Renewing Licence at 70

[CXRAndy]

But nobody is discussing the original point hence the discussion about who should and shouldn't be driving should be taken elsewhere.

We didn't like that subject, so changed it 😁

Its just the meandering nature of discussions

Merry Christmas

 

[Drago]

"The DVLA are fairly good."

"Yes, quite."

May as well lock the thread after the first post

 

[joeegg]

Impossible.

Around 800,000 L tests are conducted each year and the average waiting time is around six months. The UK has 42 million full licence holders, a retest every five years would mean another 8.2 million tests being conducted, ten times the number now. There are nowhere near the number of examiners, test centres and booking staff to cope with that and there probably never could be.

On top of that, as an ex ADI I don't think retesting would have any effect on driving standards at all. How people behave on test conditions and then in the real world are completely different.

The Spanish have a very simplified form of retest every 5 years.Nothing lengthy,eyesight,reactions,etc,and not done out on the road.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

The Spanish have a very simplified form of retest every 5 years.Nothing lengthy,eyesight,reactions,etc,and not done out on the road.

Maybe in UK start with yearly (or every two years or whatever) a theory & computer retest whilst you have any points on your licence starting within 3 months of points being 1st awarded. Paid for by driver at a price to cover costs plus a bit (so no net cost to Gov.). Driving is a privilege not a right.

Thinking aloud as claiming no expertise. But at least get a few more drivers who break the rules to properly familiarise themselves with those rules.

 

[Big John]

Apologies but I haven't read every post on this thread but I'm in the process of renewing my licence at 70 and it's been a faff. I have the old, paper licence and my passport expired years ago so no photo id. I've had to pay a tenner for photos, find someone to sign the back of the photo, get numerous old documents (thanks to the wife for finding these) such as birth certificate, P60 and DWP documents. To completely nail it I was told that, for a fee, the post office would check my application and, if all the paperwork was correct along with the form, they'd submit it for me. The PO were **** useless. They looked at the form and paperwork as if they were Egyptian hiroglphs. I paid to have it sent recorded delivery and now hope and pray it's accepted but I have to say I don't hold out too much hope. And will I ever see my birth certificate again?

 

[Fastpedaller]

All here saying all drivers should have an eye test ar absolutely correct. My long-distance vision was so poor that I couldn't get my arm out quickly enough at a bus stop before the bus had passed! I hasten to add I was only 14 years old and not a driver . The older drives suffering with cataracts are sometimes easy to identify, as they wear sunglasses even if it's overcast!