesn’t have a very good bus service, taxis are not as plentiful as they used to be, a car is very useful, even if not always economically viable.

Sensible as always, Franbern. Our bus services are severely reduced since we moved out of the city 26 years ago, and taxis often impossible to book since they do school runs morning and afternoon so are not available when needed. Not sure what the answer is other than becoming a hermit.

Yes please to a test at 70 / 75 just for peace of mind and to take the heat out of a family discussion.
My mum lives in an area with a high proportion of elderly drivers - often chaos when it gets busy. I was really pleased when she discovered the freedom from the worries of parking etc her bus pass gave her.

However, would also like a zapper for those who drive while texting - and most of those don't get a pension yet!

I'd rather be in a car being driven by my geriatric DH than with some of the younger drivers we've seen out on the roads recently as they have been ducking and diving between the lanes of motorway, holding up traffic by staying in the middle lane, gazing at their phones etc.

Froglady

I think if people think their relatives' driving is a cause for concern then they maybe should think about informing the DLVA - and then leave it up to them to decide what to do. One of my Mum's friends was reported to the DVLA and she had to attend an assessment and they took her licence away straightaway as she was a danger on the road. But nobody knew who had reported her; it was thought it might have been her daughter. If you know a relative is going to kick off if you talk to them directly about their driving, then maybe this is a way round that problem and it could take a dangerous driver off the road.
There was a campaign or something a few years ago that tried to allow doctors to inform the DVLA if they felt that one of their patients wasn't able to drive safely anymore but was ignoring their advice not to drive. Don't know if this was allowed in the end or not?

I did something similar to stop my mother driving. I contacted her optician, explaining the situation, and they sent an appointment for an eye test. She was told at the test that she had a problem with one of her eyes and shouldn't drive any more. She was very shocked and upset, but then forgot what they had said to her, and told my brother that she just had to get new glasses! I followed up with an email to the optician, asking them to send her their diagnosis in writing, which they did. They told me that they would also inform DVLA. I didn't ask (and will never know) whether her eyesight was the problem; at the time she was 97 and still saying she was as good a driver as she had ever been!

The man who wrote my car off on 6 Feb this year when he tried to race across a road at a minor and known dangerous crossroads was under 25. Only my DH's rapid respons to the situation (he became a member of the Institute of Advanced Drivers at 75) stopped the accident being any worse, no injuries because he braked so fast, but my 14 year old, lovely, totally reliable bright blue Yaris was too damaged to be reparable.

Link to a very interesting news article on the subject. www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24204489

Unfortunately, it takes an accident to stop most geriatrics from driving. We think we can cope until we can't. Easier to give up your car if you live in a town; not so good for rural dwellers.
I am banking on a driverless car if I live that long.

Boz How do you define a 'geriatric'? Age? health? education?

M0nica

Boz How do you define a 'geriatric'? Age? health? education?

Being "geriatric" is not an indication of poor health or of poor driving.

Some are far better drivers than some younger people, less likely to use mobile phones or to take drugs before driving and less reckless, more considerate of other road users.

Being geriatric, merely means you are over a certain age, or should I say uncertain age and is a word used outside medical circles by younger people wanting to abuse older people. They rather forget that they too are growing older by the second and will reach 70 or 80 in exactly the same amount of time as it took those nw of that age to reach it.

Although geriatric was once used in the medical field as a noun meaning an older person, that use is now considered offensive. It is also considered offensive when used as an adjective to describe a thing (such as a machine) that's worn out or useless

I may feel quite old at times but I know I am still a competent driver. In fact I am better now at reversing into a space than I was at 20.

I’m sure the driver I was behind this afternoon should not be driving. She was so short that her head was barely above the steering wheel and she had to strain her neck to see the road ahead. She was driving at just less than 20 mph in a 30 zone and went through some traffic lights very late, pretty much on red. When I caught up with her, I was able to overtake as the road became much wider and yes, she was very elderly but I was more concerned that she then just pulled over to the right to turn without indicating, causing the driver behind me who was also overtaking her to take evasive action. I could see in my rear mirror how close it had been to a nasty crash. To make it worse, I think she was totally unaware as she just kept on going!

I agree that people of all ages can drive badly or make careless mistakes but this driver really was a danger to other drivers. I try to keep well back from any car that I think is not being driven sensibly as I don’t want to get involved in a RTA and would rather hang back than push to overtake.

I think periodic retesting should apply to all age groups. Maybe every 10-15 years until age 70-75 then every 5 years? (figures to be scientifically assessed!)

I well remember my driving instructor (BSM) telling me "once you've passed your test you can drive like a pig as well!"

Interesting article indeed, Monica, thanks for sharing.