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

Norman_Castle

fed_up_and_stressed wrote: »

It is aout having the SKILLS to cope with Varying speeds

.

Exactly. That includes dealing with slower vehicles.

Norman_Castle

photome wrote: »

But when the conditions allow it is the law that says it is safe to drive to that limit anyone driving excessivley below that limit is being inconsiderate

Excessively below. How is that defined in law?.

Tilt

Difficult one this.

You tend to see the odd report of a car going through a shop window, mounting a pavement or ploughing though a wall. Unfortunately from the reports i've seen, it's nearly always an elderly driver driving an automatic.

Problem is though, the issue dosn't really come to the attention of the police (or DVLA) until an accident actually happens. I am a firm believer in prevention is better than cure so IMHO there should be a compulsory driving ability test when you get to say, 75 years of age.

If however the OP is genuinely concerned about this person's driving, then they should report it just as they would a drink driver.

patanne

Well I am in two minds about this as my sister and I stopped our mother from driving just before she was 85 and it has been downhill all the way ever since. And don't expect the AA to back you in this as they refused to refund ANY of the 10 months left on her membership, so they obviously don't agree that we should be vigilant with who is still driving. My 20+years membership has now obviously gone elsewhere.

Johno100

patanne wrote: »

Well I am in two minds about this as my sister and I stopped our mother from driving just before she was 85 and it has been downhill all the way ever since. And don't expect the AA to back you in this as they refused to refund ANY of the 10 months left on her membership, so they obviously don't agree that we should be vigilant with who is still driving. My 20+years membership has now obviously gone elsewhere.

Perhaps you should have let her apply the handbrake before you stopped her driving.:rotfl:

King_Nothing

Johno100 wrote: »

This thread appears to have hit a raw nerve with some posters.

To the OP, can you get this chaps registration number? If so I'd phone 101 and ask for your local roads policing unit and advise them of your concerns. Hopefully they will pay a visit and if appropriate report their concerns to DVLA who may revoke his licence.

Yup, especially love the "grass" comments, some people obviously haven't grown up after leaving the schoolyard.

Above advice is good, if you're seeing repeated instances of what you think is bad or potentially dangerous driving, report it, the worst case is, the police tell you there's nothing they can do, the best is they can go chat to the person.

SailorSam

alastairq wrote: »

Nothing 'wrong' with slow drivers..or slow vehicles.

What is 'wrong' is the inability of [faster???} drivers to cope with those slow vehicles.

And, in my jaundiced [and ageing] eyes, it is that inability to cope that is far more worrying as a risk, than any slow driver.

I think the recent events in Kent only go to hilite this inability amongst far too many drivers out there?

Being able to drive quickly is a luxury to be enjoyed, not a 'right'..on the Public Highway.

And as an oldie, I'm willing to bet everyone on this forum is more likely to get in MY way, than the other way around?

So, if anyone reading this has issues with 'slow' vehicles, try looking to your own driver abilities first?

Because, in those 'abilities' may lie the solution..and the 'slow' vehicle will cease to be a problem?

Of course, if those abilities are in reality quite inadequate..then the answer isn't to vilify the slow vehicle driver...but to seek help in improving one's own capabilities?


Or..maybe take a pop at the inadequate ability of het driver right behind that slow vehicle..because it is often they who make matters worse for you....not the slow vehicle.

When i was watching the Tv news coverage the other night of that big pile up on the bridge down south during the fog, i thought about previous threads i've been involved in here. I'm all in favour in lowering speed limits, i believe "speed kills", but there are posters on here who have told me they're not a danger, they can handle their cars it's the likes of us oldies.
I'm sure the drivers on that foggy bridge would have stopped before hitting the car in front if they'd been driving slow enough. They still may have got smacked from behind by those that believe they can handle speed.

alastairq

All this talk of 'inconsiderate' driving, viz, travelling lower than the speed limit, forgets conveniently to take into account the fact that...unless in an urban area, or a non-NSL limit [in some cases], there isn't just one speed limit.

There are a multitude of limits, on the same piece of road.

The Highway Code lists them all, for various categories of vehicle.

So, a car travelling at a speed lower than the limit cannot be travelling excessively slower than all vehicles...only some!

If I come up behind a car travelling at [for example] 35mph, on a rural NSL...and I overtake without much increased risk [there's always an increase of risk when overtaking...even if nothing is coming the other way. One is, after all, in close proximity to another vehicle].........how is the other driver being 'inconsiderate?

It is, after all, much easier to overtake a significantly slower-moving vehicle, and stay within the speed limit oneself...than it is to overtake a much quicker-moving vehicle [and still remain within the limit]

That 35mph car is moving at something like 45% slower than my speed limit.

