Unsafe to drive?

Sorry, my post crossed with Granjura's

There is no 'critic' at all- ever. For the sake of clarity and fairness here, I shall repost my intitial reaction, with the relevant and important IF :

I am so so sorry Charleygirl- and I am fully aware that you may be upset with me- but your comment really does worry me. Not driving at night is an easy choice- but if ......
your macular degenaration makes you feel uncomfortable to drive on non-familiar roads- then (edit) truly, really, you should NOT be driving

When I was once [or twice!] treated harshly by GNers, I was comforted by some GN's who defended me. I hate to see people hurt. Sorry if I've been nosy and interfering.

When in a hole, the advice is to stop digging. There are so many comments here from people whose driving confidence diminished with age - Charleygirl has her gp's approval to drive. The AMD is irrelevant

I have glaucoma and because of it am issued with a driving licence that is valid for three years only, at every renewal I have to take a field test (which is different to the usual optician field test). So far I have passed with flying colours each time.
I do not feel comfortable driving at night so I don't although legally I could. To me this is no different to someone with normal vision deciding not to drive with a migraine or a bad cold etc. It is not something you can easily legislate about, and you have to rely on people's good sense although that appears to be lacking in some people (not only the old but also drug and alcohol users). Also I avoid busy major roads and only go on an unfamiliar route at times when there is little traffic. I think this makes me a wise and safe driver who knows her own limitations.

I am/was very short sighted. When I had my cataract operations the surgeon replaced my natural lens with a plastic prescription lens that brought my eyes close to normal sight, but after each operation I had six weeks when I drove with glasses that had a prescription lens on one side and a plain glass lens on the other.

While driving like that my eyesight passed the DVLA test, but was less good than I was used to. As a result I drove less and with care. When I mentioned this to my optician when I was having my post-cataract eye test. He commented that someone who was blind in one eye and had tunnel vision in the other could pass the DVLA eyesight test and legally drive.

As is clear from this thread those on it with eye problems have them known to the DVLA and they are being monitored, but there are many people on the roads with extremely limited vision, who nevertheless can pass the DVLA test and do not have to inform anyone of their limited vision.

I agree Monica. I have had eye surgery too and although my optician said I could drive without glasses, I don't feel comfortable doing do and always wear my bifocals if I'm driving.
It all comes down to individual responsibility, but that doesn't mean that the law shouldn't come down hard on those who, being aware of their own limitations, disregard them and jeopardise not only their own safety but more importantly that of others.

The IAM offer an independent mature drivers' assessment if anyone is concerned about their abilities. Worthwhile exercise I think.

It costs £49

iamroadsmart.com/courses/mature-driver-assessment

I know I'm not a one to criticise older drivers, but if you want to see many examples you should come to one of our country market towns. Mornings.
In France a license is for "life", not medicals at 70 etc though they want to introduce it.
Driving is essential here, as there's no public transport, most live in isolated villages, and the average life expectancy is about 85. Many live alone.
I saw one elderly man who had one eye patched over, very unsteady on his feet, get into his battered old car and drive off.
The big difference here is that the roads are fairly quiet, apart from some huge lorries and ag. vehicles.

I am surprised the life expectancy is as high as it is then!

Actually Alea 85 is a guess, going from the obituaries I read in the local paper. Every time there's at least one over 100, and most of the rest in the'r 80s and 90s.
But I do know for a fact that people live for longer in our Dept. (Gers) than in any other part of France. It's the most sparsely populated too.

Quite a lot of older people drive odd little cars which maybe have less powerful engines, but not allowed on main roads - maybe that's an idea for the future.
Mind you, some of those in the little cars are drinkers, lost their car license.

In France you have the small under-powered vehicles which are described as 'san permis' because you need neither a driving license or insurance to drive them. They are an absolute menace. Driven almost invariable by the very elderly who do not have driving licenses. On hills, and the land is quite lumpy in the region where our house is, they slow down to walking speed and get up to a slow sprint going down hill

But, I hasten to add, no worse than the the mobility scooters we get in the UK. Not the ordinary day to day ones, a reasonable size and convenient for getting up and down shopping aisles, but those giant ones, the 4 x 4s of the MS market, almost always driven by men and usually having to go on the road rather than the footpath. On the road they are impossible to overtake and on the pavement they sweep, everybody else on the foot path into the road; other older people, mothers with pushchairs, anybody who dares to get in their way.

Thank you everyone who contributed.It is clearly an emotive subject. I think my issue is now resolved, thankfully without confrontation.

Re Macular degeneration and driving, my mother who is 89 still drives, and is currently receiving treatment for this condition. On phoning the DVLA she was told that if she felt OK to drive then carry on. She has never been asked for proof of fitness to drive and last year her licence was renewed ahead of her 89th birthday with no request for information about her current medical status or any other check.
Whilst she restricts herself to very local journeys this is no guarantee of safety - we live on a very busy 50mph road - a limit which few observe, and whilst she remains spry and alert, her judgement can be faulty - like the rest of us!
The DVLA seems happy to ignore the need for testing, and there must be thousands who, like my mother, are approaching their 90th year, but, unlike her, do not recognise their own limitations behind the wheel of a car.

If you feel that anyone you know, family or friend is unfit to drive then take the registration number and report it to the police with your reasons. It's done in confidence and no one need know that it's you who's made the complaint.