Should a 97 year old man be driving on a public road?

[Chris Wilson]

Ask any insurance company who are higher motor cover risks, 97 year olds or young male drivers... I know at least two over 90 year old drivers who I would much rather be a passenger to than dozens of sub 25 year olds. I smell some hatred of blue blood gathering At least he wasn't involved in a multiple fatality accident on the way home in the early hours after a suspected drug selling outing, doing manic speeds whilst under the influence of narcotics himself... I would also imagine he was accompanied by Royal protection squad officers, maybe someone here will say they should have a claim against the Duke of Edinburgh? I wish The Prince good luck in getting over this and hope he gets back behind the wheel again soon to spite the haters

 

[DXP55]

No one should be allowed to drive on public roads until they have 10 years driving experience no matter what their age-

 

[Minstadave]

So why then is it acceptable to pay >25 year old's more?

I'm not entirely sure where you're going with this? You can pay someone with more experience more because they're better at their job.

 

[Minstadave]

Ask any insurance company who are higher motor cover risks, 97 year olds or young male drivers...

Dont go bringing logic and evidence into this!

 

[200sols]

Blanket age bans would be stupid.

 

[Chris Wilson]

I wonder if the driver of the other car was "slitty eyed"?

I think most of us would be "slitty eyed" finding two and a half ton of Range Rover in our path on a fast main road I know I would be, and clenched buttocked too. Not to mention the protection officer(s) might feel a bit trigger happy in case it was some terrorist incident.

 

[Freakbro]

We require HGV drivers to have a medical to determine fitness every 5 years from age 45 and annually from 65, I don't see the issue of having something similar for car driving, even if you altered the age ranges

 

[robfosters]

Dont go bringing logic and evidence into this!

Surely a matter of quantity too. I doubt there’s not many 97 year old drivers.

 

[Chris Wilson]

Dont go bringing logic and evidence into this!

Sorry, you are quite right, damned senile old foreign goat, up the Republic....

 

[robfosters]

We require HGV drivers to have a medical to determine fitness every 5 years from age 45 and annually from 65, I don't see the issue of having something similar for car driving, even if you altered the age ranges

All well and but it wouldn’t apply to Prince Philip, or the docs would find a way round it.

 

[Freakbro]

Dont go bringing logic and evidence into this!

But like I said, it's generally for different reasons and needs different solutions. One is from inexeprience and one is from physical deterioration. It's not that draconian to have to pass a fitness to drive test after a certain age. No one is saying they can't drive if passed fit to do so.

 

[sad099]

but isn't it also being assumed the driver caused the accident due to his age and not other circumstances - i.e. just not paying attention , blindspot etc.
What's to say any other driver of any age may not have caused the same accident under similar circumstances ?

 

[LabR@t]

Few more years they would have banned cars anyway

 

[Freakbro]

Few more years they would have banned cars anyway

Well, they won't have banned them but we will have autonomous ones, so yea it'll still become a non issue at some point

 

[d_brennen]

Won't be an issue soon. We'll all have autopilot Teslas to crash for us. No need to worry about anyone's age

 

[Kerplunk]

Is this why insurance goes up?

 

[Minstadave]

But like I said, it's generally for different reasons and needs different solutions. One is from inexeprience and one is from physical deterioration. It's not that draconian to have to pass a fitness to drive test after a certain age. No one is saying they can't drive if passed fit to do so.

Isn't that exactly what Billy was suggesting?

Yeah there's defo an age, somewhere between 70 and 80, where you need to be stopping driving. People should do this voluntarily as part of being a responsible driver. No shame in it.

 

[Worthy]

but isn't it also being assumed the driver caused the accident due to his age and not other circumstances - i.e. just not paying attention , blindspot etc.
What's to say any other driver of any age may not have caused the same accident under similar circumstances ?

That's what I was thinking! I'm no advocate of roads full of century-old drivers, but from what I've seen he's a pretty good driver.

 

[robfosters]

Well, they won't have banned them but we will have autonomous ones, so yea it'll still become a non issue at some point

My dads van will be as good as banned in 2 years time. £12 a day to drive locally. Pfft, no thanks.

 

[Freakbro]

Isn't that exactly what Billy was suggesting?

Not really, because he seems to be advocating an arbitrary age that people should stop driving - albeit from a voluntary decision at the moment. Whereas having a rudimentary medical check at certain periods from an age where we know attributes deteriorate faster isn't stopping anyone who is fit to drive.