Unsafe elderly driver - how to protect the public

cyclonebri1

Jakg wrote: »

Ok - my Dad's bike test consisted of riding from the test centre, round the block back to the test centre. There was no bike following him, and as he made it back the examiner passed him as safe for the road. My Mum cannot drive at all, but she has her license and will menace everyone else on the road - I can't wait for compulsory retests for EVERYONE every so many years.

One of the few modifications i'm looking to do to my car is a camera in the front and rear to video some of the morons on the road!

Sounds like you've already joined them by this and your earlier comments, why not go the whole hog and do your car up like a jam sandwich??:rotfl:

alastairq

The issues of older drivers and their driving standards is a thorny but increasing one.

Often, driving instructors themselves will find it difficult to assess, and RE-EDUCATE, old drivers.......a bit like trying to re-teach your granny to cook.

Re-educating an old driver requires a totally different approach to teaching a new driver to pass the test.


In the end, the biggest problem all drivers face, is driver attitudes.

not just those of others, but their own too.

As anybody with a disability will affirm, the greatest obstruction is socitey itself.

[it is getting better]

Regarding driving, the biggest problem old drivers face is the self-centredness of other drivers.........few drivers give any thought as to how other road users will cope with what that driver does.

Take motorways for example.

Reading this thread, the biggest so-called safety problem hilited is the relatively slow speed of some drivers.

yet, in my view, the problem isn't the 'slower' driver...but all those who patently fail to COPE with that slow driver.

so, the problem isn't so much the abilities of an old driver, but the inabilities of all the other drivers.

Change the attitudes of the majority, and the problem reduces....not just for old drivers, either.

Regarding 're-action' times, this is in many ways a non-starter.

A young driver will rely upon 're-action' to keep them out of trouble..because they lack the experience that allows them to recieve more information from what is out there, and anticipate problems arising.
The older driver , because of experience, see's more, earlier..therefore anticipates earlier.

Such techniques probably bores the pants off younger, or middle aged drivers with more power and capability under their tootsies than they know what to do with......but are what separates good drivers from the rest.

As for me, I'm nearly 60..and am highly involved with driver training to the highet levels.....my colleagues instruct blue light driving, for example....I deal with the largest and heaviest of vehicles..on and off road.
I know of an 80-year old who has recently given up motor racing.....

Age isn't the complete problem

What to do with Dad?

BUy him a quad bike....they're quicker than mobility scooters....get him to learn to ride without turning it over.....sorry..being fatuous.....but then.....I do know of pensioners who have bought small, road legal quads for running about on...dunno how they'll manage when they can't get their leg over, though?

-re-education is the answer, and not just for the olds.....especially as DAd hasn't been amongst the fray for so long.

However, it isn't a good idea to pass a judgement on another's driving skills, if all one has to go by is one's own experiences which may well be clouded by the mass of urban myth out here about 'driving'..
just because they do something one wouldn't do oneself, doesn't mean to say they are 'wrong'......

One of the few modifications i'm looking to do to my car is a camera in the front and rear to video some of the morons on the road!

good idea, but for the wrong reasons I fear......I would do the same, but to gather evidence in the event of a collision......I read so many threads on other forums where the other party has blatantly lied about events...video evidence is so useful when trying to get an insurance [loss adjuster]assessor to understand what went on.

margaretclare

Jakg wrote: »

Ok - my Dad's bike test consisted of riding from the test centre, round the block back to the test centre. There was no bike following him, and as he made it back the examiner passed him as safe for the road. My Mum cannot drive at all, but she has her licence and will menace everyone else on the road - I can't wait for compulsory retests for EVERYONE every so many years.

I don't understand this. Mum cannot drive at all but has a licence? How? Has Mum ever passed a test - she must have, or she wouldn't have a licence?

I know several women who say 'oh, I can drive and I have a licence, but I don't drive. I leave all that to him....'

I had many years of doing a job which required me to drive - community nursing and community midwifery - so I've been used to driving at all times of day/night and in all weathers. DH no longer drives as he used to. It used to be foot hard down, leave home in Nottingham to get to an appointment in Glasgow, driving quite aggressively. And also the German style of driving, down the autobahn to Stuttgart, foot down...Nowadays he keeps strictly within the legal speed limits and if that annoys other drivers, tough. One thing he can not stand is tailgating, and there is a lot of that about.

jackieb

My parents are both drivers (ages 78 and 76). Are they supposed to arrange to resit their tests or are they supposed to get reminders? They've never resat their tests since they turned 70. I don't know anyone who has.