But, only 5 mph slower than the limit for a LGV.

Or 15 mph slower than the limit for a white tranny van?

And 5 mph faster than the limit for an LGV operating under STGO category 2 restrictions.

And...5 mph faster than a 50cc twisty...that has as much 'right' to be on that road as you or I?

Should a tractor driver always 'pull over', even if following traffic is overtaking easily?

As I mentioned earlier, the issue isn't the 'slow' vehicle, whatever its shape.

The issue lies with those immediately behind, who refuse to seek opportunities to pass..thus allowing others to have a crack too.

And I'm not sure I'd want to pull over to let them pass....because, if they can't take overtaking opportunities as they arise, I don't want to be following them!

[of course, several of those behind me might well be very happy & content with my speed?]

With regards to 'fiddling' health questions when applying for a licence?

Well, that will always occur, unless more stringent rules are put in place.

However, if the aged person does come into conflict with the Law...and a health issue is uncovered which should have previously been notified to DVLA, that person will be in line for strict penalties.

The issue of skill..or the fall-off of skill, must surely be something that is addressed by the Age charities?

For, one cannot apply driver assessment requirements for just one age group.

[One cannot be a competent, careful driver one day, and incompetent the next? In theory?]

So, the Law must be applied across the board.

And that's the problem...a noticeable lack of enforcement.

unsure

Let's be clear: age isn't an accurate guide to driving abilities. There are young people who drive well and young people who drive badly, middle aged people ditto, elderly people ditto. It is a mistake, and lazy thinking, to assume that particular group drives badly, individual drivers are responsible for their own actions and should be treated accordingly.

I think there is a tendency to decide that people "other" than ourselves do things "wrong" while "we" do them "right". Young drivers may think older drivers as a group are too slow because of one or two incidents. Older drivers may think young drivers are too fast on similarly small evidence (though insurance statistics might bear that out more) Middle age people hogging the middle and overtaking lanes might think the old too slow and the young too fast! ;-) In reality each driver's performance should be rated on its own merits and according to the guidelines of traffic law and the highway code.

Driving slowly is not dangerous per se. Most speed limits give a maximum speed not a suggested or minimum speed ( there are some exceptions). It is the inability of impatient drivers to understand this and act accordingly that is likely to cause a real danger.

The real point is that if a driver, of any age, is actually a danger to themselves and others then it would be best for all concerned if they were not driving. However, that needs to be based on factual evidence not "my opinion". If the OP has real evidence that a particular driver is unsafe and placing others at risk he should report it to the police, the registration number should be sufficient to identify the driver if they decide to pursue the matter.

An 80 year old friend of mine was involved in an accident late at night on an icy rural road a few months back. The police seemed to have decided on the basis of age that he was responsible and during a visit suggested he give up his license or they might be inclined to prosecute for careless/dangerous driving. His response was to immediately take an Institute of Advanced Motoring assessment which he passed with flying colours and to tell the police he was looking forward to his day in court. They dropped the case. I feel safer driving with him than with many younger drivers across the age spectrum!

Strider590

unsure wrote: »

His response was to immediately take an Institute of Advanced Motoring assessment which he passed with flying colours

That, I do not believe.....
The IAM teach defensive driving techniques that are vastly different to those taught for the UK driving test, some of these are things that regular drivers would scorn at. Nobody simply passes first time, not unless they've had prior tutoring and certainly not after decades of driving their own way. One thing they do not like is people driving too slowly, just 5mph under and they'll be on your back if you've got no reason to be driving that slow.

I take your point that there are bad drivers in all groups, but when a driver gets to the point where their failing senses are causing them to be a menace on the roads, they need to be stopped.

You make the point about impatient drivers, but they're a fact of life, they always will be. Driving about winding them up, is irresponsible. When they charge off and crash into a crowd of school kids, whatever arrogant "he was impatient" reasoning you apply, you will have those deaths on your conscience for the rest of your days.
It's not our job to Police the roads, don't sit their p1ssing off drivers who just want to drive to the conditions.

People that do this ^^ are merely trying to deny their own incompetence and claim superiority by provoking someone else into doing something worse. The more of a reaction they provoke, the more they can assume they're superior.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

I once had a discussion with an old "gentleman" after he tried to sideswipe my car for overtaking on hatch markings (section 130), despite driving 20mph below the limit, his level of arrogance was astonishing, even with a copy of the highway code in my hand he would NOT accept that he was wrong, he kept banging on about how the arrows (which are there to tell you move back before the centre line changes to solid lines) meant no overtaking and when I got back in my car I could see him, fists on hips, chest puffed out, giving it the "yes I won"...... F**king idiot. One day he'll try it with the wrong driver and he'll be doing that from a hospital bed.