Compulsory annual driving skills tests for the over 70's

Emp_Fab

....or whatever age the stats show they start losing it.  A 60 year old man was killed just up the road from me a few weeks ago at a petrol station after a 94 year old driver crushed him against the cash machine.  Today's news reports on an 82 year old who accidentally killed her best friend in a similar accident.

Pilots have to have regular competency checks - between every 6 months and 2 years depending on the role.   Loads of other professions have mandatory competency and medical checks, yet when it comes to being in charge of a tonne and a half of metal or more, capable of over 100mph, there are no checks.  Once you pass your test in your youth, you're good to go forever.

That cannot be right.

thecolourbox

I'd imagine it's just numbers, hard enough to book a driving test within a couple of months ago having enough examiners to examine every driver every so often would be impossible. There's also the likelihood that many drivers never passed in the first place, or would just not take the tests, if they get banned so what they'll just carry on anyway

phil_b

Emp_Fab said:

.  Once you pass your test in your youth, you're good to go forever.

that is not strictly true but it does rely on the individual reporting their own medical conditions.

LastMantra

I think the test should be much harder to begin with. 

Octafish

LastMantra said:

I think the test should be much harder to begin with. 

Yep and limited to how many times you take it. If it takes you more than 3 or 4 attempts you likely to always be a bit crap at driving and just relying on chance to pass.

thecolourbox

Octafish said:

LastMantra said:

I think the test should be much harder to begin with. 

Yep and limited to how many times you take it. If it takes you more than 3 or 4 attempts you likely to always be a bit crap at driving and just relying on chance to pass.

And then make people more likely to just drive anyway, albeit illegally

Octafish

thecolourbox said:

Octafish said:

LastMantra said:

I think the test should be much harder to begin with. 

Yep and limited to how many times you take it. If it takes you more than 3 or 4 attempts you likely to always be a bit crap at driving and just relying on chance to pass.

And then make people more likely to just drive anyway, albeit illegally

That's a ridiculous argument, might as well not bother with driving bans or policing driving standards etc if you follow that logic.

ICBM

While there are clearly going to be exceptions in both directions, to me it seems that 80 would be a probably justifiable cut-off point for being allowed to drive at all - almost all the accidents which make the news involving elderly drivers having a 'senior moment' are over-80s. My dad is now just approaching 82 and I would have to say that over the last couple of years the standard of his driving and his ability to judge and react to road conditions and other vehicles has diminished rapidly, to the point that I think he may be becoming a risk to other road users. He had a fairly minor bump a few months ago which I think was a combination of lack of situational awareness and slow reaction time, although he says the sun was in his eyes (sound familiar?) - how long we let him continue, I don't know. It's hard to take away someone's freedom when there is no real *proof* that they're dangerous... until they kill someone.

thecolourbox

Octafish said:

thecolourbox said:

Octafish said:

LastMantra said:

I think the test should be much harder to begin with. 

Yep and limited to how many times you take it. If it takes you more than 3 or 4 attempts you likely to always be a bit crap at driving and just relying on chance to pass.

And then make people more likely to just drive anyway, albeit illegally

That's a ridiculous argument, might as well not bother with driving bans or policing driving standards etc if you follow that logic.

And I'd agree, judging by the quality of the driving here there's no way at least 40% of people passed a test, or pay any attention to that test at least

hollywoodrox

driverless cars. Sooner the better . Managed to avoid hundreds of prangs when people pulled out in front of me on the phone or not looking and changing lanes without looking .

crunchman

It depends on the individual to some extent.  My Grandpa carried on driving until his mid-eighties, but the last 3 or 4 years he would just drive himself to the shops, and to church, at about 20mph.  On the other hand, my friends dad used to drive all over the place and hoon around like a boy racer when he was close to 70.  I know who I felt safer with!

There did ought to be some kind of assessment of drivers over a certain age - whether it's medical, or a driving test of some kind.

