Unsafe elderly driver - how to protect the public

mazza1985

buxtonrabbitgreen wrote: »

I work in a petrol station. Sometimes there will be an elderly driver who has filled up. Makes his way slowly to pay and then can't put his pin number in because his hands are shaking so much.
I feel really sorry for anyone who has Parkinsons or a benign tremor, my mum did. She gave up driving after a slight stroke in her 60's. I managed to persuade her that she would be safer with a mobility scooter as she had got to the stage where if she had a long journey she would go by train.
I look at this elderly customer and my blood runs cold at the thought of him trying to negotiate the very very busy roundabout to leave the petrol station.

This reminds me of when I was at a petrol station on my scooter and a little old lady asked me to take her petrol cap off as 'my hands arent strong enough to do it.'

If she cannot manage the petrol cap, how can she manage to change gears, steer, or indicate properly?

If you feel your dad is unsafe, tell him so. If he then start to drive you can make a complaint to the police/dvla about his unsafe driving.

I did this with my ex's dad. I knew he had cataracts and so told the DVLA he was driving without the correct eye correction and that his eyesight was too poor to be driving, he was a risk on the road. He recieved a letter in the post requesting him to have an eye test done, and he failed miserably so had his licence provoked.

Is there any medical conditions which would affect his movement/reaction eg arthiritis, heart conditions? You said he walks with 2 sticks - but you still have to use one foot in an automatic cant you?

What about him paying to have a car adapted so it was hand controls only, if he really insists on driving?

ailuro2

mazza1985 wrote: »

he failed miserably so had his licence provoked.

they got his driving licence angry?:D

I'm so sorry, I'm not picking on your post, it's just a funny thought in my head of the pic on the licence shouting 'tunr me in if you can't drive!'

That would be a great thing for the year 2050 - take your driving licence with you when you drive, and if it records wavering driving on it's GPS chip you need to attend for a resit of yor driving test before the car will restart (a bit like the drink driving sensor cars can be fitted with now to not start the engine if it detects alcohol)

Well done for having the guts to report a dangerous driver - it's not always the driver that suffers, more the toddler or baby buggy that getc clipped.

Wannabedebtfree

aqueoushumour01 wrote: »

I wouldn't entirely agree with that. Slow doesn't necessarily mean safe. Often on my way home people are trying to join a dual carridge way from a slip road at 40mph and while they may be safe, I or others behind them are likely to get a car already on the road doing 60/70 mph going into the back of our cars. Slow drivers, which a lot of old people are, can actually increase the risk of the road.

Where I live, there is a dual carriageway and one entry point has less than 100 yards to get up to 60mph. This morning a driver who was neither old nor young decided that rather than pull into the outside lane (no cars near them) to allow three cars to pull out, just slammed their brakes on instead which confused three drivers, myself included :rolleyes:

cyclonebri1

Wannabedebtfree wrote: »

Where I live, there is a dual carriageway and one entry point has less than 100 yards to get up to 60mph. This morning a driver who was neither old nor young decided that rather than pull into the outside lane (no cars near them) to allow three cars to pull out, just slammed their brakes on instead which confused three drivers, myself included :rolleyes:

Yes most good drivers will pull into the outside lane in such a scenario if it is clear, but, It is the responsibility of the drivers joining the road to adjust thier speed to merge with the existing traffic. Now that means not wacking it up to 60 and hoping someone gives way.

But I do know where you are coming from. I was on the M1 awhile back, trundling along at 70. Car on hard shoulder just starting to speed up to rejoin carriageway. 100 yds back One car in lane 1 and 100yds further back me also in lane 1. No other traffic for 1/4mile.
The bloke in front brakes to 30mph to let the guy out :T:T:T, without a thought of pulling out or me behind him. He was an oldie in this case

Inactive

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

But I do know where you are coming from. I was on the M1 awhile back, trundling along at 70.

Bit slow for you ..?... :rotfl:

maninthestreet

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

I'd like to take your licence off you, and ram it where the sun don't shine:mad:. Nothing personnal, but don't refer to older drivers as "them", they are "you" in a few years time.

And don't forget "they" have been good enough drivers in "thier" youth to still be alive and still have a licence:T

It's how competent and capable they are currently to drive that is the issue, not sometime in the past.

Inactive

maninthestreet wrote: »

It's how competent and capable they are currently to drive that is the issue, not sometime in the past.

But surely that applies to all drivers, not just the elderly?

cyclonebri1

Inactive wrote: »

Bit slow for you ..?... :rotfl:

:rotfl:I know where you're coming from:rotfl:

cyclonebri1

Inactive wrote: »

But surely that applies to all drivers, not just the elderly?

Exactly, just how competant are some younger drivers. If you want to see examples of poor and downright dangerous driving you should see the performance on our road any weekday at 3.30pm. The schoolrun mums, (and dads), park anywhere, adjacent to centre white lines, across drives etc. Constant skidding and brake screeching as traffic comes over the brow of the hill. Police just seem to turn a blind eye, seems a different set of rules apply at that time of day?. Rant over, point being they are not old or particularly young, just drive poorly by choice

badmumof1

i knew a man that was still driving at 101. ok the streets were cleared on a tuesday morning at around 11am but hey this guy was as bright as a button and knew his limits.