Older drivers. Should we take a test at 75?

MOnica and I have both recommended ways of taking an assessment. These are advisory only and you will not be banned from driving if considered not up to standard.
I found it very instructive and would happily take another in another 5 years.

Cabbie21

I am concerned by the number of people who have commented that they have no public transport and NEED to drive to the doctor’s, vets, etc, or to visit family and cannot afford taxis.
What are you going to do if/ when you are no longer able to drive for whatever reason?

Well, not many people live in a town with most services nearby and with good public transport so I guess it applies to an awful lot of us. As I’ve mentioned before we had, in our village a doctors and a post office/general store and a garage.All now gone. Losing the post office/shop was a huge blow to the village. We are luckier than most in that we have a good bus service but that’s only because we’re en route to an airport; if we weren’t we probably wouldn’t have a bus service at all. At least there is a prescription delivery service. However, I spoke to a pharmacist in a local chemist today who said pharmacies are closing down everywhere because the previous government kept giving them more and more responsibilities for no extra money ( she said they lose £1 on every prescription they do). Everything seems to be so short sighted. Quite often cutting back funds to save money just costs more in the long term. Our village post office dealt with more parcels than the main post office in the nearby town but it’s now a coffee shop. I just hope our free bus passes are never removed because that would really create a problem.

I am concerned by the number of people who have commented that they have no public transport and NEED to drive to the doctor’s, vets, etc, or to visit family and cannot afford taxis.
What are you going to do if/ when you are no longer able to drive for whatever reason?

Yes, traffic was quieter when most of us passed the test, but if we have been driving regularly since we should gradually have adapted to new driving conditions. It is what we have done in other areas of life.

When I started working my office contained a large hand cranked adding machine. now my hands twinkle over my computer. Anyone whose job required typing had a big old manual typewriter, now they use computers - thats life!

I have made sure that I drive regularly and on all kinds of roads, so I am quite happy driving on all kinds of roads in all kinds of conditions. I have regular eye tests and know my eyesight, with glasses is up to scratch. I always wear my glasses when driving. I have recently done extensive cognition tests and did not score a single point, which means that mentally I am still on the ball.

grannysyb

Why don't people have eye tests? They're free, for goodness sake!

Becasuse they are a fraid they will be told that they are no longer safe to drive. Its called 'head in the sand syndrome'

DH is 78 and I believe has never exceeded a speed limit. He once misjudged the position of the garage door when reversing the car and bent it a little, but apart from that has never had an accident. He has towed our caravan all over Europe and the UK for nearly 40 years, with outstanding confidence and care. I used to wonder about his ability to react in an emergency until such an occasion occurred about three years ago and his reactions saved our lives and that of the (young) idiot who turned in front of us with no signal or attempt at slowing down.

He isn't very good at reversing these days, takes his time, but is totally safe.

We both have 2-yearly eye tests.

At age 70 he completed the DVLA form and reported that he drank about 20 units a week of alcohol. That said, in the past 40 years he has NEVER EVER driven after having even one drink earlier in the day but since we retired has only driven 2-3 times a week, usually in the daytime. However, this triggered a major rigmarole of medical questions resulting in a refusal to renew his licence until he had had blood tests. For what, we were never told. First of all it took months to be given a list of private doctors who would perform the blood tests - none of them less than 20 miles away, all part-time and with no appointments for months. In fact about half of them had ceased offering the service. Eventually he had the test (costing us £150) and told it could take up to a year to get the results. Meanwhile he could continue to drive. The results came back negative of course, but what a waste of time (and worry and money).

We live in a country village. Taxis are non-existent and public transport is a laugh. We live at the top of a steep hill which neither of us can manage uphill. Being without a car would mean no social life at all as well as problems with shopping, doctors etc. We would have to move without a car.

Of course we would never drive if we considered ourselves to be unsafe.

There are some drivers who have never experienced a motorway, or a single file road, or an emergency stop and I suggest that they are the ones more likely to be a danger on the roads.

We are all different.

Why don't people have eye tests? They're free, for goodness sake!

The roads are busier and different. I passed my test in 1967 in London when I was 18.
My driving instructor took me made me drive round Trafalgar Square, Marble Arch and on the Hammersmith Flyover which was dual carriageway! I passed first time.

I wouldn't want to drive in London now.

The last time I did, about 20 years ago, I felt other drivers were impatient and driving was no pleasure at all and that applies to all our cities.

I agree with you, Oreo. Most accidents are caused by younger people but there does need to be more control over eyesight and medical conditions that affect driving ability - at any age.

