How would you feel if you had to retake your driving licence in full- when over 70?

the thing that i would find difficult is having to learn all those braking and stopping distances, esp i assume they are now in meters.
i never quite saw the point of them, but maybe ht' because i am not confident with numbers.
i guess it is so that if one is driving too close and couldn't stop, they can say but you learnt the stopping distances.
i feel that a responsible driver will always keep a safe distance, and by experience and common sense, that will need to be greater at faster speed.
those chevrons on the motorway were a good idea. i think they were 2 seconds apart. i kept farther apart than that.
there are some terrible accidents where an elderly person has pressed the accelerator rather than the brake. they nearly always happen with automatic cars. i prefer manual.

cornishpatsy

I think it is a good idea but would like there to be a choice not to include motorways. I am not confident on a motorway so do not drive on them. I do feel competent on any other road.

That’s how I am. When I say I’m safe on other types of road I really am as I’m aware of my limitations. What about women like me that tend to let their partners do the driving but know that, in the future they may have to become the main driver or sadly be left on their own and need to drive. I would stake my life on the fact that the people that drive past our house in the evening at 60mph in a 30 limit are not in their seventies.

A lot of conditions that should be declared to the DVLA aren't as it is left to the individual to do it. If doctors and opticians were required to notify the department of anyone they've seen who needs monitoring then those people would have to have a DVLA check annually.

I think it is a good idea but would like there to be a choice not to include motorways. I am not confident on a motorway so do not drive on them. I do feel competent on any other road.

Maybe in the future they could assess your driving from a dashcam? They could really see what you get up to then! ?

I’m all for a driving assessment, rather than a formal test. I think I’m a decent driver, but always terribly nervous taking tests/sitting exams. As I understand it, the driving test has evolved somewhat from my day in that candidates are allowed a number or major/minor faults and can still pass?
I think most older drivers would appreciate some comments on their abilities. It might even be better to accept the advice to give up altogether from a stranger, rather than from a family member?

annodomini

If I was afraid that I wouldn't pass, I wouldn't take the test. I'd get rid of the car and use my bus pass more often. Not having a car to fuel and maintain would enable me to use taxis when needed. However, I believe that this idea will be dropped. The Government won't want to alienate the pensioner voters.

What if you lived in a rural area where your bus pass would not serve at all? I am lucky where I live to have excellent bus service, but many do not.

Giving up driving would mean having to move, which is a huge wrench when you are over a certain age.

When I turned 80 I got a free assessment from (I think) Rospa.
The lady took me round one of the usual test routes in the town, in my own car, and we did more or less what I remember from my original test.
She asked a lot of questions such as 'what could I see' 'sky, trees, lamppost, pedestrian with child, motorbike etc' and I asked her some, and we had a good chat.
I fell down on driving too close to the car in front at a queue for traffic lights.
Apparently you have to be able to see the tyres of the car in
front (T) and some tarmac (T) - what she called the TT rule. I felt this was like leaving a gap and asking cyclists to fill it but didn't say so
There was no pass or fail but she said I was Ok to drive.
I will book myself on for another when I'm 85.

Yes, agree with re testing at 70, but then how often after that?

My Dad would have sailed through at 70, but had always told us to tell him to stop driving if we thought he wasn't capable. That day came when he was about 72. He agreed with us, and though it grieved him, he did stop driving and sold the car.

He did miss it, as driving had been a big part of his life, having been a driving instructor in the RAF, and taught both me and, in time, my son, to drive.

However he was sensible enough to know when it was time to give up. x

I can drive ok but I wouldn’t want to take the test. That is a four letter word as far as I’m concerned and I would get too nervous. I hated doing my test originally and I would hate it even more now.

IMO it would probably be more useful at 80, though, if they’re going to do it at all.
My mother gave up her car voluntarily at 80, since she knew she’d become more hesitant and nervous -and never having been terribly confident anyway.

Downside was that although we kept pointing out how much she was saving (insurance, petrol, MOTs, etc.) and that money would pay for so many taxis, I don’t think she ever took one - old habits of frugality dying hard - and became much more isolated at home. Which was possibly a factor in the dementia she succumbed to a year or so later.

Redhead56

On two separate occasions five innocent people were killed by people in their 80s last year. This is in my city alone just imagine how many times this has happened all over the uk. It does make you wonder if some sort of compulsory test could be taken.

