Slow drivers

A a time when, if over 70, you had to have a medical certificate before your licence was renewed, my mother went to the doctor and told him that she would consider him _personallly- resonsible if my father killed anyone, should he be passed fit to drive! My father's licence, curiously, wasn't renewed...
I hardly drive now as I feel very insecure on the road and am amazed at how complimentary DS2 is that I should recognise my shortcomings.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Maybe instead of feeling aggrieved and impatient, you should be more relaxed when on the roads? What difference will a couple of minutes make to your life?

Presumably if it had been a large Tractor, you would have accepted it driving slowly far more graciously.

The renewal of licences after 70 is a joke. The driver fills in the paperwork and if they think they are capable of driving, they put things more positively than they should. My mother now has a diagnosis of dementia but it took at long time to get that and she was not going to relinquish her licence until she was in her wooden overcoat. Eventually, I spoke to the GP in her presence and all he did was advise her to take an assessment. After a huge row with me, she just carried on driving. When her paperwork came to renew, she would not let anyone else contradict her abilities. I had to write to the DVLA without her knowing and let them know the real situation. They denied her a new licence. Fortunately, she has it in her head that everybody has to give up driving at 80 so the powers that be were be over zealous as she was 79 1/2. There is also a "man" somewhere in her head that didn't like her so he was determined to stop her. I am now blameless which is a relief because I get enough flack for the rest of her problems.

Although they do not necessarily have the power to remove licences, sometimes a visit from the police is enough to prompt people to stop driving. I am happy to report dangerous driving because I think you are protecting the driver, his possible victims and the driver's family from the most terrible guilt if things go wrong. A car is as lethal as a bullet in the wrong hands and I really think we have a duty of care in the same way as we would if we saw someone brandishing a gun!

@jillybird . It is dangerous for people to drive at 30 or 40 mph on the inside lane on a motorway. They would certainly fail their driving test if they tried it . The slow lane is usually filled with lorries travelling at 56 mph . They would constantly be pulling out into the middle lane of traffic causing it to slow down from 70 to less than 55 . It is ridiculous and could be dangerous. Your friends should keep up with the flow of the traffic , not slow it down cos they’re scared . Otherwise they should stay off the motorway.

In Denmark you had to have a medical at the age of 70 if you wanted to continue to drive and after that one every few years.

This has now been discontinued because retirement age is gradually being raised to 70!

Medical evidence suggests that yes, more people are living long past their 70th birthday now, but not necessarily in good health, or without any signs of aging, such as deteriorating eyesight, slower reactiions etc.

I would simply note the registration number of the car and phone the police, saying that your experience sitting behind this driver makes you question whether he should still be driving a car.

I have not yet forgotten how hard it was to get first my mother and later my father to realise that they were no longer safe drivers at the ages of 75 and 80 respectively.

And, no, I do not drive myself, mainly for evironmental reasons, but coming up for 70, I would think it unwise on any and all counts.

It has its inconveniences, especially in a country district, but safe first.

I’ve always been a slow driver. I do less and less driving these days but still use the car to visit people, go shopping, take the dog to the vets etc. I know my reactions aren’t as good as they were but I’ve always been a careful driver. I think far too many people drive fast and think they’re wonderful drivers but only avoid having accidents because drivers like me watch out for drivers like that and make allowances for them. You only have to see the number of idiots overtaking people on the A1 that only manage to pull in when a lorry is coming the other way because other drivers make allowances for them. I bet that for every slow driver that causes an accident there are far more accidents caused by fast drivers who think they are omnipotent.

My FIL is in his mid 80's and still driving. I wouldn't get in a car with him but when anyone mentions anything he is as stubborn as a mule is thinks everything is fine. Thankfully with lockdown he didnt go far. I do agree that there should be a test for the over 70's. I know myself when lockdown eased and I started driving again I was quite anxious and felt that I needed to slow down. Maybe this applies to many people ?

I just drove slowly from my daughter's house as I had a boot full of garden waste and got loads of angry drivers behind me. I don't care

Maybe there was something wrong with the car and he was nursing it along to where he could get it fixed? As someone else said, it's a speed limit, not a target and really nothing to do with anyone else unless they're breaking the law, however inconvenient to over-impatient others it might be.