The roads are certainly busier than when I passed my test and DH and I plan our journeys accordingly to avoid the worst of the traffic. It also seems to us that driving manners are worse in the south - DH calls it "put your foot down and go" - than in the north where people don't seem to be in such a hurry and traffic is less frantic.

kittylester

I would love to take a test and have my mistakes pointed out so I could become a safer driver in the modern world. Things have changed since ceI passed my test 55 years ago.

How could you be safer? What are you worried about doing and in what way have things changed?
There’s far more traffic on the roads and far more inconsiderate drivers around, but you can’t change that.Think of all the driving experience you have that younger people don’t have.
We were taught mirror, signal, manoeuvre but I encounter so many younger drivers who just don’t bother with that, they just go for it and rarely even signal.
Generally speaking I think older drivers are miles safer than anyone else.

No, I don’t think that drivers aged 75 need take another test.
What I think is that eye tests should be mandatory with any worries about near blindness being reported to DVLA by the optician.
I don’t think there’s a sort of cut off point age wise as all are so different.Some are dangerous drivers at 25 and some 95.
Remember that most accidents aren’t caused by old people.
The case in question about the elderly driver crashing and causing the death of a child is awful but how many children are killed by the dangerous driving of younger people?

I remember being horrified a few years ago when a friend told me his mum was still driving even though she had glaucoma.

I would love to take a test and have my mistakes pointed out so I could become a safer driver in the modern world. Things have changed since ceI passed my test 55 years ago.

My dear friend was killed outright walking on pavement to collect DGD . She was mown down by a woman who failed to declare her diagnosis of MS when completing her health declaration at 70. Apparently her foot slipped onto the accelerator and she mounted the pavement. It should not be a self declaration, but an assessment by a professional who has access to medical records and the ability to carry out a cognitive test . Unfortunately where do we find these people in our already overwhelmed health system.

Pittcity yes we have done this too - but it's much more expensive that way.

In Spain in order to renew your licence past 70 you need to be examined by a doctor and also do a computer test which measures things like reaction times etc. I think this has to be done every three years or so. Seems like a good system.

Lyndie

Why single out older people. I drive every day and sometimes long-distance. I see all age groups being reckless on the roads.

You aren’t wrong 🙄

Pittcity

You can buy stand alone insurance for friends and relatives to drive your car and vice versa. No need to put them on your insurance if it is only for a short time.
I think we should be like the US where it is the car that is insured not the driver.

I think Saga car insurance covers your car being driven by someone else if necessary.

Making policy on the basis of one tragic accident is not right. Most 75 year olds don't have such accidents. Most accidents involve young male drivers so there would be a case for repeat testing at say 21 and 25.

Glamdram that story is rather too frequently heard.
"My old dad only drives to Tesco" etc etc.
In this case the old dad died before he had an accident.

My DFiL was driving well into his 80s. He had one too many prangs and scrapes and presumably lost his licence but then his even older wife took the wheel! She said "he yells instructions and i follow them!" After he died, she gave the car to her DS.

Good ideas M0nica. Definitely worth sending to your MP and I shall encourage my MP to take this on board. Tests like these will not cost very much and are really more about giving permission to opticians and GPs.

We support an elderly friend with life etc. He still drives. 9 years ago I decided I would never go in his car. He was early 80s then. He is now 90.
Few weeks ago he back his car out of his garage . Pressed his key to close the garage door. Then proceeded to reverse, unfortunately he says his shoe was wet n he pressed accelerator instead....shot straight through garage door, took gas meter off wall and only stopped as he came to the end of the garage where a lawnmower stopped him. A neighbour had to pull him out of passenger sude as was so close to other wall couldn't get out. Gas fumes were detected. Gas board called. Road had to be dug up by his drive as he waited in neighbours house, obviously shaken up. Took few days for road to be cleared safe by Gas men. New gas meter was installed outside house, not in garage. Car was insured and repaired. He now has car back. His driving renewal form arrived during all of this. I saw it. And yes confirm it's just a tick box form. I took him for eye test at hospital year ago and asked the consultant there, twice, could my friend still drive even though only sight in one eye. Yes indeed he could. Had a general eye test in November, yes Can still drive. It's very difficult area. I think my friend should sit another test tbh. He only goes out twice a week shopping. Same route . Never drives any further.

You can buy stand alone insurance for friends and relatives to drive your car and vice versa. No need to put them on your insurance if it is only for a short time.
I think we should be like the US where it is the car that is insured not the driver.

Someone upthread M0nica did pick up on your good ideas.
As did I.

Might be worth copying your suggestions over to your MP?

Sorry to everyone.
I seem to have inadvertently hijacked the thread.
Apologies