Giving up my car

I think it's a no brainer Franbern
You have a lovely flat, services on hand including rail and bus links, an electric scooter, family nearby.
Why would you want to own or run a car?

But I feel empathy with taking that big step. Suddenly you/we feel old.

Like you I have driven "all my life", a safe driver, ferrying family and, friends, driving huge distances across Europe and now that freedom and independence is severely threatened.

When DH was alive, we always shared the driving. Now on my own, I no longer enjoy car journeys. I have the car for occasional use but I have my bus pass and senior railcard.

I've never had a car - so won't have to give up driving. It sounds like you only use it for the weekly shop and occasional long trip.

When you add up the true cost of keeping it, there seems to be no logic to do so. You could get a cab home with your shopping - or have it delivered.

The train journey will be much nicer than driving, too. You'll save a fortune!

I'm 75 and don't intend to give my car up yet. I must say it's the door to door convenience that I like. I think if I had to stop driving I would definitely use taxis for shopping. A lot of outings I already use the train for and certainly any long journeys will be train from now on.

Luckygirl - you must go out an awful lot to anticipate 'huge taxi bills' without a car. Have you worked out the cost of it? Minicabs here aren't very dear.

I am well served by public transport and have GP, library, shops etc.etc. within easy walking distance. I sold my car a few years ago. On the one hand my halo sprouted because I know it's environmentally good not to drive a car but on the other hand I have to admit I miss driving. I have a good waterproof coat, waterproof trainers,boots and a waterproof backpack so rainy days are no problem. I use a cab when I have heavy luggage and sometimes to return home late at night. Hope that helps.

Hetty58 - I live in the middle of nowhere. A trip to town and back would be at the very least £60; and minicabs are but a dream!

I'm with Crazyhorse on this. Love my car. We both have our own. As Gelisajams suggested mothball it. See how you adapt.

I would think long and hard before giving up the car.
Does it really matter if you only use it occasionally? I would value the reassurance that the car is there if I need it, and as others have said, no matter how good public transport is where you live, nothing is more convenient than having a car sitting on the drive.

You say your daughter takes you out some weekends to N.T properties which is lovely but there must be occasions when she is busy and you just fancy going somewhere. As you know very few NT places are accessible by public transport, so a car is essential to visit them.

Despite what you have said about how conveniently located your flat is, in your position I would definitely keep the car.
As long as you take it out for a little run every two or three weeks to keep the battery charged, it will be fine, and you will enjoy having the feeling of maintaining your independence.

Only using a car occasionally is not really a good idea for safety reasons- as for anything else, regular practice is the key. And for us getting older, perhaps even more so.

Battery goes down too, and not good for tyres to be stationary either.

It depends how you define ‘occasionally’ though doesn’t it?

If a car is only used say once a month, the battery and tyres would be fine.

I really believe getting rid of your car would be an excellent idea. You chose your flat carefully with its excellent transport links. It’s time to ‘go green’, cut pollution and re-invent yourself as an eco-warrior. Good luck !

Yes, have made the decision to keep my car throughout the coming winter, but to use it as little as possible, and try to pretend it is not there.
Then, next spring, when the next insurance becomes due to make a final decision. Do not think my six year old small i10 would sell for much, However, I would obviously save on Car Insurance, Services and repairs (recent new tyre cost over £60), and RAC insurance. Reckon the total of those will cover quite a few short taxi fares!!

Suppose it is the convenience, and the fact that I have been used to having a car at my immediate disposal for the past fifty plus years, that is frightening me a little.

Not sure if I would be permitted to hire a car at my age if I needed to have one. Does anyone know if there are any age rules on hiring?

If it is not an extra expense that you could do without, I would hang on to it for as long as you feel able and willing to drive.

I can't drive so it isn't an issue for me but my Mum was the driver in our family and, in later years, it gave her so much more freedom. That is, though, bearing in mind that her village bus service was quite limited. When she had to give up driving due to sight issues, her mental and physical wellbeing deteriorated noticeably and she felt more stranded and less independent.

