People's Right to Drive

[Black Sheep]

He won't listen, and no-one has been able to convince him he shouldn't be driving - struggling to get off a sofa is not fit.

My point, why do folk think they have a God given right to drive, even when clearly not fit ?

Are you able to explain to him that you're concerned about his ability to get to safety if something happened?

My grandad went from just having a broken leg to being bed bound fairly quickly, he still had his car outside (we traded it in for a small automatic as we could see he would struggle with the clutch) and would often sit in it with the engine running but he knew he didn't have the confidence in his ability to drive it, so it sat on the driveway and used only by my uncle to take him or my gran (or both) out somewhere, even if just for a drive as either of them climbing into his land rover wouldn't be good.

so people have said, knowing it's there and ''just not feeling upto it'' is often the way to go.

 

[Amanda P]

Difficult, but probably disabling the car or taking away his car keys are the best options as any police involvement would be upsetting and demeaning to him. The less confrontational the better and it allows him to keep his dignity in the face of mounting concern which could spoil your relationship with the driver.

Better that he's upset and demeaned than the possible alternatives - someone else or him injured or killed.

I appreciate your consideration for the driver, but Fossy's already said he won't listen to anyone. Perhaps it's better that he can blame the loss of his license on the police than that he blames it on a member of his own family.

 

[Fiona N]

My sister took my Mum's car away (sister owned it BTW) when we got so worried about Mum's driving. I'd been out a few times with her and it was clear that her ability to judge speed was dire in broad daylight and even worse in poor light / rain. But because her actual eyesight was OK (wearing her glasses) she was stiill passing the eye test.

It seemed brutal at the time as Mum lived in an area with little in the way of public transport - minimum of a mile walk to the nearest bus stop. But once she'd had a lucky escape - car ran down the drive and smashed into the gas supply box, fortunately the speed was low enough to just nudge the box without dislodging connections and dent the car bumper - we realised we were risking her life as well as others' by letting her go one driving.

 

[Archie_tect]

Better that he's upset and demeaned than the possible alternatives - someone else or him injured or killed.

I appreciate your consideration for the driver, but Fossy's already said he won't listen to anyone. Perhaps it's better that he can blame the loss of his license on the police than that he blames it on a member of his own family.

True. Can't argue with that, as long as the car's taken away as well as his licence so there was no temptation to drive it anyway.

 

[fossyant]

Touch wood he's not been out in it since his 'little spin' round the estate, although temptation is there.