84 yr old wrong way on motorway

A._Badger

takman wrote: »

If there was a retest every 5 - 10 years this would mean that people would have to maintain their driving skills. This would also be a good shock to the drivers who think they are doing everything correctly, but actually have many flaws in the way they drive and can then be given tips to improve.

Only if the testing was testing the right things - or, perhaps, even capable of testing the right things. The high rate of accidents involving younger drivers suggests it might not be.

Robisere

SailorSam wrote: »

Is this just a story that you made up Op ?
Because you haven't posted any link.

Wasn't hard to find, I just Googled it:
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/elderly-man-who-drove-the-wrong-way-down-the-m5-remains-in-hospital/story-29673570-detail/story.html

Robisere

Following my last with a few words as a 71 yo driver who was taught to drive by the best school in the world: the British Army!

I live in a Senior's Ghetto (Sheltered Housing complex) and have several stories regarding older drivers, over the 13 years I have lived among other oldpharts. When I first came here, I lived next door to a horrible old git of 82 for 2 years. He had a little Renault 5 which he was totally unfit to drive, drove at 25 mph everywhere, often on the wrong side of the road. There were many complaints about his driving and the expectation was that he would be the cause of an RTC unless he was stopped. I had reported him to the police and had even written to his Surgery, begging them to take away his license. Eventually the worst happened and he drove around a bend on the wrong side of the road, head on into a car with a family onboard. Non-serious injuries to the family, but he was (of course) completely untouched. That's when the police came to see him and his license was taken away, but before going to him, they came to ask me about the previous reports I had made. He then blamed me for losing his license, his temper developed into dementia and he was taken into care.

This year, 78 and 80 yo neighbours and very good friends gave up their cars and licenses voluntarily, on the grounds that they thought they were too old to drive now. Both men are completely in possession of all their marbles and both are still active, mentally and physically.

When I reach that same point, I will also make the same decision. Because we are all individuals, no one is qualified or justified enough to say that "all old people" or even "all young people" have the same driving proficiency. Every older person has a past life and achievements, and every young person has potential.

Fat_Walt

Robisere wrote: »

Following my last with a few words as a 71 yo driver who was taught to drive by the best school in the world: the British Army!

I live in a Senior's Ghetto (Sheltered Housing complex) and have several stories regarding older drivers, over the 13 years I have lived among other oldpharts. When I first came here, I lived next door to a horrible old git of 82 for 2 years. He had a little Renault 5 which he was totally unfit to drive, drove at 25 mph everywhere, often on the wrong side of the road. There were many complaints about his driving and the expectation was that he would be the cause of an RTC unless he was stopped. I had reported him to the police and had even written to his Surgery, begging them to take away his license. Eventually the worst happened and he drove around a bend on the wrong side of the road, head on into a car with a family onboard. Non-serious injuries to the family, but he was (of course) completely untouched. That's when the police came to see him and his license was taken away, but before going to him, they came to ask me about the previous reports I had made. He then blamed me for losing his license, his temper developed into dementia and he was taken into care.

This year, 78 and 80 yo neighbours and very good friends gave up their cars and licenses voluntarily, on the grounds that they thought they were too old to drive now. Both men are completely in possession of all their marbles and both are still active, mentally and physically.

When I reach that same point, I will also make the same decision. Because we are all individuals, no one is qualified or justified enough to say that "all old people" or even "all young people" have the same driving proficiency. Every older person has a past life and achievements, and every young person has potential.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Once round the parade square, don't hit anything (not hard as there's nothing to hit) and you're given a licence.


:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

SailorSam

Robisere wrote: »

Wasn't hard to find, I just Googled it:
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/elderly-man-who-drove-the-wrong-way-down-the-m5-remains-in-hospital/story-29673570-detail/story.html

If it wasn't hard to find, why didn't you tell us earlier.
The same link was posted at 8.30 yesterday .... Post p.

AdrianC

A._Badger wrote: »

Logical error. The 93 per cent were not involved in accidents.

Umm, I think you'll find that 100% of reported accidents involved people who were in accidents.

Car_54

AdrianC wrote: »

You do know that the majority of death and serious injury collisions involving motorcycles are NOT the fault of the motorcyclist, right?

Is that relevant? The objective is to improve safety, not assign blame.

If we banned motorcycles there would be no collisions involving motorcycles. Problem solved.

The "good" motorcyclists would feel aggrieved, but that's better than being dead or injured.

Norman_Castle

Muscle750 wrote: »

I see a 84 year old man decided to drive the wrong way on the M5 in the fast lane heading straight into on coming traffic causing 4 quite serious accidents, Is it not time that all people aged 60 and over should be tested medically etc for fitness to drive including eye sight etc. End of the day he could have killed people plus himself.

Should people who think there's a fast lane on the motorway be retested?

Mercdriver

Car_54 wrote: »

Is that relevant? The objective is to improve safety, not assign blame.

If we banned motorcycles there would be no collisions involving motorcycles. Problem solved.

The "good" motorcyclists would feel aggrieved, but that's better than being dead or injured.

Blame has relevance because fairness has to come into it somewhere. Why should anyone be banned from doing something because of the fault of other people?

It would solve the problem statistically for that group, but it wouldn't necessarily make the roads safer in themselves.

iolanthe07

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Should people who think there's a fast lane on the motorway be retested?

The expression 'fast lane' is a quite common misnomer for Lane 3, but I agree that it is misleading.