Unsafe elderly driver - how to protect the public

Errata

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

You might want to make sure you don't film any children in cars. Some parents won't like it and the Peelers won't be too impressed either.

Jakg

As someone who's stood outside a primary school and inadvertantly taken pictures of children with a large camera, I fully understand the "OMG A PEADO!" look...

cyclonebri1

Jakg wrote: »

As someone who's stood outside a primary school and inadvertantly taken pictures of children with a large camera, I fully understand the "OMG A PEADO!" look...

You know that phrase, "when you're in a hole stop digging" ???:rotfl:

Or maybe, "hoisted by his own pattard (sp)"???:rotfl:

Hintza

Just a point on driving tests:-

Testing suspended again during the Suez Crisis 24 Nov 1956. Learners allowed to drive unaccompanied and examiners help to administer petrol rations.

Testing is resumed on 15 April 1957 and has continued uninterrupted ever since.

Both my uncle and MIL have never sat a driving test!

jackieb

dan_essex wrote: »

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?

I thought that, but reading some earlier posts it implied that they had to.

alastairq

Both my uncle and MIL have never sat a driving test!

The 'test' was/is a measure of competence.

It is then up to the licence holder to ensure their driving does not fall below the standard expected of a 'competent, careful' driver.

A court will decide what a 'competent, careful driver' would do in any circumstances that come to the court's notice...aided by the advice of the DSA.

So, the mere fact a driving test may not have been undertaken at some time in the past...yet a driving licence was issued, does not reflect upon a driver's standards....subsequent actions do, however.
This applies even to a licence holder who has recently passed their test.

In many ways, an old driver has really had to learn, the 'hard way'

It's not fair to pass judgement on the actions of others, if done so out of selfish desires.

Before passing judgement on what should, or should not happen with old drivers, as a whole, just remember that we are all hopefully going to end up as 'old drivers'.....how we think now, won't in any way be representative of how we'll think in 10, 20 or 40 years time.

We all should really be looking to our own driving standards and attitudes....and think about how we, the youthful competents [??} could actually make driving easier to cope with for older people.



Or would you all rather be firmly up your driving fundaments until the bus pass drops through the letterbox?

fatpiggy

I think the OP has highlighted what is or very soon will be, a growing problem. We have an ageing population from a generation who were the first to be "ordinary" car owners (ie. previously only the wealthy could afford a car) and are completely reliant on cars thanks to the decline in public transport. Personally, I think an elderly driver is more likely to have an accident in an automatic than a manual car as the damn things basically drive themselves. A few weeks ago I came up behind a car doing sub-30mph through a country village which was fine by me. When we joined the 40 limit road at the next junction the driver in front made no attempt to accelerate whatsoever. Then he gently steered so far to the right he was half way over the centre line and still bumbling along. I immediately heard alarm bells and dropped back. A couple of times he veered back to a normal road position but then headed back over the central line again. I think the highest speed he reached was 32mph. I waited until he was over to the left then belted past him as fast as possible as I was worried about being a third party involved if he hit an on-coming car. Yes, he was very elderly which was what I'd suspected all along. I watched him in my mirror chugging steadily along on both sides of the road. I should add this isn't a road to be either driving slowly or inaccurately on as it is largely used by very wealthy middle aged drivers doing 50 + in their top of the range 4x4s and mercs etc. which would be way to large to squeeze through the gap.

Inactive

fatpiggy wrote: »

I should add this isn't a road to be either driving slowly or inaccurately on as it is largely used by very wealthy middle aged drivers doing 50 + in their top of the range 4x4s and mercs etc. which would be way to large to squeeze through the gap.

Well of course, everybody should get off of the road to allow their progress.:rolleyes:

Mojisola

It is a serious problem because reaction times slow down as we age. It doesn't matter if you're driving a manual or automatic car - it won't stop until the driver's brain has seen the problem, assessed it and reacted. My Dad is still perfectly able to control a car and drive it - but his reaction time makes him unsafe on the road.

We had problems with an elderly neighbour whose driving was awful so we had discussed the issue a lot before we started to worry about his driving. He has very reluctantly and, with some sorrow, stopped driving now. Not driving has such an impact on your life if you are not fit enough to walk a lot, that it's a very difficult decision.

While discussing the neighbour, we had talked about how she would cope with being in court for causing injury to someone else in an accident, how would she feel if she hit a child and how well would she heal if she was injured. Perhaps you could raise these issues with your father.

terryya

Just read this on BBC which made me think of this thread.