First hand experience of the problem today, when some old dear (no glasses) peering over the steering wheel pulled out from a row of parked cars onto 'my' side of the road. I still don't think she even knew I was there as we passed. Luckily I was on a motorbike so I squeezed by. A horrendously loud one as well so as well as being blind she was probably deaf.
Over-70s face driving ban for failing eye tests
- Thread starter SexyGreyFox
- Start date
Soldato
- Joined
- 25 May 2008
- Posts
- 4,045
- Location
- North Wales
Seems utterly sensible which is a shock for any government!
There's an old codger in our tiny village who's almost crashed into me a couple of times, not sure if its cos he can't see well or that it takes him about 10 seconds to move his head from one side to the other so by the time he's 'checked' his blind spot to pull out on to the main street i'm already there.
There's an old codger in our tiny village who's almost crashed into me a couple of times, not sure if its cos he can't see well or that it takes him about 10 seconds to move his head from one side to the other so by the time he's 'checked' his blind spot to pull out on to the main street i'm already there.
Well that's utter nonsense.
I have to assume you're on the older end of the scale and have an attitude of entitlement when it comes to driving.
How dare the government start to tackle a rising issue with an increasing older population before it gets worse
No I don't have any entitlement for driving. I stated earlier in the thread I voluntarily gave up while I was being given eye treatment.
Using statistics it is not until the mid eighties that accident rates approach those of the mid twenties.
The government is actually changing nothing. Most older people have regular FREE eye tests and most will get banned if found to be driving with eyesight below the required standard. Limiting passenger carriage was also a recommendation for new drivers but blithely ignored by our caring government.
Are you sure it's not personal?
Age of course means a thing here. Almost all people aged 18-40 will have on average good eyesight. That completely changes for over 70s.
Well when the divs stop riding ebikes and scooters fast along pedestrian pathways i may exhibit a bit more sympathy. The police take no notice there so the chances of taking notice of oap blindness is equally remote.
Having said the above of course I will obey the law, take regular eye tests and take note of recommendations on driving. I wish more were of the same inclination to obey laws.
Having said the above of course I will obey the law, take regular eye tests and take note of recommendations on driving. I wish more were of the same inclination to obey laws.
Yea ebikes and cyclists on pavements are a menace in urban areas. I'm surprised there aren't more injuries.
Also people on what are basically unlicensed electric motorbikes.
Last edited:
I have had exactly the same experience from drivers of all ages. By and large the worst driving I see is from men in about their thirties or forties. I have no problem with the idea of frequent eye tests (I'm 64) but his looks like doing something very cheap that will have no effect, rather then employing a lot more traffic officers, that might actually do something but is expensive.
The government has let it happen and it's an invitation to spend a ton of money and resources to control it.
The small time food delivery couriers buzz around on modded pedal bikes which are a step down from the permanent L plate moped delivery drivers.
Some individuals zip around on quite fast proper electric motorbikes without plates with a uniform of a black hoodie and a small backpack. Relatively speaking that is, they only have to be doing about 50mph in bursts to be very fast around town.
Pedal bikes are legal, motors are legal, blocks of lithium batteries are legal and a bit of wire and control circuits are legal. It's low tech stuff to connect this all together with common hand tools, half as difficult with a kit.
If you have an accident and get caught then you're completely screwed e.g. here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx20pv5d2zyo cyclist and overpowered ebiker collide, cyclist dies. Both are equally stupid for causing the collision but since the ebiker was using an unlicenced motorbike they took the opportunity to do him for all of that even though at the time he was out of battery.
And the guy was on this electric bike at the suggestion of his fellow couriers...
The government could hassle the delivery services into being legally responsible for what the couriers use. Drug couriers, good luck chasing them.
Last edited:
Well that's utter nonsense.
I have to assume you're on the older end of the scale and have an attitude of entitlement when it comes to driving.
How dare the government start to tackle a rising issue with an increasing older population before it gets worse
It's absolutely true. Older drivers are drop in the ocean compared to younger drivers when it comes to accidents.
It's pretty obvious when you see a bad driver on the road old or young. They won't make one mistake if you are behind them they'll make loads of mistakes, lots of bad habits. The cops should be pulling these drivers in and getting them retested. Young and old.
The main reason very old people start increasing in accident statistics is because they get hurt or die more easily in an accidents.
It's difficult to get older family to stop driving. It becomes obvious they are unable to judge distances or see or even cope with faster traffic. It's obvious to other drivers. But no one more stubborn than an independent old person.
But how many people have points on their licence. Why not retest those. Same argument. I'm sure they are statistical higher in accidents.
It's difficult to get older family to stop driving. It becomes obvious they are unable to judge distances or see or even cope with faster traffic. It's obvious to other drivers. But no one more stubborn than an independent old person.
But how many people have points on their licence. Why not retest those. Same argument. I'm sure they are statistical higher in accidents.
Last edited:
Very old people, yes, but 70 or 75 is not very old. i shall probably stop driving at around 80 but mainly because driving is so much less enjoyable nowadays and largely unnecessary for me. For shopping i have a bike and as I no longer work i don't need a car for that.
I have a three year old car with less than 9000 miles on the clock.
Personally, I think driving recertification should be a mandatory thing…
Pass your test… and a recertification is required after say 3 years. Probably not so much now a days, but friends passing their driving test then not driving at all for 3-5 years after they finished universities and saved for their own car.
Then every 10 years as your driving license needs to be renewed…
And once you hit a said age, recertifications along with medical tests every so often say every 2 years.
I’m not claiming to be the worlds best driver, admittedly my parallel parking is poor but my reverse parking is tops as I only tend to reserve park…… but we all have seen drivers that are just dangerous to everyone on the road.
I’m not saying it should be a full exam, just 30 mins with someone to say “yub they are fine” or “nope… you need to resit a full exam within 3 months or have your current license revoked”.
Pass your test… and a recertification is required after say 3 years. Probably not so much now a days, but friends passing their driving test then not driving at all for 3-5 years after they finished universities and saved for their own car.
Then every 10 years as your driving license needs to be renewed…
And once you hit a said age, recertifications along with medical tests every so often say every 2 years.
I’m not claiming to be the worlds best driver, admittedly my parallel parking is poor but my reverse parking is tops as I only tend to reserve park…… but we all have seen drivers that are just dangerous to everyone on the road.
I’m not saying it should be a full exam, just 30 mins with someone to say “yub they are fine” or “nope… you need to resit a full exam within 3 months or have your current license revoked”.
Soldato
- Joined
- 13 Apr 2013
- Posts
- 13,624
- Location
- La France
Add in a hearing and a reaction time test.
That happens with fat people as well.
Slim bad drivers too
Your soul?