As you say you have good public transport, this might not be an issue for you but having the ability to travel where and when you want - even if you don't travel far - using your car for shopping, etc - can be quite useful.

I live in London and public transport is very regular and interconnected and runs right into the night. So far as travel within London and its outskirts is concerned, that is OK. But when I did my weekly visits to my Mum, it meant a 3 hour journey one way, which could have been done in 1 hour by car. On cold winter nights, standing waiting for the bus in her village and then on the station platform was not much fun. It was then that I thought it would be useful to drive.

I am 80. I've been driving since I was 22. I live in a city in Scotland. My daughter lives 3 miles away but to get to her house I would need to get 2 buses a nd it would take approx 1 hour. I can drive the distance in 15 minutes. I have to pay the usual road tax and insurance plus £60 per year just to park my car as I don't have a driveway. It is becoming an expense I can barely afford now but I would miss the freedom it gives me. As for the petrol crisis, I walked for a mile with my dogs this am , passed two large petrol stations, no queues and no closed notices. This has been stirred up by the media and if no one was panicking it wouldn't be a crisis.

Franbern don't write your 6yr old i10 off as worthless. I just sold my 11 Yr old automatic Corsa for £500. Could have probably got more for it as it had 20 months MOT. I actually bought a newer one as I am 69 and I think this one should last me for 6 or 7 years. I'd find it hard to do without it even though I live close to shops and bus routes.

10 months not 20

As you seem to have transport options for most things, if you take the cost of petrol, servicing and insurance, for the few times you would need to drive, take a taxi. I'm sure if you added up the expense of a car there wouldn't be much in it cost wise.

Just couldn't do without a car - NO transport nearby, nearest bus or train over 3 miles. Could get food shopping delivered - did try it but got weird substitutes!! As I live alone I do like to get out an about and take my dogs to new walking areas. Until she died recently, I also shopped for a friend and took her out and about.

you have to decide if you want to still carry on paying for fuel, insuring and taxing your car, would the money saved from getting rid of the car cover your bus and train fares or even partley cover, i still drive we have a car each but partner still works and we live in a rural village with limited bus service and at top of very steep hills and with no shops and having COPD i need a car other wise i maybe would of sold mine.

I didn't think of it like that Franbern - the yearly cost. Insurance MOT etc my i10 must cost me £700 a year. Goodness. But I like the independence. I won't give up driving until I have to. (I love the i10, very dependable little car.)

Although I am not in your position, I remember counselling my mother to stop driving (we felt she was an unsafe driver).

When she did so, she became dependent on us - I had no idea of quite how much we had taken away from her. It changed her daily life completely and now, being of a similar age, I am horrified that I encouraged her to stop driving.

If it is yours and others safety that is your main issue (and not cost) why not take a couple of driving lessons and ask for a driving assessment? Then you would know how safe your driving is and hopefully know you are safe on the road.

We took such a test some years ago when our grandchildren arrived. It gave us confidence that we were safe drivers.

Seem to remember some car hire companies have an age demarkation. Feel that maybe illegal (ageist?) but they can easily make it 'undesirable' by upping the insurance premium hugely. I'll be interested hear from someone who has current knowledge on this.

I haven't gone through all the posts but one solution that's kind-of halfway, is to join a car club such as ZipCars so you can have access to one when you really need it. Or maybe rent one on occasion? (Though they might have some age limits - I haven't looked into that yet..)

If you decide to give up your car, think about the savings in running costs plus the possible proceeds from its sale. You could use that money to take a taxi occasionally.

Apart from all these GNers who live in the depths of the country without public transport, I don't believe not owning a car is a big hardship.
When I broke my arm and couldnt drive I was amazed by the time I saved not picking up people from the airport, not stuck in traffic jams or trying to find a parking place and then trying to pay without cash...
Here my nearest city is Edinburgh where cars are penalised. Parking costs are high and narrow streets closed at weekends. I think we are being weaned off our addiction to personal cars by making it quite unattractive.
Public transport is good but could be better. Bus lanes operate during rush hour weekdays only.