Car -vs- Cycle Lane incident 😲

[Evil_Breakfast]

https://www.somersetcountygazette.c...students-hit-suzuki-vitara-driven-cycle-path/

“At around 8:10am on Monday, 13 October, we received a report that a car, being driven by a vulnerable man in his 80s along a cycle path off South Road in Taunton, collided with two children and a wall at low speed, said an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson."

Incidents like this only underline/justify the need for the following changes :-

From Oct 2025, the DVLA plans to bring in stricter rules for drivers aged 70 and above. Although full details haven’t been released yet, here are some expected changes:

• Stricter medical reporting: You may need to provide medical documents from your doctor.
• Vision and memory checks: These could be required to ensure you’re safe to drive.
• Extra checks for certain health conditions: Especially for issues like dementia or eyesight problems.

These steps are being introduced to improve safety for all road users. As people age, problems like poor eyesight, memory loss, and slower reflexes can make driving more risky.

https://www.governsmarter.org/new-uk-driving-license-rule-for-seniors-begins-oct-2025/

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I think all drivers (yes, including me) should be retested at least once a decade, rising to once every 5 years beyond, say, 75.

 

[a.twiddler]

And yet, it is consistently younger drivers that are overwhelmingly involved in accidents. It's the older drivers that make the headlines if they're involved an accident. Much is made of declining eyesight etc in later life. Doesn't everyone have an eye test every two years? If not, why not? Perhaps all drivers should be subject to the legislation highlighted above. Of course, all those drivers who are currently flouting the law by driving about unlicenced, untaxed, uninsured etc will merrily continue to do so, as they will be off the grid unless caught out by random circumstances. Another case of law abiding documented citizens being targeted while the rest carry on regardless.

As for retesting, ok then, who pays? With the current waiting lists for driving tests, how is that going to work?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Is there an official government link for these so called changes?

 

[roubaixtuesday]

As for retesting, ok then, who pays? With the current waiting lists for driving tests, how is that going to work?

Drivers should pay, and it would be a trivial part of the cost of owning a car.

Driving a car is a privilege and a responsibility, not a right.

I agree re young drivers.

 

[T4tomo]

https://www.somersetcountygazette.c...students-hit-suzuki-vitara-driven-cycle-path/

“At around 8:10am on Monday, 13 October, we received a report that a car, being driven by a vulnerable man in his 80s along a cycle path off South Road in Taunton, collided with two children and a wall at low speed, said an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson."

Incidents like this only underline/justify the need for the following changes :-

From Oct 2025, the DVLA plans to bring in stricter rules for drivers aged 70 and above. Although full details haven’t been released yet, here are some expected changes:

• Stricter medical reporting: You may need to provide medical documents from your doctor.
• Vision and memory checks: These could be required to ensure you’re safe to drive.
• Extra checks for certain health conditions: Especially for issues like dementia or eyesight problems.

These steps are being introduced to improve safety for all road users. As people age, problems like poor eyesight, memory loss, and slower reflexes can make driving more risky.

https://www.governsmarter.org/new-uk-driving-license-rule-for-seniors-begins-oct-2025/

In reality, this only made the news because its a very rare incident. unlike the majority of crashes caused by excess speed, driving whilst under the influence, distracted by showing off to mates, distracted by mobile phone etc etc tec.

 

[markemark]

And yet, it is consistently younger drivers that are overwhelmingly involved in accidents. It's the older drivers that make the headlines if they're involved an accident. Much is made of declining eyesight etc in later life. Doesn't everyone have an eye test every two years? If not, why not? Perhaps all drivers should be subject to the legislation highlighted above. Of course, all those drivers who are currently flouting the law by driving about unlicenced, untaxed, uninsured etc will merrily continue to do so, as they will be off the grid unless caught out by random circumstances. Another case of law abiding documented citizens being targeted while the rest carry on regardless.

As for retesting, ok then, who pays? With the current waiting lists for driving tests, how is that going to work?

I think over 85 is a very high risk, but yes, the greatest risk are very young drivers. It doesn't get much better as "maturity" often comes alongside more powerful cars.

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

And yet, it is consistently younger drivers that are overwhelmingly involved in accidents. It's the older drivers that make the headlines if they're involved an accident. Much is made of declining eyesight etc in later life. Doesn't everyone have an eye test every two years? If not, why not? Perhaps all drivers should be subject to the legislation highlighted above. Of course, all those drivers who are currently flouting the law by driving about unlicenced, untaxed, uninsured etc will merrily continue to do so, as they will be off the grid unless caught out by random circumstances. Another case of law abiding documented citizens being targeted while the rest carry on regardless.

As for retesting, ok then, who pays? With the current waiting lists for driving tests, how is that going to work?

All valid points.
I do recall watching a BBC documentary about road safety, and was amazed to learn that a contributory factor to younger drivers being (statistically) more likely to be involved in a RTC; is that the part of the brain that 'deals with' risk assessment/danger awareness is still developing, and continues to do so well into the mid/late 20's

 

[roubaixtuesday]

In reality, this only made the news because its a very rare incident. unlike the majority of crashes caused by excess speed, driving whilst under the influence, distracted by showing off to mates, distracted by mobile phone etc etc tec.

https://www.gov.uk/government/stati...-in-great-britain-older-driver-factsheet-2023

 

[Boopop]

"a vulnerable man"

OK, I know what they meant by this, but given the context it seems a bit out of place. Would he still be a vulnerable man if he was driving a tank? How about a giant anime style mech-walker?

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

"a vulnerable man"

OK, I know what they meant by this, but given the context it seems a bit out of place. Would he still be a vulnerable man if he was driving a tank? How about a giant anime style mech-walker?

That's a tad disingenuous.

 

[All uphill]

I cycled through there this morning.

To get there he must have driven a quarter of a mile along a busy foot/cycle path past a college and leading to a school!

This is bad news for those of us who have been trying to get the council to stop putting posts at each end of shared paths

 

[Drago]

I think all drivers (yes, including me) should be retested at least once a decade, rising to once every 5 years beyond, say, 75.

I agree in principle, although in practice its very difficult to get new drivers tested, never mind the existing ones.

 

[HLaB]

View attachment 790126

https://www.gov.uk/government/stati...-in-great-britain-older-driver-factsheet-2023

I could be wrong but that looks like car driver casualties. It would be expected unfortunately that more older drivers are the victim of their own mistake and more vulnerable in a collision. But more younger drivers manage to walk away from a collision which takes others lives (that may also involve hitting an elderly driver, yet adding more to that graph to mislead).

 

[Boopop]

That's a tad disingenuous.

Why, is it more likely that he would have been driving a tank? 😂