It had to be a Honda Jazz..

[wingman]

Poor driving is certainly not limited to the old by any stretch of margin.

If anything, newly qualified drivers should be retested again, since they are the ones who are the most risky.

Experience is the best teacher. By this notion, the elderly should be by far the best drivers (I realise this is a weak argument).

It's an almost impossible thing to balance. My father is a haulage contractor and drives 60,000 miles a year and has done his whole working life, that's getting on for some 2 million miles. He is 61 and an exceptional driver, one of the best, if not the best I've ever witnessed. It would be totally unfair to ask him to review his licence again at 65 just because he is 65.

If the elderly need to get retested, then retest everyone every 5 years tbh.

 

[Greboth]

It's not just OAPs that do it, either.

Easy, just make coffin dodgers and women retake their test periodically

By coincidence I've recently found myself behind a couple of Honda Jazzes, admiring the 'i-VTEC' badge on the back, and thinking Honda could save a little money there.

I don't think I have ever read the badges on the back of a Jazz, my usual reaction following a Jazz goes-

Jazz doing 30mph in 30mph
Me: wow a Jazz doing the speed limit
Road changes to 40mph, Jazz still doing 30mph
Me: Oh dear god not another one!
Road changes to 60mph, Jazz still doing 30mph
Me: Get of my ****** way you ******* **** I can't believe you ****** ***** ***** ******** **** *** and ******* ******* **** **** ******* **** ******!

Shortly followed by my death as all the veins in my forehead burst causing me to bleed out.

 

[PMKeates]

Doesn't say anywhere at all that his driving licence has been revoked. Pretty ridiculous if he's allowed back on the roads to do it again.

I'm pretty sure that if you crash in to a police car by driving the wrong way down a motorway you don't get back behind the wheel for a while.

 

[TheVoice]

If the elderly need to get retested, then retest everyone every 5 years tbh.

An elderly person is more likely to develop dementia or other illnesses/conditions that affect their judgement and reactions though.

 

[Amraam]

Agree with this. Or at least have a compulsory refresher course just so they know about changes etc in the 40+ years they have been driving. The GF is diabetic and has to have hers resent off every 2 years since she passed her test so i can't believe anything as simple as this hasn't been added for OAP's already. Especially for cases like Dementia etc.

It's three years, as I'm type 1 myself, but yeah I agree. At 70, it is potentially 53 years since they passed their test - imagine the change of procedures and rules in that time. After 30 year's driving, I think we should all be retested.

 

[JoeF1]

It's three years, as I'm type 1 myself, but yeah I agree. At 70, it is potentially 53 years since they passed their test - imagine the change of procedures and rules in that time. After 30 year's driving, I think we should all be retested.

Woops my bad, it goes to show i really should pay more attention when shes talking

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

Let's face it, this guy is what the Google self driving car is made for.

Being fair to the dude, he might have slaved away his life to give "us" a better world, and this is all the gratitude we give him.

Have to say, really feel for the guy, unlike the scrotes who chose to do something KNOWING only too well what the score is. Just shame that we don't as yet have a genuine alternative to deal with him.

 

[wingman]

An elderly person is more likely to develop dementia or other illnesses/conditions that affect their judgement and reactions though.

More dementia testing is required then.

 

[Akagi]

Let me get this straight... He was driving at 50MPH and they hit him head on to stop him? Thats what the article seems to suggest? That would be a pretty severe crash would it not?

e; Ahh I see what they did now, the video wasn't loading before and I had a catastrophic head on smash up in mind. Still, must have been pretty uncomfortable for all involved, and was definitely risky.

Was it really all they could do? Couldn't they have driven the wrong way with him, in front of him, for a short distance, and slowed him down to a stop or "pulled him over" or something?

 

[TheVoice]

Let me get this straight... He was driving at 50MPH and they hit him head on to stop him? Thats what the article seems to suggest? That would be a pretty severe crash would it not?

