Driving test for people over 70

Is the clue in your user name by any chance?

It'll never happen. The waiting lists for a driving test are several months long as it is and they'd never cope with testing thousands more people, nor would the money be made available.

A better reporting system for health issues would be good, though.

Agreed - better health reporting systems great idea
Re-testing at 70 - not sure 70 is old enough at all - should point out that I am 62 so a little way to go yet, however I have a sister who is 71 and I would say that she is far more confident and competent than me behind the wheel

rosesarered I think I'll change my username to violetsareblue so you will know who I am. Many people on here have daft names doesn't mean they are daft. And on the original subject I didn't think for one minute these driving tests would be free. A three year old child was killed by a man whose sight was so bad he didn't even know he had knocked down a child!

.....................and if people can afford to insure and put fuel in a can they can also pay for a compulsory test.

OMG no. It took me seven attempts to pass in the first place. Not because I couldn't drive but because I couldn't control my nerves on the day. I talked all the way through my final test explaining in detail every decision I made. After he told me I'd passed he said that at one point he was going to fail me for not going fast enough when in my commentary I said that I knew I was on a 30mph road but all the side roads were semi play streets with 20mph speed limits and as I was the only car on the road so wasn't causing problems for any other driver I was going to drive at 20mph because children playing wouldn't necessarily differentiate between the play street and the main road (which was the same width as the play streets). He felt that my consideration for the children made so much sense and the fact that I knew what speed I should have been doing and wasn't causing problems for other drivers meant that he agreed with me so didn't feel he could fail me lol.

The issue isn't age, it's ill-health. Why test thousands of good, healthy drivers?

I don't see why anyone would have a problem taking a driving test unless they thought they were going to fail. And if the fail came as a surprise these would be the people who shouldn't be on the road!
Reporting would be great. I could supply them with evidence of truly awful driving from just my dash cam.

Yesterday, in the local news, a 72 year old man was jailed for 4 years for knocking down and killing a 3-year old girl and injuring her mother. They crossed the road at a controlled crossing - the lights were on green for them but he drove through the red light.

He had been told by his optician not to drive anymore.

I cannot express sufficiently my disgust for this selfish man.

The driving tests today are so stringent I doubt if anyone of us would sail through. Hazards and theory tests to be passed before you are even considered for a practical test. My dad gave up driving at 80 thank goodness. His eyesight and hearing was dodgy to say the least. Twice, whilst with him in his car, he clipped others cars and despite his car being jolted with the impacts, he was unaware of the slight collisions. He did see his GP who asked " Are you still happy driving?". Of course Dad said yes.

Surely they should a least have an optician's certification.

Definitely drivers should be tested again! Mind you I would struggle to parallel park though! If we want to continue driving we should pay for the retest. And yes health professionals should defo report them.
DGDs' tutor tests folks for DVLA. He recently said he'd just tested a (local-gulp!) man who said if he failed him he would kill himself. Instructor told him he had had to intervene in the dual controlled car 3 times in 20 minutes!
The accident where the little girl was killed is horrendous-should they impound the car of someone told not to drive do you think?

I struggle with generalisations. Why is 70 the magic age? Of course anyone who has a health or other issue impairing their ability to drive should have their licence rescinded. More stringent medical reporting is appropriate for all ages. I wonder about the publicity for road accidents, any death or serious accident is a tragedy. Is there more focus on older drivers? I don't know. My own belief is that it would be more useful to test everyone and Include medical screening at 10 yearly intervals after the test is passed. Self funded. I doubt it would be either popular or introduced and of course many would and will disagree.

TakingtheMick 'somebody on the radio' could be anyone,a listener phoning in for instance, or just an idea put forward by a guest on the show, which is why I thought it was either that or a wind up( we have had a few wind up threads on GN.)
Unless the Government ever bring in a test like that, nobody need worry about it,
I suspect that younger drivers cause more accidents and fatalities than older ones.
As Cornergran says 'why is 70 a magic age?' Of course, if an optician thinks you should not drive ( cataracts etc) then an optician should be able to tell the DVLA.

A full re-test sounds a bit much
but,
I think that some sort of computerised test (the existing theory & hazard perception one would do) for everyone every X years wouldn't be a bad thing

Its mad that someone can pass a test, then not drive for 10 years at all, and their licence is still valid.

Perhaps the way to "police" it could be via insurers not the DVLA: you have to provide a recent eye test and maybe a hazard/theory test update cert to buy car insurance?

Or maybe roll out the drivers awareness test (that they do for speeders) for everyone every 5/10 years? People I know who have been on it found it good/helpful. There could be a simple sight test and computerised reaction test on the day?

I do think there should be some sort of update, but definitely not a full test.

This is what happens here in New Zealand. Makes sense to me and I'm still driving at 80.

www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/renewing-replacing-and-updating/renewing-for-seniors/

The arrogance of the man in continuing to drive after being told not to is beyond belief. I read the mother's statement in court telling the man how his actions had affected the family and it was heartbreaking. It isn't age but health that affects driving and someone of any age could be incapable of driving safely.

Apologies rosesarered I do agree there have been some strange postings on GN which are obviously wind ups and it is sad to see people wasting their time answering. The person on the radio I referred to was the solicitor of the family whose child was killed by the man who was told to stop driving. But I do think a simple health, eye and driver awareness test could be the way forward as we all like to think we are safe drivers.

I agree, health issues are more important than the age limitation. Health professionals should report any concerns to the DVLA. Think your idea was a good one notanan.

I agree that the issue is poor health. I think the problem is that not everyone is honest on their over 70 renewal of driving license application, no one wants to lose their driving license and it is so easy to fill the form out dishonestly, or to withhold information. However, as in the case of the man who killed the 3 year old this is totally selfish, and criminal! He had been told not to drive!! End result he took the life of a little child. We should all keep this in mind and report any changes in our medical problems that might impact on our driving!

I don't think the whole test needs to be undertaken at 70+...but something that addresses key aspects of ageing ....opticians "eyesight fitness for driving certificate"; maybe an online test on key aspects; But at 80+ I think there should actually be a short driving test to check key aspects ....

It is funny how this always comes up when ever someone over retirement age is involved in a tragedy like this.

Had the person driving been a teenage boy or young man or woman in their twenties, as most of the drivers in accidents like this are, although the cause would be drink, drugs or showing off, it is unlikely to have been of anything other than local news.

This is not to defend the driver whose behaviour in my opinion deserved a far longer sentence than he got, nor diminish the tragedy for the family but if we argue that those over 70 are retested, what about making drivers under 25, who are responsible for far more deaths, resit the test every year.