How to report an elderly driver that is clearly unable to drive properly

alastairq

photome wrote: »

AlistairQ will tell you he is fine, he can just drive slowly to his own driving/road conditions

would you rather he did it all much more quickly? With possible dire results?

Same applies to new drivers too!

His conditions, as you put it, are his perceptions...just as your conditions are your perceptions.

You both may be on the same stretch of road, at the same time...but that doesn't matter.

Now, if you both were in the same vehicle......maybe it would be different?

How many times have you been travelling as a passenger, and wondered why the driver hasn't done 'this-or-that?'

But forgotten that, as the passenger, you have a different view of the road ahead, to the driver?

An inch difference in road position can make a world of difference to sight lines.


But..you all carry on espousing your opinions of other drivers, founded upon your perception of your own skills and abilities. It really doesn't matter [least of all to me]....more knowledgeable folk than either of us make the rules.

Tilt

Not being funny but how can you honestly think an elderly person who can hardly walk un-assisted whose legs barely work anymore, can be in full control of a car? For example, how would the guy I saw perform an emergency stop? He couldn't even drive forwards (or backwards) against a straight kerb without mounting it.

Strider590

Maybe they do drive to the conditions?

Maybe they're wondering why it's been constantly foggy for the past 6 years?

mcfisco

Tilt wrote: »

Not being funny but how can you honestly think an elderly person who can hardly walk un-assisted whose legs barely work anymore, can be in full control of a car? For example, how would the guy I saw perform an emergency stop? He couldn't even drive forwards (or backwards) against a straight kerb without mounting it.

Thanks to a Taliban mine, my mate doesn't have any legs at all, I can assure you he drives with full control of a car - and a motorbike, and a bicycle

Tilt

mcfisco wrote: »

Thanks to a Taliban mine, my mate doesn't have any legs at all, I can assure you he drives with full control of a car - and a motorbike, and a bicycle

Being disabled is different to being elderly so i'm not sure what your point is.

No doubt your mate's car is adapted accordingly and his reactions are still good.

I happened to glance into the old guy's car and apart from it being an automatic, I didn't see any modifications to it.

almillar

alistairq - of course the car in front has a slightly different, better view of the road in front. But if the car behind judges it to be clear, and safe for them to overtake, off they go!

bodgerx

fionajbanana wrote: »

I don't know his name and lives down one of three streets.

This man must be in his 90s and he drives too slowly and he sits leaning forward with forehead almost touching the windscreen as his eyesight probably isn't brilliant. He is unable to turn his head at junctions because of the position of his head. He has almost caused accidents.

We have plenty of buses going into town. I know reporting him will kill off his independence, but one day he is going to cause an accident.

I have lived in the area for under 4 years. My friends that lived here for 15+ years, say he has been like this for the past 8+ years.

So can you anonymously report a driver that is clearly unsuitable for driving? Who do you report it to? What is the process?

You are going to need actual evidence of an offence, rather than what you have casually observed as 'bad driving' from your house.

Dukesy

It's a very difficult subject, but I have to say the number of older drivers whose driving habits are just appalling is huge.

We had to actually force my late grandfather to stop driving at the age of 87 or so. His driving had become more and more erratic over the years, and he was involved in a number of minor scrapes and bumps. The final straw came when a chap we knew rang us and told us that my grandad had pulled straight out in front of him at a crossroad at which he should have given way. Luckily, the chap who rang us had managed to avoid colliding with my grandad, but it was a VERY near miss. What was most worrying was that my grandad appeared to have no idea that he'd nearly caused a very nasty accident. We only knew about this as we knew the other party, but how many other near misses had there been?

My grandfather should not have been driving by that point, but he did not recognise that he was driving dangerously. It was deeply unpleasant to have to stop him driving, but he wouldn't have otherwise, and could have killed himself and others if he had continued.

This is just one example - not many people are willing to accept that their driving is dangerous, and thus stay on the roads. I believe that, frankly, EVERYONE should have to do a 'refresher' driving test at least once every, say, ten years, increasing to maybe once every five years when they pass a certain age in order to keep their licence. The number of people who appear not to understand the rules of the roads is very worrying, and simply waiting for them to be caught out isn't enough.

Strider590

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWcpkbTnGPM

Deeply worrying......

~Chameleon~

Just in the last few days I've come against at least three elderly gentlemen who really should NOT be on the road! Driving too slow, hesitant, and pulling out in front of a fast-moving car on a national speed limit road just to mention a few of their dangerous antics!

Oh and a little grey-haired old lady this morning driving at 20mph in a 40mph zone whilst displaying a bumper sticker telling people top back off, they're too close! Really? :rotfl: :rotfl: