Older drivers. Should we take a test at 75?

It seems in our area that it is some young people who put their cars into a hedge or up a bank in a vehicle that is a faster type than those of some of us Oldies

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?

I too thought this Cabbie and it’s rather concerning as is the defensive reaction if anyone infers one’s driving might not be up to scratch.

Blondie49

MOnica I used to work in Insurance and we were always told rules were as follows-
The driver is legally responsible for telling the DVLA or DVA about any such condition or treatment. Doctors should therefore alert patients to conditions and treatments that might affect their ability to drive and remind them of their duty to tell the appropriate agency.

I think you’re right. One of my WI friends was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She was advised to inform the DVLA and consequently was asked to take a test to assess her ability to still drive (it wasn’t at a driving test centre). Anyway she passed with flying colours so can continue but will take another test in 6 months time.
From a different viewpoint I have heard rumours that the government may decide to take our senior free bus passes off us ………. someone said to me if they do there will be an awful lot of incompetent drivers back on the road - I hadn’t thought of it like that but probably true.

Am I right in thinking that bus passes are paid for by the local council, most of which are starved of money. The main shopping centre in town will really suffer if people no longer go into town for free. I won’t drive in because I can’t afford the parking.

Jaxjacky

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?

I too thought this Cabbie and it’s rather concerning as is the defensive reaction if anyone infers one’s driving might not be up to scratch.

Our reflexes aren’t as good as we get older. Which is why I don’t drive on motorways. I’m still pretty sure that there’s no one safer than me driving on other roads. When I say I’m a nervous driver I should probably replace nervous for careful which I’ve always been. It terrifies me how some people drive on motorways.

If the government ceases funding bas passe, the bus companies will introduce their own schemes. There is no subsidy for older people on trains, but there is still a Senior card available that gives reduced fares and other benefits.

I think anything pensioners get that is other than cash in the pocket, free prescriptions, the lot, should go, it is demeaning, suggests that we are too old and stupid to manage our own money and set aside money for buses or nedications. In their place I would put up Pension Credit sufficiently to cover the extra costs. This would also give help by bringing into Pension credit, a significant number of those just above it, so that they do not suffer.

As for bringing people on the roads who weren't there previously. I doubt many people would go out and buy a car because their bus pass stopped - but all but the better off would see their pension increase to cover the extra cost, and many who already own cars would probably still prefer to catch the bus, to save on car park costs and difficulties.

I’ve just checked my Saga insurance and it doesn’t say that someone else can drive my car if necessary unless they have DOC insurance ( whatever that is) and then it’s only third party. I really thought that when I first used Saga one if the reasons I switched to them was that, in an emergency, someone else could drive my car.

MayBee70

I’ve just checked my Saga insurance and it doesn’t say that someone else can drive my car if necessary unless they have DOC insurance ( whatever that is) and then it’s only third party. I really thought that when I first used Saga one if the reasons I switched to them was that, in an emergency, someone else could drive my car.

DOC stands for "driving other cars". The driver of your car would need to have his/her own insurance, which allowed driving of other cars, but only with third party cover.

MayBee70 some of your family are likely to have Drive Other Car on their own car insurance policy. But it will only cover them for third party. To have fully comprehensive cover for any one driving your car you can add them as named drivers on your policy.

I have my son, daughter and son in law named on mine and at various times we’ve all driven each others. The additional cost was minimal. If you do it mid policy there will be an admin fee. But if you add them at time of renewal it may not cost any extra. That was my experience.

I was house and dog sitting recently while my son and family were on holiday. I used their car if I was taking their dog anywhere so my car didn’t end up full of dog hair!

Thanks. When I renew (which won’t be till next year) I’ll get them added on. Mind you, my daughter now drives an automatic and she says she’s forgotten how to drive a manual. Does say that she finds driving so much better because all she has to do is concentrate on what’s happening around her. Having said that she said her car doesn’t always accelerate as fast as she wants it to which sounds worrying to me ( she has told the manufacturer). I can’t imagine not changing gear etc! Mind you I think my nervousness is the result of two things. Learning to drive in a Morris 1000 in which I had to think way in advance when I wanted to stop( for years, if I was a passenger in someone else’s car my foot would be going for an imaginary brake pedal) and then driving a car (in fact two cars) that had an engine that kept cutting out. Even now, because my little cars engine is so quiet, I have to rev the engine at traffic lights to check it hasn’t stalled. Oh and I also once had a metro that had no acceleration at all and used to come home in tears because I used to annoy other car drivers around me because they didn’t understand why I would stop at eg road islands because I didn’t have the acceleration that everyone else had.

i am used to driving both automatic and manual as DH's car is automatic and mine manual. I am so used to both, I hardly notice which is which.

I have only once had an underpowered car. It was soon replaced.

I sometimes drive my English DS's car when I stay with him. As you say, My insurance allows me to drive it but only 3rd party.

MayBee70 my son's Audi which is an automatic is really responsive.

He says it's to do with the way they change gears. Some have a "lag" especially older models.
Maybe she bought the wrong car (for her). My daughter-in-law has a not-so-nippy version.

It’s a Mini Cooper to replace her previous one so it should be pretty nippy.

Modern automatics are not slow and many cars if you want a manual you pay extra, Mercedes has been like that for many years. Electric is even better, no gears at all, press a button and go, lots of secondhand EVs cheap currently, buy one with a manufacturers warranty..

David49 I don't think you pay extra for a manual, generally automatics are more expensive even for Mercs, they can also be more expensive to maintain.

Even the most basic A Class Merc comes with a dual clutch automatic, all you do is select forward or reverse.

Aside from it being foolish to base a re-testing policy on occasional tragic events it's worth noting that the backlog for initial driving tests is now growing. Would any government want to add to that by re-testing all 75 year olds. I doubt it.

It’s my understanding that it’s the young who cause many more accidents than older people who are generally more careful.

silverlining48

It’s my understanding that it’s the young who cause many more accidents than older people who are generally more careful.

Yes that’s true, with older drivers it’s usually eyesight that causes accidents, occasionally a major event ( heart attack etc)

The key problems for older drivers are eyesight and cognitive failure and these 2 account for almost all accidents they are involved in where they are at fault.

Recent research medicine.wustl.edu/news/even-very-subtle-cognitive-decline-is-linked-to-stopping-driving/ has shown the importance of cognitive failure.

Which goes back to my belief that the any problems with driving when over 70 can be dealt with by having to provide evidence of a recent eye test when renewing a license and opticians being required to inform the DVLA when someone (any age) who has a driving licence fails the eye test with glasses on.

I have done two full cognitive tests in the past year. Neither showed I had any signs of cognitive failure. They were both adminstered by a nurse and took between 20-30 minutes to do

How often do people over 70 have their eyes tested? I have an annual standard test and a diabetic eye test (they test different things), but I don't know how usual that is. I suppose I assumed that people did have regular eye tests and acted on any recommendations. If that's the case, it wouldn't be that difficult for people to provide evidence of a recent eye test - not that it would guarantee that people would wear their glasses if required.

Cognitive tests are too open to interpretation and I really don’t see that being introduced anytime soon, eye tests are straightforward everyone over a certain age has them the result can be part of the new application rather than just a self declaration.

Men under the age of 30 are responsible for 50% of all accidents. Four times as much as any other age group.

Given they can only start driving at 17 that’s a lot of accidents in only 13 years of driving…