Having said that, back in the '60s, my father failed adriving test for being too slow!

Took mum for her second Covid jab a few weeks ago and was appalled at the standard of driving in the car park. Then I realised that most of the drivers were over 80 coming for their second jab too. Some could barely walk let alone drive! I commented to the car park volunteers and they agreed. Mind you, it helped pass the time.

I’m more angry with the number of drivers speeding past my house every day. It’s got worse and worse with each lockdown.

I think going too slowly is a crime. Speed has never killed anybody and I was taught to drive by the high-speed pursuit instructors of the police and have now driven over 3 million miles in 60 years. I think anyone driving at less than 95, even in their driveway should be horsewhipped with rusty barbed wire and keelhauled.

A friend has in the past given me a lift to a club we both attend. She is a dreadful driver. She slows down when talking then suddenly speeds up then stops completely every time she overtakes a stationary vehicle. She is a good friend and I have not dared speak to her about it which is cowardly of me I know. Hopefully after our year long Covid break she will give up.

I agree the speed limit is the maximum. We don’t need to drive at the maximum. We can if we wish.
I like the idea of non police given the contract to give speeders tickets. If they were on commission the speeders would instantly stop. Everyone would then drive within the speed limit. Happy days.

Ated

I think going too slowly is a crime. Speed has never killed anybody and I was taught to drive by the high-speed pursuit instructors of the police and have now driven over 3 million miles in 60 years. I think anyone driving at less than 95, even in their driveway should be horsewhipped with rusty barbed wire and keelhauled.

...you got me going there for a minute...

I'm sure a lot of slow driving/ers has something to do with some people not having been behind a wheel for the past year.

I've noticed it seems to be the elderly who are the worst for it and also indicating or stopping at the last minute.

My DH who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year, had the form to renew his licence ( he's 73) arrive and was prepared to fill it in and send it back as he doesn't see himself with limited abilities. We had persuaded him some time ago, that he wasn't aware of other traffic/lights etc and his driving was becoming erratic.He relictantly stopped driving and we got rid of one car. Now we only have one and it's not insured for him. I told him he had to declare his illness to DVLA and the form was put back in the envelope. It is still unsent and he hasn't asked about since. The envelope will eventually 'disappear'!

As nobody knows the reason for his driving so slowly one should not judge..

I appreciate the concern that drivers should be fit for the task, and concern about health issues.

But my takeaway is that when actually driving we have to avoid feeling annoyed.

I recall a racing driver maybe Stirling Moss talking about public highway driving and making the point about our own driving attitudes. He saw ‘bad’ driving as just another obstacle on the road, and focused on his own driving not others’. Personally I find the hares outnumber the tortoises.

I drive at the recommended speed, my Grandchildren think I drive too slowly they are teenagers who I dont think drive according to the speed limit.If I see a few cars behind me instead of being stresed and forced into a speed I am not comfortable with, I pull to one side and let everyone who is in a hurry pass safely.

Going off at a tangent here but I was surprised to read on a Facebook page that in some states of America cars don’t have to have a yearly check. People were complaining bout how much they cost and how they wished they lived in a state where it wasn’t necessary. Thinking about that what happens if people drive from one state to another where checks are needed? And how does it affect insurance?

It’s an offence to drive too slowly if it’s likely to cause an issue on the road.

We are both in our 70s. My OH has driven throughout the world and he always categorises bad drivers by guessing "what their problem is." It is scary the way he is right 90% of the time. I try to make him realise it is no longer politically correct to class people according to age, race, gender or nationality etc. but his accuracy allows him to insist he is being factual.
It is infuriating when we overtake to avoid the danger of being behind the poor driver to see that he was 100% correct with his assessment.

Off topic, but there is no slow and fast lanes on a motorway.

My friend's mum is in the early stages of dementia and had her licence renewed a few months ago.

There used to be a driving offence called ‘dawdling’. I suspect it doesn’t exist any more!