Not nose-to-nose, no. There's a video in the article but it looks more like they hit him with the front/side of the police car.

 

[Akagi]

Not nose-to-nose, no. There's a video in the article but it looks more like they hit him with the front/side of the police car.

I know now, edited my post.

 

[TheVoice]

I know now, edited my post.

Ah cool, too quick for my own good.

Was it really all they could do? Couldn't they have driven the wrong way with him, in front of him, for a short distance, and slowed him down to a stop or "pulled him over" or something?

It doesn't look like they had time, seems they were the rolling roadblock holding traffic back so the only option was to stop the car with contact or risk it hitting other road users.

 

[Akagi]

What happens about the fact that his car is all smashed up? Will something be done between the insurance companies, between the Police and the old chap, or will it just be left alone and not be sorted out given the circumstances?

Because it was initially the old guys fault by going the wrong way and failing to stop, but the Police car pulled in front of him deliberately to stop him, meaning that the impact was partly their fault, but at the same time they were doing their job, enforcing the law, and protecting other road users.

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

I suspect that any insurance would view the old driver as at fault, as he caused the accident by driving into a near stationary police car whilst driving the wrong way down a motorway.
I also think that, if he had been compos mentis, he would have been dangerous driving at least, so his insurance would cover the police car's damage, whilst not covering his own vehicle.
So I suspect it will be treated similarly, but with no dangerous driving charges Providing he had insurance at all, otherwise, the police will have to suck up the costs for the damage from their own insurance...

I am not an expert, just my guess

 

[Hagar]

I am now 62 having driven/ridden for the last 45 years. I can easily get 95% on the current theory test and my best part of a million mile driving history (750k since 1990) gives me experience to make my point.

Not all older drivers are a hazard and IMO many younger ones are more of a risk.

I will quite ably drive at the speed limit +/- 10% when conditions allow, and when the roads are quiet in the early hours, make a far better pace on long journeys.

I believe that my licence has to renew at age 70, but when I do retire, I may largely stop driving anyway on the grounds that the roads are far worse than they used to be in so many ways.

 

[Outcast]

OAP at work decided to start work again because he was bored sitting at home.

He's 69 and drives a 44 tonner.

EVERY YEAR he has to have a full medical to retain his right to "Pro Drive"

He might be a SlapHead but he's a nice bloke and I have no issues with his driving when I ride shotgun with him.

Another of our former Employees, Dave Lewis, carried on driving 44 tonners until having his licence pulled due to advanced cancer. He was 74.

He pleaded with them not to pull his licence as he will have nothing left to live for.
He passed away very shortly afterwards.

On the other hand, we successfully persuaded the father in law to give up driving when he was 67. He was quite erratic.
ie: Stop at roundabouts when nothing is coming, then sit there huffing and puffing before taking a chance ! Driving along at a cruise speed then floor it for no reason before backing off.

He got done for speeding just at the end of his road (first time any offense) and that was the point when he realised he'd had enough especially as his son is a copper !


Age affects different people in different ways. I agree that a FULL Medical should be required EVERY YEAR after 65.

re: Dave Lewis
Sod clambering in and out of a lorry cab at that age. I'v had enough now and I'm 53

 

[hurfdurf]

Let's face it, this guy is what the Google self driving car is made for.

Being fair to the dude, he might have slaved away his life to give "us" a better world, and this is all the gratitude we give him.

Have to say, really feel for the guy, unlike the scrotes who chose to do something KNOWING only too well what the score is. Just shame that we don't as yet have a genuine alternative to deal with him.

Indeed, intent is what I get angry at, poor guy probably had no idea what was going on.

 

[Amraam]

They start swerving as he hits so I'm not even convinced they intended a collision - more like a risky chicken move.

 

[Yaayuh!]

 

[TheVoice]

They start swerving as he hits so I'm not even convinced they intended a collision - more like a risky chicken move.

I think the idea was to use the side of the police car. They had to stop it somehow.