Older car drivers

[MrJamie]

I've had more trouble with younger drivers then older ones.

I know this is a horrible generalisation, but I find it's older people who tend to take their time around me while cycling, wait behind me on country roads if the bend is blind and its usually younger people who terrify me with blind overtakes, squeezes and close passes.
(Edit The insurers would presumably agree with you too given how little old people tend to pay.

That said in my parents' social circle (of pensionable age), they're forever worried about various friends' driving. It's shocking how quickly someone can go from fully able and of sound mind to being frankly dangerous behind the wheel. Thankfully most of the 'incidents' have been 'last of the summer wine' hilarity in nature. They do usually give up driving, but because it's seen as losing independence and the alternatives can be pretty poor they really do put it off as long as possible.

 

[Ladytrucker]

Every ten years your picture driving licence has to be renewed, perhaps you should have a driving test before it being reissued? But as vernon says, it just means you can past a test.
Through work I have picked up my Cat C & D licence. To convert them for work I have to go on a week long course for each vehicle to cover all aspects of driving it. Every three years I have to do a Highway Code type test to validate my work licence. Compare this to an elderly person who passed there (more basic) test, maybe, sixty years ago and may have had no other training since.

You will have gone through your driver's CPC then. Oh joy !

I think most people over the age of maybe 55/60 would struggle to pass the basic driving test. My 18 year old daughter recently sat hers and even I, working in the industry, was confused by some of the questions, and yes the old person crossing the road was in it. In saying this my mum is 71 and an excellent driver.

 

[Kies]

Yes thankfully he is ok. He has a little road rash on his elbow and thats about it. I keep reliving the scene in front me .... Very sobering to see your mate taken out through no fault of his own

 

[colly]

Taking a test, and passing, may only prove you can pass a test it's better than nothing though. Otherwise why have any kind of test for anything?
Just grab the keys and off you go on your 17th birthday. Learn as you drive, as you kill, sounds just the ticket.

 

[mark st1]

Yes thankfully he is ok. He has a little road rash on his elbow and thats about it. I keep reliving the scene in front me .... Very sobering to see your mate taken out through no fault of his own

Glad he is ok any damage to his bike ?

 

[Cycling Dan]

People are not taught how to drive. They are taught how to pass a test. I doubt testing would do much unless it tested everything.

 

[mark st1]

People are not taught how to drive. They are taught how to pass a test. I doubt testing would do much unless it tested everything.

Amen ! This is what i find wrong as long as you can drive well for 30/45 minutes you get a licence to drive any car/van you can afford to insure (if you bother insuring it). I dont know what the answer is but it just seems wrong to me.

 

[Kies]

Glad he is ok any damage to his bike ?

Was his hybrid. Front wheel not true,disc brake rubbing.rear derailer scratched.front left brake handle scratched and right grip torn. Top tube has a couple of tiny scratches.
All replaceable and will be drivers expense ... He is taking it into Stows tommorow.
Main thing is he walked away from the incident
... Could have been so much worse.

 

[Over The Hill]

There is a problem with old people getting slower and less able to drive. Wife and I have three elderly parents who drive all in their 80s and we have raised the subject with them but feel they are OK at the moment.

If they had regular testing, they could then be under a belief that they were then OK for the next three years and carry on when they should not, so this could be counterproductive.

 

[vernon]

[QUOTE 2398100, member: 259"]and he sometimes used to lose the car for days on end after parking it. [/quote]

You don't have to be ancient to do that

 

[Arch]

There is a problem with old people getting slower and less able to drive. Wife and I have three elderly parents who drive all in their 80s and we have raised the subject with them but feel they are OK at the moment.

If they had regular testing, they could then be under a belief that they were then OK for the next three years and carry on when they should not, so this could be counterproductive.

But as it is, they still think they are ok, and there's no mechanism to stop them at all, unless they have an accident serious enough to involve authority, by which time, it's maybe too late.

No system will be perfect, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try and make things better than they are!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Went for a gentle ride this afternoon. Got about 6 miles out and i watched my friend get knocked off by an elderly drivers wing mirror. The only reson he missed me (10 yards back) is that the road is wider there...

I'm just wondering how wide the road actually is? on narrower roads (no white lines or single track roads) we always stop to allow the drivers through at a point that is safe and convenient to both parties - this is easily dealt with by cycling up the middle of the lane and leaving no option to the driver - simply acknowledging their presence is usually enough and drivers of single track roads are usually very considerate.

As for elderly drivers - well I would rather go out in the car with my 90yr old grandfather driving than my 64yr old mother. Her driving terrifies me, yet others think it is fine. the only blessing is that have a daughter & son-in-law who went off to cycle around the world, means she see every cyclist and thinks first!

Personally I am in the group that believes all drivers should be regularly retested and as a RoSPA advanced driver, I am retested every 3 years and have been since I was 18 years old when I first passed my advanced driving tests (IAM & RoSPA: IAM do not retest, though you can opt to be re-tested) . I also do not believe that the current driving test is of a hard enough standard, but I also don't agree that all young drivers are bad drivers either and some of them are considerably easier to teach advanced level driving to than most drivers who has been driving +20 years and are set in their ways.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

hatted inhabitants

 

[GrasB]

My question is - should these older drivers be tested more often?

I wish we could have a system where every driver has to pass a RoSPA AD test every 5 years. Not just older drivers EVERYONE. I know, it's totally impractical, I know... but!

 

[GrasB]

Old v's young. As a gross generalisation - Knowingly high risk taking v's unknowingly taking high risks due to misjudgement. In some ways older drivers high risk manoeuvres are more frightening as they often have no idea what they did was high risk.