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

jaydeeuk1

If Govt really gave a sh*t about safety, they'd force retests every 5 years, and a failure would mean you can't drive again until you pass. But that would mean job losses, which in turn means less tax being collected, more welfare payments, an increase in Jeremy Kyle viewership etc, so that idea would be a complete non starter.

These 90+ year olds on the road probably never had a licence to begin with anyway!

interstellaflyer

I reported an elderly gentleman last week, he was driving down the A34 which in our are, south of the M40 is a busy 70mph dual caridgeway, he was doing 40 mph, causing big tailbacks, not only this but also he was wandering all over place making it very difficult to overtake him, as I was leaving on the next junction I was able to pull up in a lay by and phone the police. I think you've got to think about the other things the driver is doing 'badly' a,ong with the slow speed, I had to stop my late father from driving, not because he'd ever had an accident, more because he was an accident waiting to happen.

Strider590

interstellaflyer wrote: »

I reported an elderly gentleman last week, he was driving down the A34 which in our are, south of the M40 is a busy 70mph dual caridgeway, he was doing 40 mph, causing big tailbacks, not only this but also he was wandering all over place making it very difficult to overtake him, as I was leaving on the next junction I was able to pull up in a lay by and phone the police. I think you've got to think about the other things the driver is doing 'badly' a,ong with the slow speed, I had to stop my late father from driving, not because he'd ever had an accident, more because he was an accident waiting to happen.

I've got a video somewhere, never posted on Youtube (to save people listening to my singing ), but basically oldish chap (i'd say mid 60's) stops on a dual carriageway slip lane, the entrance to which is a long curved road with no visibility to the slip lane, but plently of the dual carriageway (so you can see if traffic is moving slowly). Most people build up speed on the curve, so that they're doing 60+ when in hit the slip lane actual, (normally I enter the DC going faster than lane 1 traffic) only on this occasion both myself and the car in front have to slam on the anchors because this fool lost his nerve and stopped right where the curve ends and the slip lane starts, so we all have to enter the DC at half the speed of the traffic.........

unsure

Strider 590,
you are either involved in a wind up or simply don't know what you are talking about. I've coincidentally been talking to my friend on the phone in the last half hour and he confirmed the IAM assessment. It's this one
http://www.iam.org.uk/drivers/motorists-courses/driving-assessment/drivecheck55

Incidentally, he pointed out that they don't do pass/fail tests they do graded assessments(1-5 in a set of classifications) so you clearly don't have a clue.

I did not advocate driving slowly or winding anyone up. The fact that "impatient drivers" are a fact of life is a non-sequitur. So are ill-informed commentators who like the sound of their own voice more than the accuracy of what they are saying. In neither cases does it mean they should be accepted without challenge.

I absolutely agree that dangerous drivers of any age should be taken off the road and said nothing to the contrary. You seem to be intentionally misinterpreting my words to justify your own unhappiness at a single incident about which I can't comment, but if your version of events is anywhere near as accurate as the other things you've said, it leaves plenty of room for doubt.

You sound like an impatient driver trying to justify his own behaviour.

Strider590

unsure wrote: »

Strider 590,
you are either involved in a wind up or simply don't know what you are talking about. I've coincidentally been talking to my friend on the phone in the last half hour and he confirmed the IAM assessment. It's this one
http://www.iam.org.uk/drivers/motorists-courses/driving-assessment/drivecheck55

Incidentally, he pointed out that they don't do pass/fail tests they do graded assessments(1-5 in a set of classifications) so you clearly don't have a clue.

I did not advocate driving slowly or winding anyone up. The fact that "impatient drivers" are a fact of life is a non-sequitur. So are ill-informed commentators who like the sound of their own voice more than the accuracy of what they are saying. In neither cases does it mean they should be accepted without challenge.

I absolutely agree that dangerous drivers of any age should be taken off the road and said nothing to the contrary. You seem to be intentionally misinterpreting my words to justify your own unhappiness at a single incident about which I can't comment, but if your version of events is anywhere near as accurate as the other things you've said, it leaves plenty of room for doubt.

You sound like an impatient driver trying to justify his own behaviour.

You sound like someone trying so badly to win at all costs that you'll resort to Ad hominem to achieve it.

I don't take the word of someone who been shocked into realising that their driving skills might not be what they once were as gospel. People of that age do not like to admit they're wrong. It's quite easy to take such as assessment and then take any positives from that, ignore the negatives with a quick "because i've been driving 50 years and know better" and then simply twist it around to make yourself look like a saint.

