10r0 Year Old Drivers

sorry Typo ... 100 year old drivers... is what I meant to type

Oh my word, but I guess killing yourself on a motorbike is better than some ways to go !

I was in a fast fix garage one day and there was a lady of 93 waiting for her car to be repaired. Her car came out first and a man and I were waiting for our respective cars watched as she drove away. She was an excellent driver. Absolutely perfect take off and entry on to a busy road. I dont think age has much to do with driving ability. My own father drive up to the age of 86 and was an excellent driver. He did not drive in the last few months because he could not move his legs well enough. He died aged 86 a few days before his 87 birthday.
I think experience, perception and safety are more important than age. I had a driving test virtual drive on my Laptop and my dad passed but I failed!
Sugarpufffairy

When I was in my twentiess I sometimes saw a very elderly lady driving an enormous sports car, I Think it was an Austin Healey. It turned out she had been a famous racing driver in the thirties and could probably have driven most of the other drivers around into the ground!

I thought they were excellent role models. Respect

Watched on I player. I admire them and hope that I can continue my unblemished driving until 100+. It was interesting to hear that in proportion, under 25 s have more accidents than over 100s. Good on them! X

I didn't see the program but read a comment about it in the Guardian today. Their TV critic seemed to think the drivers were a bunch of menaces!

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/aug/14/100-year-old-drivers-tv-review

I hope the link works.

I loved it !

I think the programme was made because of the rarity of 100 year old drivers , but come on, their reactions have by the very nature of the beast GOT to be slower.

They could if they so desired go on a motorway and could cause untold carnage.

Might have been a sweet amusing programme , but makes one think they could be amongst us !

Sorry I am NOT in favour of 100 year old drivers .

In fact I will go even further and it is absolutely ridiculous !

Surley it all depends on the individual? I have a friend who passed her test first time, and is an absolute menace. She has been since she was 18, she's 60 now. On the other had my neighbour of 80 is a brilliant driver. And - did anyone see the lady of 93 who took control of a Spitfire (plane) She certainly seemed in control enough!

I watched some of the program but found it rather patronising to the 'real elderly'
with only 200 over 100 yo drivers to choose from they had to spin out the program by emphasising the problems.
at 67 myself - and having driven for many years with long commutes I admit I do not drive as much as I used to - too stressful with everyone in such a hurry, I drive an automatic (one less thing to worry about) and avoid busy times.
if I reached the point that some of these 100 year old drivers seem to have reached I would hope I would have enough intelligence to realise it was time to hang up my driving gloves (as it were).
insurance must be prohibitive at that age - taking a taxi or a train must surely be preferable/cheaper unless you are a real petrol head (some of the men seemed to be that way inclined)
there is however a big differance between a 70 year old driver and an over 90 yo driver - one is probably still very with it on the road and the other worries me.

I agree with you Nonu. 100 is way too old to be still driving.Reactions at that age [or even when you are 90 ]are slow. There is nothing to say that they are good drivers, as I doubt they ever even had to pass a test.I shall give up driving long before that sort of age 'if I'm spared' as they say.I do wonder if they will bring in some sort of rule for 80 years upwards, like re-taking a test?

What about the insurance, how much does that cost?

No, I am afraid it does not amuse me one bit
and should NOT be allowed!

I will go one step further and say it is down right dangerous.

Some of them were very good drivers but the others seemed to cross the centre white line on the road an awful lot.

I felt sorry for the lady who's family had taken away her car keys because she hadn't been able to force her way into the right hand lane on a very busy road so had driven to the next available turn off. I'm 55 and I've done that. Does that mean I shouldn't be allowed to drive? Surely she did the right thing. If she'd waited for someone to allow her in she would have blocked the lane she was in thereby causing an obstruction.

I admired the 93 year old who had the sense/guts to have his driving assessed. I was so pleased when he passed.

Yes, he passed but I don't think I would want to get in a car with him at the wheel whatever his age. If that is the standard of driving to pass a test, no wonder the roads are dangerous.

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.

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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1nJC4CXsok

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 !!!!!!!

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.

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 !

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

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

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.