Driving the wrong way down the A1...

Mr Joshua · 19 May 2006 at 03:16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4994506.stm

An 86-year-old woman admitted driving the wrong way down the A1 in Northumberland at a court hearing.
Driver Joan Gordon, from Dunmow, Essex, panicked as cars swerved to get out of her way as she headed south on the north-bound carriageway near Alnwick.

Worrying stuff, the people who were swerving out of her way must have been a bag of nerves after that! I'm not sure that driving into oncoming traffic for half a mile can be classed as quickly realising the mistake.

Interestingly she escaped a driving ban with 8 points and a £225 fine.

Does anyone know what is meant by "She is to be sentanced later"?

Dugganator · 19 May 2006 at 03:23

Crazyness. you would have thought she would have been banned really, i'm guessing if it was someone in the 18-30 range they would have have the book thrown at them knowing the traffic police......... i mean police force

.

The_Dark_Side · 19 May 2006 at 06:22

at this point would anyone like to say i'm wrong when i say we (the UK) should force all drivers to take a compulsory re-assessment at least 5 years?

Vertigo · 19 May 2006 at 07:31

Nope, been saying that for years (although I think a forced retest every 10 years would do) and I've yet to hear a convincing argument against it.

Dr Who · 19 May 2006 at 07:39

No, just old farts, who probably never took a test in the first place...

:eek:

DannyDan · 19 May 2006 at 07:57

I've seen old people attempting to drive down sliproads (clearly marked with no entry signs) the wrong way on numerous occasions around here. Luckily in most cases they seem to realise their mistake before getting too far.

Shimmyhill · 19 May 2006 at 07:58

Duggan said:
Crazyness. you would have thought she would have been banned really, i'm guessing if it was someone in the 18-30 range they would have have the book thrown at them knowing the traffic police......... i mean police force .

Police have nothing to do with the punishment.

axer · 19 May 2006 at 10:09

The_Dark_Side said:
at this point would anyone like to say i'm wrong when i say we (the UK) should force all drivers to take a compulsory re-assessment at least 5 years?

I've been thinking some form of system is needed. I've seen tonnes of old women drivers around here in mk2 fiestas that drive damn dangerously!

iCraig · 19 May 2006 at 10:14

I once parked my car in a nice secluded car park outside an apartment complex. The car park was surrounded with a raised curb and nicely pruned shubery marking the edge of the carpark. There was only one entrance/exit situated at the top, and I was towards the bottom half.

Out of nowhere I hear some small engined car having its nuts revved off and then a small Austin Metro driven by an old woman rams up the curb, smashes into the shrubery, destroying the arrangement, and then parks across two spaces horizontally. I watch in disbelief along with two other passers by as she get's out, locks her car and slowly walks with her handbag out of the car park, without even batting an eyelid.

D4VE · 19 May 2006 at 10:21

WTF? why are they fining an old lady? They should politely and tactfully take her license away for good, not take money off her.

Sputnik II · 19 May 2006 at 10:27

The_Dark_Side said:
at this point would anyone like to say i'm wrong when i say we (the UK) should force all drivers to take a compulsory re-assessment at least 5 years?

Thats something that I believe would improve our roads and the way people use them.

merlin · 19 May 2006 at 10:31

You'd be surprised at how many drivers on our roads have dangerously poor eyesight too.

Eye tests, medicals even and driving asessments every 10 years.

This would also alieviate traffic density - I reckon 1 in 30 could lose their licence.

schnipps · 19 May 2006 at 10:31

Anyone under 50 did it instant ban. Because of her age they must assume she did it because she was old, if thats the case she shouldnt be driving. Simply making mistakes because someone is old is no excuse. Typical of the country, probably embarassed to ban her as she was a lovely old dear.

robbiemc · 19 May 2006 at 10:31

I once witnessed a crash where I saw a car driving down the exit ramp of the M42 and proceeded to do a U-turn to drive the 'correct' way..unfortunately for him he didn't judge it very well and got hit by a lorry :eek:

Obviously I pulled over and was glad to see he was ok, amazing really.

His age? Early 70s I would say..

Sputnik II · 19 May 2006 at 10:53

schnipps said:
Anyone under 50 did it instant ban. Because of her age they must assume she did it because she was old, if thats the case she shouldnt be driving. Simply making mistakes because someone is old is no excuse. Typical of the country, probably embarassed to ban her as she was a lovely old dear.

I agree, she should have had her licence revoked indefinately. Over 65's should have proper in car driving assesments regularly, not a doctor just saying they are ok to drive.

[TW]Fox · 19 May 2006 at 11:02

Come on guys, why should she be banned?

She was only driving the opposite direction down a dual carriageway causing oncoming cars to swerve, not like she was doing something reckless and dangerous like cruising in the outside lane at 100, now that WOULD have got her a ban.

agw_01 · 19 May 2006 at 11:07

Good point Fox.

Just another example of our screwed up judicial system.

Enfield · 19 May 2006 at 11:18

If I was to say that I'm suprised I would be lying!

Yesterday in the local Tesco's carpark I was reversing out of my bay and to the left and was just straightening up ready to pull away. And then some oldish woman does the same thing as me but from the opposite side of the road but keeps reversing backwards towards me!

I had to start reversing otherwise she would have gone straight into my car! No doubt she would say that I drove into her had she touched my car!

But no the stupidity does not end there.

She then indicated to go round the bends!! :rolleyes:

Firegod · 19 May 2006 at 11:20

I wouldn't ban her. I would have fined her like they did and then said your not driving again until you take a test and a full medical to see if you are fit. It's a fact as you get older things can seem a lot more confusing, and the roads are getting a lot worse anyways... one way systems and bus lanes everywhere, confuse the hell out of me now in Durham and Newcastle... its terrible! :mad:

So no, I wouldn't of banned her just because of her age. I would make her take a test, if she fails, then that's it. No more driving. At least its fair, which is kinda what some people have already mentioned above.