10r0 Year Old Drivers

bimbadeen - I'm only slightly younger than you, and agree that safe driving at our age depends a lot on where we're driving.
We live in rural France and the roads here are relatively empty, so I have no fears at the moment. But a few weeks ago visiting family in UK daughter was driving us in the SE around the M25 and other motorways - I just wouldn't have attempted it.
Hoping I can continue to drive here safely for a few more years. I have thought of having some refresher lessons, perhaps I should.

WE should be grateful for that MERLOT , but if they WANTED to they could how scary is that ?

In fact it is not only scary it a positive disgrace , they could put the lives of other motorists in danger.

Pootling along !!

I'm not very happy about this. Reaction times do slow - I know mine have and I am only 66! - and cars go so fast now. The idea of these very elderly people on the motorways is horrifying.

We know that young drivers have the most accidents, and this is a problem that needs to be tackled; but it should not be used as a reason to have very elderly drivers on the road.

My mother once went to stay with her cousin who was in his sixties. He picked her up from the station in his car and, as he drove back to his house, she realised that his eyes had become so bad because of his diabetes that he was practically blind and was driving from memory! She said he was fine on an empty road but terrifying if they met any other traffic. He also had no intention of giving up his car. I don't think he killed anyone before he finally stopped

I do think yearly eye tests should be mandatory for elderly drivers. I noticed that not many of those in the tv programme wore glasses, and I can't believe they'd all had laser treatment to give them 20-20 vision.

It's on my driver's licence that I passed my test wearing distance specs and I always wear them to drive, it's as much a part of driving to me as putting on my seat belt. It's the only time I do actually wear them as I don't need them for anything else.

Cant wait till I retire at 66, the car goes to the scrapyard as it will be quite old by then, I will work out how much cheaper it will be to use pubic transport and if I cannot afford to go out then I will just stay in. I will no longer be 'Grans taxi' or 'mums taxi' and hopefully my DD will offer to take me shopping maybe once a month to stock up, otherwise I will walk to the local shop with my little bag and get my supplies daily.
My back yard where the cart now lives will be landscaped with pots and hangng baskets and a set of chairs and table for the summer. I will no longer have to dread the upcoming MOT, dread the thought of repair bills and cost of petrol.
I will not be a 80 or 90 year old driver. thank goodness.
By the way I feel the same about broadband, I will give up the expensive landline and just keep a mobile for emergencies. I long for a simpler life without so much modern technology. Bring it on.

It was during a routine eye test that an optician spotted that DH had just had a stroke. DH was complaining about a headache but had no idea that his peripheral vision was damaged and on the way to the appointment had nearly pulled out in front of a car at a junction. If it hadn't been for that eye test and the experience of the optician, DH would have driven home with maybe terrible consequences.

I agree with Ana about yearly eye tests.

etheltbags1 - I am sure you mean 'public transport' but it made me laugh this morning
but I agree so much with what you said - at 67 I still drive but would happily give up driving when I move to somewhere where there are trains/buses and I don't need to get the car out to take dog to vets or self to doctors.
if I needed a car for a holiday somewhere remote I would hire one - still cheaper than keeping your own car (and the worry) on the road.

The scary thing is that you can keep driving as long as you choose with no compulsory eyesight or health certification. Its left to your discretion unless a medic flags it up.
I used to know someone with very poor sight who did a lot of driving - his daughter had arranged a complicated life which not only involved dad doing all the ferrying of the children about their busy lives, but also picking her up from the station in the evenings (she worked in London) because "she didn't like getting taxis".
I once witnessed an accident - I was driving in the dark in a rural area. Driver in front erratic - obvious could not see well in the dark. Eventually she took a left turn too wide and went into a car coming out of the junction.
Difficult to compare statistics between old and young - the young probably do a lot more miles per driver...?
I read a book once by a guy, writing about what it was like to be very old and he said he had turned in his licence at 85 - while he still knew this was a sensible thing to do.
A relative has Altzheimer's. Up until now he has been driving including up the M4 and into London to see his family. He is currently being assessed to see if he is still fit to drive. But there are other people in his condition who have not been talking to the doctor about their memory problems...

It is terrifying! - these drivers are like someone wandering about with a shotgun.

With a Portuguese driving licence, you have to have a medical at 70 which includes a eye test,then every 2 years after that. It seems to depend on the doctor how stringent that test is.

bimb thats so interesting that you used to drive all over Europe--I would love to do that but my fear of motorways and getting lost has prevented me from doing so--can I ask did you used to get lost much and if you did, how did you handle it--and what are you like on motorways

I knew a lady a few years ago who had her own shop, she was 90 and although she did little work in her shop she was there every day to open up and she was keeping an eye on her staff. One day she told me that her daughter lived in London and she had been to visit and had driven on the motorway from Newcastle to London. She said the traffic was getting worse. I know the M1 is horrendous and have never driven for years any distance along it but at 90, her reflexes must have been slowing. However the next time she told everyone she was flying to Heathrow where her daughter was picking her up. Very sensible

Dustyangel Its the same in Spain when you reach 70 and it should be here also our responses do change as we get older we are all aware of that but I do think it is more of a "man thing" to hold on to their licence for as long as possible.
I can remember my dad playing hell when he was advised not to drive and my sister and I made the decision of notifying our GP that he was a danger on the Road,older drivers should be made to do a refresher course every few years to keep up with the ever changing Laws regarding driving as most will have not picked up a copy of the highway code in years if ever.

tcherry Unbelievably I had very few problems with driving on the motorways or getting lost, haven't a clue now how I managed so well. I remember one time the French police had set up speed traps to catch the English as they came off the boats and to make certain they used the roundabouts properly .

I remember a frightening drive with my son when we were following his friends cars in the pouring rain , how no crashes ensued I'll never know this was in Belgium.

I hold the family record for getting back from Heathrow to Leicester , including a stop for petrol, under hour and a quarter, it was early in the am, had dropped son at Heathrow EARLY 5,00am or earlier(1987) and honestly had a virtual clear road home.

I like speed but am not stupid in using it. My husband does most of our driving nowadays , he automatically takes the keys to the car and gets in the drivers seat, so I don't get much chance of driving.

Bimbadeen

Only looked at this thread because DH said he had been watching a video of someone we know on this programme. I'm having coffee with his DiL on Wednesday so will be interested to see what she says about him. I know he only drives a short way each day, never long distances.

Imo it depends where the older person is driving. In a city it could be very dangerous but where we live drivers are patient and polite so being a little slow would probably not be a problem. The motorway thing is worrying because of all the people who drive too close. I seem to leave a lot more space between me and the car in front that most people. DH pulls far too close before overtaking and I think a lot of others do too, regardless of their age.

Another risky thing about older people driving is that often their cars are past the "use-by" date too. Because we can't afford to buy a new, more efficient car.
Though MOT etc is supposed to avoid this, where we live there are many impoverished pensioners who try to avoid the controle technique.