IAM drivers are advocates of making good progress, they DO NOT tolerate dawdling and the techniques they teach mean that any driver who's never had that training WILL have problems with one of their assessments, it's simply not possible for the average Joe to "pass with flying colours" (your words), especially at age where they probably never had to take a proper driving test in the first place, where the highway code was half the size it is now and where pedestrian crossings did not even exist.

Now i'm not saying your friend is a liar, i'm saying he's probably got a bad case of selective hearing.

aliasojo

I think it's a real shame people get their backs up about this topic. All of us will age, we slow down, our eyesight worsens, our judgement is not as accurate as it once was. It's natural progression and it's foolish to believe our driving will not be affected.

Yes, of course there will be some older people who will drive well but there will also be some who are affected by age. It does society as a whole, a complete disservice to refuse to recognise this.

I live in what is basically a retirement community. I have been amazed by a number of drivers here who simply do not drive safely, especially when concerning junctions and slip roads. It would appear that judgement is something that is most definitely affected by age, going by the number of near misses I have witnessed.

Several times I have been forced to stop on a short slip road because the older driver in front has not been able to safely move onto the dual carriageway, despite there being plenty of time and room to do so. Then a tailback occurs and you have several cars trying to join a 70mph road from a standing stop. It's unsafe and was unnecessary.

Another occasion involved an elderly chap seemingly being unable to steer in a straight manner for any length of time and veered just over the centre line a lot. I have no doubt this chap was a good driver in his day but there is no doubt in my mind his ability had been affected by age.

OP, if this driver is seriously bad, I'd be taking his number plate and having a word with the community bobby (assuming you still have one).

Strider590

aliasojo wrote: »

Yes, of course there will be some older people who will drive well but there will also be some who are affected by age. It does society as a whole, a complete disservice to refuse to recognise this.

When push comes to shove, it's arrogance which stops them handing back their license and some old people are so arrogant it's untrue. The fact is, after retirement it's cheaper to take the occasional taxi than it is to keep a car fully taxed, insured and sat on the drive.

Arrogance + 1 tonne of metal = accident waiting to happen.
As in the case I mentioned earlier: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-19952050 , where the driver drove the wrong way into a petrol station, had an accident, spend hours with the Police tryng to convince him not to drive and then goes out and mows down a bunch of pedestrians 3 days later.

If and when I get to a point where everyone is overtaking me and i'm clearly causing a hazard I will gladly hand mine in.

alastairq

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.

Which is where misunderstanding stem from..if that is indeed the training objective?

And from that stems a belief that one must always drive a fast as conditions allow?

Which approach totally ignores reasons for being out driving in the first place?

[try conducting a good old fashioned touring holiday if you're screaming around everywhere on the speed limit?}

As I've commented elsewhere, if the above is indeed the perceived ethos of the IAM, then the fact such action totally ignores the impact one has on other types of road user, and those in the vicinity, for me seriously erodes their credibility.

However, the IAM would appear to have a place, training/coaching those who harbour a desire to always drive as quickly as possible.

alastairq

If and when I get to a point where everyone is overtaking me and i'm clearly causing a hazard I will gladly hand mine in.

No you won't.

Probably for the very reasons you quote earlier?

almillar

When you walk down a busy pavement, do you walk as fast as the 'conditions' allow? Or, do you really care about me trying to get past, when you feel like having an amble, perhaps dong some window shopping?

If I'm ambling, I try to stay out of peoples' way. If I'm in a rush, I pass people, but I never barge through.

Remember, my ' road conditions' may be vastly different to yours.

Incorrect. If I'm behind you, our road conditions are exactly the same, unless you're leaking oil!

But it is a public highway....and they have as much in the way of 'rights' as any other road user.
Tolerance is the key.
Exercise tolerance on the roads with them.....and I will return the compliment for you.

I agree (except on a motorway, which we've already discussed). You do of course 'tolerate' being overtaken safely, don't you?

Let's not be ageist. But let's not ignore problems that can happen in old age. It's about fitness to drive, not age. It's just that some things that get worse with age, will eventually affect one's driving. It's hard to realise when you're a danger on the road, and I'm sure hard to admit too. Maybe family become involved. Driving to suit your own poor eyesight, reaction times or physical ability can only work for so long...
This brings me back to Licencing. If you want a licence, you do a test. That means no driver can go longer than 10 years without being assessed, and it goes down to (I think) 3 for over 70s? Over 65s?

IAM test - (not that 55 and over assessment) - I can categorically state that if you do 60 in a 70 on your IAM test, without a good reason ('I felt like it' is not valid) it will count towards a fail. Like the 'L' test you should be demonstrating that you're confident to drive at the speed limit, along with plenty of additional observational stuff and progressive driving.