Driving dilemma

If someone is reported to the DVLA they send them a detailed form to complete. This happened to my parent. They were unable to complete it themselves adequately and after a few weeks we're told to stop driving.
Reporting concerns is the responsible thing to do. It is anonymous.

Aveline

I should reiterate that neighbour is not 80 she's 91!

It wasn't you who mentioned 80 but other posters whom I quoted.

I agree that, if someone is showing signs that they have cognitive impairment or a physical disability that means they are not fit to drive, they should be be behind the wheel.

But I'm sure we all know people who were not fit to drive when they were younger as well as older people who should recognise when it's time to give up their licence.

Ah, thank you.
Yes, I see what you mean, now.

I should reiterate that neighbour is not 80 she's 91!

This, MissAdventure

I believe there should be a cut off age just like there’s a starting age and 80 would be my cut off age.
and
And this is exactly why I believe EVERYONE should have to stop driving at age eighty. No ifs, no buts.

The general tone of the thread is ageist.

Yet it is the younger drivers who are most at risk of causing accidents.
What age group is most likely to be involved in a crash in the UK? Young male drivers under 25 are four times more likely to be involved in a car accident than drivers aged 25 or over.

I've not seen anything ageist, that I can remember.
Surely the general thoughts are that each driver should be treated as an individual?

Young, old, and otherwise.

Obviously for the sake of safety, common sense has to prevail and if someone shows any indication that they are no longer fit to drive, they should not be driving.

However, this is a very ageist thread.

That's the trade off, isn't it?
Saying that, my ex lived in Glencoe, and got online deliveries, a reliable, but sparse bus service, and taxis, if booked well in advance.

It’s very difficult, OP. You just have to hope that a very minor prang will make her think again.

My mother gave up her car voluntarily at about 80 - she’d become increasingly nervous in heavy traffic.

We were quick to tell her that with what she’d be saving on petrol/insurance/MOTs/servicing, never mind the sold price of a still good car, she’d be able to take any number of taxis.

Alas she never did - in her eyes taxis were still a great extravagance, and she became increasingly housebound. 🙁

Well, it's not that we, or I imagine Dizzyribs, moved to somewhere where there were few taxis or buses.

There were bus services on Sundays and in the evenings here; plenty of taxi firms if you needed a taxi. There was a hospital with Minor Injuries, a huge weekly market as well as plentiful shops selling everything from fruit and veg to shoes and clothing.
All more or less gone now.

I do not want to live in a city.

I can't envisage living somewhere with no taxis at all, no online deliveries, no buses at all, I'm afraid.

Anyone saying that people must give up driving at 80 and use buses or taxis is being dogmatic. Obviously, if someone is not fit to drive they should not be driving but that could happen at a younger age or they could be fit to continue for years.

They are also assuming that buses and taxis are readily available - it's similar here, Dizzyribs, so I can sympathise.
Taxis are not available, especially in the evenings and the buses stop in the early evening too. Online shopping is available, as is Amazon etc - but don't mention that on here as others may ask why on earth you don't go shopping in proper shops and that Amazon is the work of the devil. It may be, but it is also very useful if you can't travel far.
Likewise to get to hospital appointments - here we could be sent to any hospital, some of them 35 miles away. Buses? probably have to change two or three times, taking at hours each way.

So what should we do, Dizzyribs? Move to the city where we know no-one? I don't think so!

I hope you can find a supermarket that will do an online delivery. Have you asked your neighbours?

So what are you going to do Dizzyribs?

Yes it’s a market town- so I would have the three or four market stalls every other week and a farmers market once a month which may be enough. It would just be very lonely in the evenings.

I haven’t moved to the country to retire, I live in the same market town that I moved to when I married many years ago.
If I stopped driving I would be able to sit at home and watch tv every night (if the signal is good enough) or read after about 7.00pm, there’s nothing else to do locally. I’d need to take a full day to collect my newspaper (no delivery service and poor internet) my standard shopping would have to take place over several days because I can’t carry it all to and from the bus stop in one go and there’s only a couple of buses a day, which run for commuters. They turn around straight away so you have to go in at 7.30am and return at 6.00pm. Taxis are like hens teeth and cost around £30 one way. For some reason I can’t get online delivery here (websites say they will let me know when it’s available in my area.
Stopping driving is going to restrict my life completely. I’m late 60s so not there yet, but the thought is already filling me with fear. Moving is not an option financially.

