Should he/will he be allowed to drive?

[Ganymede]

Yes. It's none of your business. By all means raise your reservations with your pal once and leave it at that.

Vernon has a point here in that the OP is not related to the driver in question, so it is a question of expressing yourself to your friend rather than taking action. I think most of our replies have been about our experiences with our own rellies. But the friend might need support and a sharing of views.

 

[welsh dragon]

Vernon has a point here in that the OP is not related to the driver in question, so it is a question of expressing yourself to your friend rather than taking action. I think most of our replies have been about our experiences with our own rellies. But the friend might need support and a sharing of views.

True, but we can only really talk about our own experiences can't we? And in a way we are giving support, because we do all know someone like that. Hopefully hearing of our experiences may help him to advise his friend?

 

[Accy cyclist]

My mum gave up driving about 8 years ago,she's now 79. I remember her last few years behind the wheel,there were many scary moments! She'd pick my daughter up from school driving to reports that got back to me from other parents,like Mr Magoo! I don't think her eyesight helped though. She always insisted that her eyesight was perfect but after cataract removal she was told her prescription was outdated by a long way!

 

[Crankarm]

Time the old coffin dodger called it day before he causes a really serious collision that kills some one else like hitting a cyclist. Would you want that on your conscience? Tell his/her doctor, DVLA and insurer and anyone else who might want to get in the car with them. Failing this clamp their car.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Yes. It's none of your business. By all means raise your reservations with your pal once and leave it at that.

As a vulnerable road user I think it is my business.

 

[snorri]

or ring up their doctor and tell them.

This does not sound like a practical solution, and appears to be more like an attempt to pass the buck..
Is anyone in the UK actually able to "ring up a doctor" and discuss the health of another individual?
I hope not.

 

[MikeG]

This does not sound like a practical solution, and appears to be more like an attempt to pass the buck..
Is anyone in the UK actually able to "ring up a doctor" and discuss the health of another individual?
I hope not.

You can't discuss the health of another individual, but you most certainly can pass on your concerns. If you are next of kin, and your concerns are more than trivial, I have no doubt that the doctor will bear them in mind next time he sees the patient.

In my uncle's case, some intermittent dementia meant that he would forget to put his glasses on before going out in the car. Without glasses, he couldn't see past the end of the bonnet, but with glasses he passed the eye test comfortably. I reported this to his doctor, who organised to see my uncle the following day. His forgetfulness was the reason given for withdrawing his licence.

 

[snorri]

I reported this to his doctor, who organised to see my uncle the following day. His forgetfulness was the reason given for withdrawing his licence.

A good result then.
I was relieved when my own parents gave up without prompting when they realised their abilities were failing.

 

[MikeG]

You can report him to DVLA yourself....

The upshot of this, when I tried it, was that the DVLA removed my uncle's licence until he had had a medical and had self-certified that he was fit to drive. He was lucid for his medical (which is little more than an eye test and a few general health questions), wore his glasses, and was passed fit. Self-certification is just a bonkers idea.

A week later he demolished two garden walls and a parked car in attempting to reverse into his drive (and when I say demolished, he took out 40 feet of 4 foot high brick wall in its entirety, and wrote off his neighbour's car).......and that is when I spoke to his doctor.

 

[Ganymede]

The upshot of this, when I tried it, was that the DVLA removed my uncle's licence until he had had a medical and had self-certified that he was fit to drive. He was lucid for his medical (which is little more than an eye test and a few general health questions), wore his glasses, and was passed fit. Self-certification is just a bonkers idea.

A week later he demolished two garden walls and a parked car in attempting to reverse into his drive (and when I say demolished, he took out 40 feet of 4 foot high brick wall in its entirety, and wrote off his neighbour's car).......and that is when I spoke to his doctor.

One of the frustrations with getting treatment/resources for my Dad's dementia is that when we take him to see a consultant he is suddenly able to present as virtually "normal" (can't find a better word) - lucid, will not admit to any distress or problem, thinks he can walk for miles, his memory isn't what it was but isn't bad etc etc. The nice side of this is that when we have company he rather blossoms and has a good time, but it's otherwise tricky! However, his dementia is an extremely delicate subject with him and while we have got used to dealing with it, I know only too well how hard it is to raise questions of incapacity with the elderly. Sympathies all round.

 

[Bollo]

My 78-year old FIL only drives once a week now on Fridays to the Mosque. This means it's not just the Muslim residents of Stratford that check prayer times!

Personally, I'd like to see retests, say every 10 years, from the moment you get the licence. That would avoid any of the ageist issues and keep drivers on their toes.

 

[Ganymede]

My 78-year old FIL only drives once a week now on Fridays to the Mosque. This means it's not just the Muslim residents of Stratford that check prayer times!

Personally, I'd like to see retests, say every 10 years, from the moment you get the licence. That would avoid any of the ageist issues and keep drivers on their toes.

It's a good idea though I suspect would be rejected for reasons of expense - it would add a huge amount of admin to the system. But it would have nipped my FiL's weird roundabout tactics in the bud! And perhaps curb the weird fashion round here for driving in the middle of the road. *dreams on*

 

[welsh dragon]

The cost would be prohibitive, and the testing centres wouldnt be able to cope with the numbers.

 

[simon the viking]

My mum says she will know when to give up driving............. She nearly did a few years ago pending an eye operation (permanently I mean... she did whilst it was bad and after the operation but was cleared by an optician afterwards)

And years ago where she worked.... a car crashed into a 6 ft x 6 ft plate glass window, the old boys excuse to the police when they arrived..................."I forgot to steer"...... instead of turning left at a T junction he went straight ahead........ (Totally true story my mum was still shaking when she got home as the window in question was about 10 foot from her office......)

 

[Ganymede]

The cost would be prohibitive, and the testing centres wouldnt be able to cope with the numbers.

Employment creation for driving instructors though!!

... but yeah.