Inactive

jackieb wrote: »

My parents are both drivers (ages 78 and 76). Are they supposed to arrange to resit their tests or are they supposed to get reminders? They've never resat their tests since they turned 70. I don't know anyone who has.

Nobody has to resit a test at 70.

dan_essex

jackieb wrote: »

My parents are both drivers (ages 78 and 76). Are they supposed to arrange to resit their tests or are they supposed to get reminders? They've never resat their tests since they turned 70. I don't know anyone who has.

resit their test?? You don't have to do that in the UK....i sure you haven't got mixed up with a medical or something?

Errata

Garetha wrote: »

My father is 88 and hasn't driven for about 10 years apart from recent driving lessons.

One instructor gave up on him. A friend who sat with him said 'don't drive' and refused to help further. Another driving instructor advised him to take a test.

His reactions are very slow, he walks very slowly with the aid of two walking sticks. We don't know if he could stop quickly enough in an emergency.

When challenged he denies his potential danger and is in the process of buying an automatic 'which I will be able to drive'

I've written to his GP asking for his opinion or if he would advise the DVLA. I had no reply.
I've written to the DVLA asking for advice on assessment without mentioning his name - but no reply.

We're so worried about him having an accident and hurting himself or someone else.

Can anyone advise what else I could try to get him assessed?

This is a difficult one. A GP won't discuss a patient with their relative(s) unless the patient gives the GP permission to do so. That's how it should be.

If the father has mental capacity a relative can't 'get him assessed'. That's how it should be.

Many of us, whatever our age, believe we are good and safe drivers and sometimes those who have a slight feeling they might not be insist even more robustly that they are.

Clearly there needs to be practical proof of bad and unsafe driving. This might easily be obtained by the OP insisting the elderly chap test drives the automatic before he takes delivery of it. Chances are, if he's unused to an automatic and is as bad a driver as has been suggested, he won't be able to drive it properly. The salesman accompanying him will have a near heart attack and insist on driving the vehicle straight back to the garage (if it's still driveable).

Other than that - steal the keys. Which is what I had to do with an elderly relative and promised to give them back after he'd been examined by his doc in my presence. Just as well, cataracts meant he couldn't see for toffee.

Jakg

margaretclare wrote: »

I don't understand this. Mum cannot drive at all but has a licence? How? Has Mum ever passed a test - she must have, or she wouldn't have a licence?

She can drive, and had the skills to pass a 1970's exam.... 39 years ago.

Since then her skills have... declined, she is rough with the controls, doesn't seem to understand lane positioning and is worried about driving fast - which isn't a bad thing, but it is when you are doing 30 and just about to join a 70 MPH dual carriageway!

alastairq wrote: »

good idea, but for the wrong reasons I fear......I would do the same, but to gather evidence in the event of a collision......I read so many threads on other forums where the other party has blatantly lied about events...video evidence is so useful when trying to get an insurance [loss adjuster]assessor to understand what went on.

I'm putting it on a loop so that if I press a key it will save the last minute of video or so - I plan on using it mainly to record loons and nearmisses but it's also going to be used in the event of an accident so I have proof either way.

CFC

Jakg wrote: »

She can drive, and had the skills to pass a 1970's exam.... 39 years ago.

Since then her skills have... declined, she is rough with the controls, doesn't seem to understand lane positioning and is worried about driving fast - which isn't a bad thing, but it is when you are doing 30 and just about to join a 70 MPH dual carriageway!I'm putting it on a loop so that if I press a key it will save the last minute of video or so - I plan on using it mainly to record loons and nearmisses but it's also going to be used in the event of an accident so I have proof either way.

Actually,to me, you sound like the dangerous one. i note your pc details are in your sig as you are so proud of what you see as your 'big souped up' computer, i believe it likely you are the same with cars!

Jakg

Yes, because I like PC's I must therefore drive insanely fast.

Pro-Tip - It's hard to call a 1.5 L Proton Wira with 84 HP "souped up".