I'm also going to be 80 this summer. I'm going to have a session with a driving instructor to check whether I'm still safe on the road.
However, DS must think I am. I'm going for a week to Spain with him, his non-driver wife and his Australian in-laws,
who wouldn't drive on the right or in a car with manual gears.
He's put my name down as the other driver for this trip.

I'm planning to downsize and one of the requirements of wherever I move to includes all the essentials in easy walking distance, as I know there could come a time when I have to give up driving. Having said that I know lots of people much older than me who still drive. I'm only just 70 so recently had to sign up for my next 3 year licence. I took it seriously, going for an eye test before applying even though I wasn't aware of any issues. I still drive from just outside London to visit my family in Yorkshire a few times every year. Many of my friends express surprise at me still doing the long journey as many only drive locally and not after dark! I don't enjoy long distances any more and need a few breaks, but if I was only driving locally I'd question if I should be driving at all. One friend gave me a lift somewhere and folded her wing mirrors in when on a narrow country lane as she was worried about them hitting something! That made me seriously nervous so I probably won't accept a lift from her in future - she is one of the 'only locally' people!
I agree with others that there probably should be some sort of test to renew a licence - if not at 70 definitely at 80 - even if it is just the sight test. I never had to deal with the issue with an elderly parent as my dad died very young and my mum never drove as she suffered from epilepsy. I hope if my kids ever suggest I give up that I'll listen to them.

I think nervous hesitant old drivers are just nervous hesitant young drivers grown old.

I agree.

How many of these hesitant older drivers were always hesitant nervous drivers.

Out driving I notice time and again nervous drivers of all ages, taking ages to turn out at junctions, positioning themselves badly, parking badly and generally unable to judge a situation.

I almost got stuck in a car park last week with a driver, wanting my place, who stopped in the area I needed to back on to, then backed right off and placed themselves, in the area where I would need to turn into once I had backed out. They clearly were unable to read the situation.

I think nervous hesitant old drivers are just nervous hesitant young drivers grown old.

Pippa22

Laythrus3
I think you are being flippant about the elderly people and their driving in your neighbourhood.
However slowly they drive someone could easily be killed if the didn’t see a pedestrian and hit them.
You can anonymously report someone to DVLA and they write a letter to the driver. I know this as it has recently happened to a friend of mine. I didn’t report them .

It was rather an ageist post especially on a site primarily (but not exclusively) aimed at older people.

Lathyrus I do have an "elderly friend", at least I suppose she's elderly as she's over 81. She is sometimes slightly hesitant when driving, probably more at a junction rather than taking chances like some drivers, but she was the same when she was 45.
In all the years I've known her she's never had an accident.

Laythrus3
I think you are being flippant about the elderly people and their driving in your neighbourhood.
However slowly they drive someone could easily be killed if the didn’t see a pedestrian and hit them.
You can anonymously report someone to DVLA and they write a letter to the driver. I know this as it has recently happened to a friend of mine. I didn’t report them .

It depends so much on the person. My dad drive until his eyesight started to deteriorate at 92. He only drive locally, anything further he got a lift, a taxi or public transport. I did feel safe with him up to the end, he could reverse into a parking space still much better than I've ever been able to do. It was his decision and am glad he recognized that it was time
A friend of his is still driving at 96, again I ly locally, he drive as part of his job.

The lady who mounted the pavement and killed the wee boy in Edinburgh died before the case went to trial. But it was suggested she was suffering from dementia. I’m sure If your neighbour is showing signs of dementia you can report this to the dvla as she’s not likely to do this and if she’s made a false declaration she could be prosecuted

Aveline

My neighbour is well off and can easily afford taxis as required. Actually I was quite taken back at her aggressive response. It was quite out of character. Maybe she was already fed up at her sons' going on at her? I don't know. I suspect it's a matter of pride for her.
Can only hope all goes well or she decides to give up driving very soon.

Have you got any idea how inconvenient and life changing it is not to drive when you have driven all you adult life?. Relying on public transport or taxis not being able to be impulsive and go out when you wish to. I am not saying this lady should be driving but I doubt not wanting to give up her licence has anything to do with pride. More fear of becoming isolated, lonely and stuck in a rut. Relying on other people is the pits too.

Hard or hearing is not a disability that excludes you from driving. Those people that are profoundly deafare allowed to drive.

Given the number of medical appointment, picking up prescriptions that increase in old age it gets more and more important that one can drive.

The limit should be competence not age.