Yes, I think it would be a good idea to do this, at 70 then at 80 and certainly at 90!
As I fall into these age groups ( well, one of them?) I wouldn’t like doing it of course, but if I failed then I shouldn’t be driving.

I would imagine that the 60% of accidents that happen on country roads are due to speeding or no understanding of that particular stretch of road eg not thinking that there might be a tractor etc round the next corner. We drive on the A1 on a regular basis and all the dangerous driving we see is due to younger people racing each other, and, my big bug bear coming off a slip road and driving straight into the outside lane. We might see an older driver sometimes drive in what appears to be a dangerous way but it’s very rare. It’s all down to knowing ones limitations which is why I don’t drive on motorways these days. Young people, especially those that have just passed their test think they’re good drivers and don’t know their limitations. And a lot of accidents are prevented by older, more experienced drivers making allowances. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve had to slow down or speed up to allow someone to get back into their lane on the A1 because they’ve miss judged the speed of a car coming towards them

It's not really a matter of age but of fitness. In the rural area where I live there are many over 70s who would be unable to go anywhere as the bus service is two in/two out most days and nothing at weekends. Being able to drive for as long as safe is essential.

Most of the over 70s here are fit and pretty healthy, doing a lot of gardening, physical DIY and intellectual stuff. Their driving capabilities are equally good.

Personally (and I'm not over 70 yet) I can see adequately to drive without glasses - I can see hazards and obstacles without problems. But I was prescribed driving glasses and it's true that I can see more detail with them on, so I make a point of wearing them, not least so that my insurance company can't complain if something does happen!

However, I think we could all do with refresher courses at regular intervals (some could be online, even) because the law and the highway code change and it's easy to be left behind. I really don't fancy taking another full test, though!

For those who say they wouldn’t pass the test, but are safe on quiet roads.

60% of fatalities are on quiet country roads. The misjudged curve, the patch of ice or mud, the unexpected horse or cyclist, the hesitant overtaking of a farm vehicle, the sudden braking for wildlife.
The hazards are just as many as a busy road. A car is just as lethal when it hits you on a quiet road.

Personally not a bad idea to at least give advice about the changing road conditions.
One thing that should be compulsory is eye tests for drivers every 2 years.
Having worked in an opticians, I think that some people would be shocked to find out the number of people that need glasses and either never knew or don't wear them.

Oopsadaisy1

Apparently analysis proved that under 20s have 3 to 4 times more accidents than over 70s (BBC) .

Different causes maybe, but IMO its ageist to target the over 70s.

However if a person is unwell or unfit at any age it should be an offence to continue driving, at the moment unless you are under the regular care of your GP illnesses can go unnoticed and unreported.

Apparently analysis proved that under 20s have 3 to 4 times more accidents than over 70s
Inexperienced young drivers who may have borrowed cars too powerful for them are more dangerous imo.

More stringent eyesight tests would be a good idea.

Lucca

If people say they wouldn’t pass that indicates they are no longer competent doesn’t it ?

Totally irresponsible .
You can kill someone by poor driving on quiet roads too!

Totally agree.
I’m 75 and still a very confident driver in all situations.
Up until the travel restrictions I was still driving abroad.

I don’t see the problem. If you’re fit to drive you’ll pass the test.

If you don’t pass the test you’re not fit to drive.

If you think you’d fail the test, why are you still driving??

I agree with refreshers and eye tests. I had to do a speed awareness course a year or two ago and I was surprised how much I’d either forgotten or didn’t know as the laws have changed. It was a real eye opener.

Annodomini. Agree with you.

If people say they wouldn’t pass that indicates they are no longer competent doesn’t it ?

Totally irresponsible .
You can kill someone by poor driving on quiet roads too!

If I was afraid that I wouldn't pass, I wouldn't take the test. I'd get rid of the car and use my bus pass more often. Not having a car to fuel and maintain would enable me to use taxis when needed. However, I believe that this idea will be dropped. The Government won't want to alienate the pensioner voters.

Brilliant idea,

A younger friend had to go and stay with her parents for a while as mum was sent home with terminal C. She said she was very nervous when in the car with her dad driving as he was all over the place.

I asked her if she discussed with him that he should give up driving (he has cataracts too), and she replied 'oh no, that would make him so depressed. It would kill him, literally- especially having just lost mum'.

And I bit my lip and didn't say it, but wanted to say 'so we eait until he kills someone else, a child maybe'.