Sometime in the next 5 to 15 years, driverless cars should become available.  Older people will be able to keep their independence without needing to keep driving.

fob

I wouldn't say after a certain age - I think everyone should have to re-take the test every 5/10 years. It would reinforce good habits and catch bad ones before they become too ingrained.

RiftAmps

I’m a long standing advocate of the need to improve driving standards in this country.

My preference would be a yearly driving assessment that could be carried out not just by examiners, but driving instructors too. Think of it as an MOT for your driving skills. If not yearly, then bi-yearly or even every 5 years would work. Allowing someone to pass their test at 17 and then go unchecked until they reach retirement age is madness.

Failure would result in a range of ‘punishments’ from being required to take a few extra practical lessons and maybe a theory test too, right through to a full-on ban until the required standard is achieved.

I recently sat my B+E trailer test and even though I passed my car test only 16 years ago, I was shocked at how much a) the driving laws had changed and b) how stricter the test was.

Everyone would benefit from a refresher course,
as a minimum.

Octafish

thecolourbox said:

Octafish said:

thecolourbox said:

Octafish said:

LastMantra said:

I think the test should be much harder to begin with. 

Yep and limited to how many times you take it. If it takes you more than 3 or 4 attempts you likely to always be a bit crap at driving and just relying on chance to pass.

And then make people more likely to just drive anyway, albeit illegally

That's a ridiculous argument, might as well not bother with driving bans or policing driving standards etc if you follow that logic.

And I'd agree, judging by the quality of the driving here there's no way at least 40% of people passed a test, or pay any attention to that test at least

Well their driving might make it look like they don't hold licences, but there's clearly not 40% of drivers driving without a licence.

richardhomer

Probably not a good idea to allow hormonally charged 17 year olds out on the roads either....

TTony

It’s not just about age though.

Age should be one indicator of needing to be re-tested.  Ditto eye test results.  Ditto multiple accidents.







And buying a Honda Civic.

Octafish

richardhomer said:

Probably not a good idea to allow hormonally charged 17 year olds out on the roads either....

Yep, wouldn't be a bad idea.Reading my local paper, spotty teenagers usually seem to mainly kill themselves or their mates whereas old duffers often randomly take out pedestrians or other drivers with the old 'I mistook the accelerator for the brake' craziness.

merlin

My dad refuses to stop. He's just had his second stroke (which by law will keep him from behind the wheel for 4 weeks) but after his last stroke he couldn't wait to drive again. A couple of weeks ago he drove a 45 mile round trip on his own and he's lost a huge amount of awareness, reaction time, spacial awareness and response time. I refused to be driven by him about 7 years ago. He's about to turn 94 and can't stop. I love him but he's a nut job. 

Octafish

merlin said:

My dad refuses to stop. He's just had his second stroke (which by law will keep him from behind the wheel for 4 weeks) but after his last stroke he couldn't wait to drive again. A couple of weeks ago he drove a 45 mile round trip on his own and he's lost a huge amount of awareness, reaction time, spacial awareness and response time. I refused to be driven by him about 7 years ago. He's about to turn 94 and can't stop. I love him but he's a nut job. 

Only four weeks, that's insane. Hope he doesn't kill anyone. A friend of mine had two mini-strokes and has been told she can't drive for three months, presumably because she had two.

UnclePsychosis

Honestly I'd argue that every driver should be retested every five or possibly ten years. More frequently once you reach a predefined age (75?)

thecolourbox

Octafish said:

thecolourbox said:

Octafish said:

thecolourbox said:

Octafish said:

LastMantra said:

I think the test should be much harder to begin with. 

Yep and limited to how many times you take it. If it takes you more than 3 or 4 attempts you likely to always be a bit crap at driving and just relying on chance to pass.

And then make people more likely to just drive anyway, albeit illegally

That's a ridiculous argument, might as well not bother with driving bans or policing driving standards etc if you follow that logic.

And I'd agree, judging by the quality of the driving here there's no way at least 40% of people passed a test, or pay any attention to that test at least

Well their driving might make it look like they don't hold licences, but there's clearly not 40% of drivers driving without a licence.

You've not been to Birmingham have you