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10r0 Year Old Drivers

(43 Posts)
tcherry Wed 13-Aug-14 20:46:14

ITV, on Telly now, watch it, it will make you feel very young!!

If you miss it you can possibly watch it on the net

TriciaF Mon 18-Aug-14 15:55:03

Another risky thing about older people driving is that often their cars are past the "use-by" date too. Because we can't afford to buy a new, more efficient car.
Though MOT etc is supposed to avoid this, where we live there are many impoverished pensioners who try to avoid the controle technique.

Nonnie Mon 18-Aug-14 10:36:03

Only looked at this thread because DH said he had been watching a video of someone we know on this programme. I'm having coffee with his DiL on Wednesday so will be interested to see what she says about him. I know he only drives a short way each day, never long distances.

Imo it depends where the older person is driving. In a city it could be very dangerous but where we live drivers are patient and polite so being a little slow would probably not be a problem. The motorway thing is worrying because of all the people who drive too close. I seem to leave a lot more space between me and the car in front that most people. DH pulls far too close before overtaking and I think a lot of others do too, regardless of their age.

bimbadeen Sun 17-Aug-14 16:24:16

tcherry Unbelievably I had very few problems with driving on the motorways or getting lost, haven't a clue now how I managed so well. I remember one time the French police had set up speed traps to catch the English as they came off the boats and to make certain they used the roundabouts properly .

I remember a frightening drive with my son when we were following his friends cars in the pouring rain , how no crashes ensued I'll never know this was in Belgium.

I hold the family record for getting back from Heathrow to Leicester , including a stop for petrol, under hour and a quarter, it was early in the am, had dropped son at Heathrow EARLY 5,00am or earlier(1987) and honestly had a virtual clear road home.

I like speed but am not stupid in using it. My husband does most of our driving nowadays , he automatically takes the keys to the car and gets in the drivers seat, so I don't get much chance of driving.

Bimbadeen

glammanana Sun 17-Aug-14 12:21:10

Dustyangel Its the same in Spain when you reach 70 and it should be here also our responses do change as we get older we are all aware of that but I do think it is more of a "man thing" to hold on to their licence for as long as possible.
I can remember my dad playing hell when he was advised not to drive and my sister and I made the decision of notifying our GP that he was a danger on the Road,older drivers should be made to do a refresher course every few years to keep up with the ever changing Laws regarding driving as most will have not picked up a copy of the highway code in years if ever.

etheltbags1 Sun 17-Aug-14 11:05:07

I knew a lady a few years ago who had her own shop, she was 90 and although she did little work in her shop she was there every day to open up and she was keeping an eye on her staff. One day she told me that her daughter lived in London and she had been to visit and had driven on the motorway from Newcastle to London. She said the traffic was getting worse. I know the M1 is horrendous and have never driven for years any distance along it but at 90, her reflexes must have been slowing. However the next time she told everyone she was flying to Heathrow where her daughter was picking her up. Very sensible

tcherry Sat 16-Aug-14 18:30:14

bimb thats so interesting that you used to drive all over Europe--I would love to do that but my fear of motorways and getting lost has prevented me from doing so--can I ask did you used to get lost much and if you did, how did you handle it--and what are you like on motorwayssmile

dustyangel Sat 16-Aug-14 13:07:19

With a Portuguese driving licence, you have to have a medical at 70 which includes a eye test,then every 2 years after that. It seems to depend on the doctor how stringent that test is.

Mishap Sat 16-Aug-14 08:03:09

It is terrifying! - these drivers are like someone wandering about with a shotgun.

