older people are a "greater liability"

It will likely be so gradual you'll not recognise it Willa.

Mair, I hope that's not the case, but it's likely than someone will and hopefully before anything bad happens.

Nearly knocked down yesterday on zebra crossing. I was half way across when an elderly gent too busy looking for parking place just drove straight across the crossing
So there well may come a time when we have to seriously consider giving up the car. Best not to move too far out of town when u retire!

The Institute of Advanced Drivers does assessment trips for older drivers. One of their assessors accompanies you on a drive round your local area and at the end of the journey, tells you what aspects of your driving you need to give attention to, and can, if necessary, tell you if they think you should hand in your licence because you are not safe on the road.

just had my 1st speeding ticket in over 40 years of driving. (nearly 60!) I Opted to do the speed awareness course instead of having points. In a group of 35 people, 28 of us were women in our 50s and 60s! Was this just a coincidence?

What was annoying to me though was the fact that we had all just gone over the speed limit by 4 - 5 miles per hour. I was sitting next to a 40 year old man who had been done for driving at 84 mph!!! Don't think we should have even been on the same course, what do you think?

That's not likely to be right because the speed awareness only applies (or formerly did)to those breaking the 30mph limit

Has it changed?

My friend and I were only talking about this last week. I am 70 and she is 71 and we are both dreading the day we have to give up driving. I was recently without my car for three weeks and hated having to rely on the children when I needed shopping. Luckily DH didn't have any hospital appointments during those weeks or we'd have had to ask for help with them too. We both hate the thought of spending our old age reliant on public transport while we hump heavy shopping around in all weathers.

I thought it was for 'minor' speeding offences, i.e. anything less than 10mph over the speed limit.

I went on a course myself three years ago, and it was actually quite informative!

To qualify for a National Speed Awareness Course the driver’s speeding needs to be within certain limits for example in a 30mph zone, your speed needs to be between 35mph and 42mph. On motorways, the figure needs to be between 79mph and 86mph. Furthermore, you will not be offered a Speed Awareness Course if you have taken one in the three years prior to your most recent speeding offence.

So it seems quite possibly true that the man was doing 84 mph (on a motorway)- I didn't know that!

I'm 71 and an Advanced Motorist. Better than many a young person. Never had a point on my licence or an accident

DH's Uncle George is 97 and still driving, though not usually very far. He has had no accidents or points on his licence, and it gives him his independence as he lives on his own and does everything for himself. He is not a bad driver but you probably wouldn't want to be behind him (grin)
Fair warning if you live in North Wales.

I remember my Dad when he was in his seventies and was still driving. He was very stubborn and pig-headed and would always hog the outside lane on motorways, driving the other drivers mad and making them take risks to pass him as he did drive rather slowly. I remember once I drove down to the roundabout to help him to find the way back to Wales and pointed to the direction he should take and he drove around the roundabout the wrong way. I knew he should give up, as I thought he would end up causing a serious accident, but he wouldn't listen to me. He died at 81 before he did cause an accident, but I felt it was just a matter of time.

DH's Uncle George is 97 and still driving, though not usually very far. He has had no accidents or points on his licence, and it gives him his independence as he lives on his own and does everything for himself. He is not a bad driver but you probably wouldn't want to be behind him (grin)

Exactly. The ability to drive is an absolute lifeline for many old people, and they probably present far far less of a risk to others than many younger drivers who arent the best, if only because they drive less and very cautiously.

As usual there is no joined up thinking! If older people are not supposed to drive we need regular public transport, especially in rural areas.
If people will be expected to work until they are 67yrs it is totally impossible, if they live in a village, unless they have a car!
My mother didn't even learn to drive until she was almost 50 yrs - she had 30 yrs of accident free motoring . She doesn't drive now that she is over 90 yrs but she has moved into a town.
My brother and sister-in-law live in a small hamlet - no buses at all.
It is self regulating - the really elderly who still drive generally only go a few miles from home.

Ana that was me twice in 5 yrs. 39 and 41 mph coming down hills out of one county, on open uncomplicated roads, that just over the border in our county where I do most of my local driving would have been 40mph.
Not for a while now I am used to those roads. I am not one who speeds because they can.

I am almost 73 and drive a large powerful car. I the last 4 years I have driven 50K miles in it including driving between Portugal and England and back on my own. So I definitely don't feel that 50 is old in terms of driving. My Mum was 50 when she started to learn to drive. She gave up driving at 70 simply because my Dad, a non driver, kept nagging about the expense of running car when they had a free bus and tube pass.

I do think drivers should retake a test at 70, and against every 5 years. There are some very bad old drivers in the roads and some excellent ones. We need to weed out the ditherers, the incompetent and the just plain dangerous.

A friend of mine in her 70s who competes in sailing competitions regularly drives abroad towing her Mirror dinghy. She would pass any test with flying colours.

I had my first accident last year, after over 50 years of driving. I had just turned 80. No-one was hurt TG but it upset me a lot, we live out in the country, no public transport.
I believe that if anyone is injured the Police are involved and the consequences can be bad. Which is as it should be.
And your license and insurance are withdrawn.
In France a driving license is for life, though they're talking of introducing tests at 70.

I do think drivers should retake a test at 70, and against every 5 years. There are some very bad old drivers in the roads and some excellent ones. We need to weed out the ditherers, the incompetent and the just plain dangerous.

Outright ageism.Old people are not the biggest hazard.

If you want to remove dangerous drivers why not make everyone redo the test every ten years? Anyones driving can deteriorate at any age.
And certainly foreign drivers should have to do OUR test after an initial grace of say three months.

Imagine the panic amongst all the ex-pats in Spain if Spain decided the same

I have been driving for 55 years without an accident though my car does bear a few scrapes and scratches and I have been on two speed awareness courses. Either I have a heavy right foot or I've been unlucky with speed cameras - I prefer the latter explanation. I would dread being without my car,scruffy though it is, as I now have osteo arthritis in one foot. I really appreciate those speed indicators they place on main roads to tell you that you are exceeding the speed limit - or not. I'd like to see a lot more of them.

WW
They already have to (from Jan 2015), with some exemptions such as if theyve lived in Spain over two years.

Many countries are not as soft on foreigners as Britain is.

I would dread being without my car,scruffy though it is, as I now have osteo arthritis in one foot.

Your situation sums up why a little leeway and humanity should be shown towards older citizens driving! Most GPs understand this. Its horrible to see the punitive attitude of some (weirdly it seems to be mostly lefties) keen to prevent many older people driving by putting them (and all of us eventually) through very stressful tests which could lead to loss of license.

I presume these people are themselves either well located in urban areas thus do no need cars, or else are so arrogant about their own driving they cannot imagine failing!

This should be a matter for each person to decide although there are cases where relatives can see the need to stop. As the statistics are not against older drivers this is punitive and needs to be resisted as firmly as possible. Fortunately there is still plenty of competition so although it takes time and patience we should wherever possible ditch insurers who are taking advantage of us.

In numbers I am 80 but feel more like 60. My wife, who is also a driver, is frequently able to assess my driving and to comment if she thinks I am not driving at my best. That includes driving in other countries around the world. Perhaps all that experience has helped me to maintain a reasonably good standard. To be sure I took an AIM test and came out with an average result which is good enough for normal driving in the UK.

I intend to continue to drive as long as my faculties permit and will fight for fair insurance premiums.

Gosh, I know what my DH would say if I commented that his driving was not at his best! And it wouldn't be " Oh Dear".
DD1 has instructions from me, to broach the subject when she thinks the time has come.(He's only 67, now) I don't drive and she has passed her Advanced Drivers test.