JessM Sat 16-Aug-14 07:38:03

The scary thing is that you can keep driving as long as you choose with no compulsory eyesight or health certification. Its left to your discretion unless a medic flags it up.
I used to know someone with very poor sight who did a lot of driving - his daughter had arranged a complicated life which not only involved dad doing all the ferrying of the children about their busy lives, but also picking her up from the station in the evenings (she worked in London) because "she didn't like getting taxis". shock
I once witnessed an accident - I was driving in the dark in a rural area. Driver in front erratic - obvious could not see well in the dark. Eventually she took a left turn too wide and went into a car coming out of the junction.
Difficult to compare statistics between old and young - the young probably do a lot more miles per driver...?
I read a book once by a guy, writing about what it was like to be very old and he said he had turned in his licence at 85 - while he still knew this was a sensible thing to do.
A relative has Altzheimer's. Up until now he has been driving including up the M4 and into London to see his family. He is currently being assessed to see if he is still fit to drive. But there are other people in his condition who have not been talking to the doctor about their memory problems...

mollie65 Sat 16-Aug-14 07:03:05

etheltbags1 - I am sure you mean 'public transport' but it made me laugh this morning grin
but I agree so much with what you said - at 67 I still drive but would happily give up driving when I move to somewhere where there are trains/buses and I don't need to get the car out to take dog to vets or self to doctors.
if I needed a car for a holiday somewhere remote I would hire one - still cheaper than keeping your own car (and the worry) on the road.

merlotgran Fri 15-Aug-14 22:11:52

It was during a routine eye test that an optician spotted that DH had just had a stroke. DH was complaining about a headache but had no idea that his peripheral vision was damaged and on the way to the appointment had nearly pulled out in front of a car at a junction. If it hadn't been for that eye test and the experience of the optician, DH would have driven home with maybe terrible consequences.

I agree with Ana about yearly eye tests.

etheltbags1 Fri 15-Aug-14 22:08:04

Cant wait till I retire at 66, the car goes to the scrapyard as it will be quite old by then, I will work out how much cheaper it will be to use pubic transport and if I cannot afford to go out then I will just stay in. I will no longer be 'Grans taxi' or 'mums taxi' and hopefully my DD will offer to take me shopping maybe once a month to stock up, otherwise I will walk to the local shop with my little bag and get my supplies daily.
My back yard where the cart now lives will be landscaped with pots and hangng baskets and a set of chairs and table for the summer. I will no longer have to dread the upcoming MOT, dread the thought of repair bills and cost of petrol.
I will not be a 80 or 90 year old driver. thank goodness.
By the way I feel the same about broadband, I will give up the expensive landline and just keep a mobile for emergencies. I long for a simpler life without so much modern technology. Bring it on.

Ana Fri 15-Aug-14 21:59:14

I do think yearly eye tests should be mandatory for elderly drivers. I noticed that not many of those in the tv programme wore glasses, and I can't believe they'd all had laser treatment to give them 20-20 vision.

It's on my driver's licence that I passed my test wearing distance specs and I always wear them to drive, it's as much a part of driving to me as putting on my seat belt. It's the only time I do actually wear them as I don't need them for anything else.

Deedaa Fri 15-Aug-14 21:51:59

My mother once went to stay with her cousin who was in his sixties. He picked her up from the station in his car and, as he drove back to his house, she realised that his eyes had become so bad because of his diabetes that he was practically blind and was driving from memory! She said he was fine on an empty road but terrifying if they met any other traffic. He also had no intention of giving up his car. I don't think he killed anyone before he finally stopped hmm

Mishap Fri 15-Aug-14 20:47:15

I'm not very happy about this. Reaction times do slow - I know mine have and I am only 66! - and cars go so fast now. The idea of these very elderly people on the motorways is horrifying.

We know that young drivers have the most accidents, and this is a problem that needs to be tackled; but it should not be used as a reason to have very elderly drivers on the road.

Nonu Fri 15-Aug-14 18:39:12

WE should be grateful for that MERLOT , but if they WANTED to they could how scary is that ?

In fact it is not only scary it a positive disgrace , they could put the lives of other motorists in danger.

Pootling along !!

hmm

TriciaF Fri 15-Aug-14 18:25:34

bimbadeen - I'm only slightly younger than you, and agree that safe driving at our age depends a lot on where we're driving.
We live in rural France and the roads here are relatively empty, so I have no fears at the moment. But a few weeks ago visiting family in UK daughter was driving us in the SE around the M25 and other motorways - I just wouldn't have attempted it.
Hoping I can continue to drive here safely for a few more years. I have thought of having some refresher lessons, perhaps I should.

bimbadeen Fri 15-Aug-14 18:03:48

I'm just turned 79 and have an older car that I potter around in to the local shops, visit sister etc but I no longer feel confident, and wouldn't do so , of driving on the motorways. I used to drive all over Europe but do not have that confidence anymore. I haven't ever had an accident and not been the cause of one either . Am not certain of driving in my 90's or at 100.

merlotgran Fri 15-Aug-14 17:33:49

Sorry but they scared the bejeezers out of me. I'm amazed the old man who was having an assessment was passed fit to drive!

At least it didn't show any of them on a motorway shock

vampirequeen Fri 15-Aug-14 16:00:53

My mum is supposed to wear glasses for driving. She swears she can see better without them and only wears them because we told her that her insurance would be void if she didn't.

Sitting in her car is like being with a boy racer. She never breaks the speed limit but then she rarely goes below it either no matter what the conditions are. She shoots away from traffic lights as if the car is jet propelled. If I appear to be holding on she tells me off and says I will cause her to have an accident by over reacting and putting her off hmm

ginny Fri 15-Aug-14 13:48:11

janeainsworthGinny it said on the programme that more accidents are caused by young drivers than by old ones. Can't remember the figures, but the roads aren't dangerous because old people are pootling along to the shops.

Not disputing that. I did say I wouldn't want to be driven by him whatever his age. He didn't see what colour the lights were, he hit the kerb, stalled the car and the instructor had to turn the car away from a parked car and trailer so that they did not hit it !

HollyDaze Fri 15-Aug-14 13:16:23

That post reminded me of an incident in our local supermarket car park. I noticed a couple of elderly women were in a car and the driver was having trouble reversing out of the parking space (my mum has problems reversing but other than that, she is a reasonably good driver). Her friend got out and was trying to 'guide' the driver out of the space but to no avail - every time she tried to reverse out, she ended up driving back in again. I watched, amused, for a couple of minutes then went over to offer help by reversing the car out for her. The friend said 'normally, she is a very good driver but she's just had surgery on her one eye and the other has glaucoma so she can't see very well at the moment' - the driver turned to look at me and she had a whopping surgical pad on the eye! I did reverse the car out for her and just hope she got home okay - I later thought that I shouldn't have done that and can only put it down to being so stunned by it all that I wasn't thinking straight.

My eldest GD has no concept of any speed under 40mph - anything under that she calls 'granny driving'; I do worry about her.

felice Fri 15-Aug-14 12:57:03

Sitting having lunch with a friend on a terrace one Sunday afternoon an elderly couple were just leaving, they were both very frail and the man had obvious sight problems, and had had a few judging by the empty wine bottle on the table.
She steered him to a very large opwerful car, he opened the passenger door for her then FELT his way arond to the drivers side, took 10 minutes to exit the car park, with many indrawn breaths from other diners, and pulled out into a very busy road.
It was scary, we know the staff and the waiter was on the phone to the mans family as his keys had been removed by order of the police, it seems he had hidden a set and was still driving if he thought no one would know.
I imagine the car has now also been removed !!!!!!!

janeainsworth Fri 15-Aug-14 12:11:44

Ginny it said on the programme that more accidents are caused by young drivers than by old ones. Can't remember the figures, but the roads aren't dangerous because old people are pootling along to the shops.
I hope I'm still playing tennis when I'm 93, like the man who had his driving assessed.
I loved the old couple driving to the seaside, with Chuck Berry playing smile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1nJC4CXsok

vampirequeen Fri 15-Aug-14 11:57:44

I agree I wouldn't want to get in the car with him but at least he had himself checked and I expect he'll take the advice and get a few lessons to cover specifics. Maybe we could all do with that although as it took me 7 attempts to pass my test I never want to be tested again lol.