Should he/will he be allowed to drive?

[Archie_tect]

My dad really shouldn't be driving and knows it, he only renews his licence due to pressure from my stepmother, but as he no longer enjoys driving he often finds plausible excuses why the car won't start!

 

[MikeG]

My dad really shouldn't be driving and ......he often finds plausible excuses why the car won't start!

There's always the old potato-up-the-exhaust-pipe trick to fall back on.

 

[Archie_tect]

The car or the stepmother?

 

[MikeG]

The car or the stepmother?

Your step-mother will fit up the exhaust pipe?! Jeez...........feed her, quick!

 

[fossyant]

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.

Sounds very similar to us. "Oh yes I am fine". We even had the Doctor out to check for dementia, questions about the PM etc. and general news he's fine on, but remembering if he has turned the hob off ? No !

The 'self certification' is a joke !

 

[simon the viking]

Judging by Mrs V's input into my driving style perhaps I should give up now.................. Sometimes I pull over and say "I'll let you take over dear"............strange though she always declines...................... probably because she only ever took 6 lessons and gave up learning 15 years ago

 

[fossyant]

You can report him to DVLA yourself...

My mum has told us to tell her when her driving becomes too bad. Luckily, she's still a good, safe driver at 76. That said, her car is on its last legs and she probably won't bother replacing it.

Hmm, easier said than done and should an 'in-law' start World War 3 in the family ?

My FIL couldn't drive a couple of years ago due to COPD and being on oxygen (hospitalised for a number of weeks), but my SIL was encouraging him to drive - he went out a few times to the shops with the oxygen canister in the car (he was supposed to notify the insurance - didn't). He is very stubborn, and as soon as one bump is repaired, he aquires another. The car is about 3 years old, and has had repairs to the following:- Front Door, rear door, front wing, rear wing, rear bumper x3 (has camera and reversing sensors), front bumper x 2, wing mirrors x2, rear light cluster. So far it's all parking related, but he really can't see properly. He loves blagging his medicals.

The issue is one sister is 'daddy's favourite, and she has a habbit of encouraging him to do things he shouldent, one sister is always 'on the fence' and my missus is the sensible one. Not easy.

He limits his drving to going to the supermarket these days.

 

[fossyant]

Difficult situation Fossy, but how terrible would you feel if he injured or killed someone? Maybe his car keys could mysteriously keep disappearing?

Exactly, but being on the "periphery" and even my wife asking the Doc if he should be driving.. The Doc says OK ! Problem is getting the other sisters to agree (we are working on it) then getting him to stop.

If the keys went missing, he'd be straight on the phone accusing one of the daughters of losing them. It would be a 'come and find them now'. Early stages of dementia.

 

[Archie_tect]

Time for one of Mike's potato up the exhaust moments Fossy....

 

[welsh dragon]

Says who? Where's your evidence to support that assertion?

If you charge for the retesting and reissuing of licenses (after all, a license is a privilege not a right) then you could have the funding to have additional testing centres.

I don't have any, and never said I do, but if the waiting list at some centres is anything to go by, then they couldn't cope with more people being re tested. According to google there are 38,800,000 fully licenced drivers in the uk. That number is being added to every year. So all those people would have to be re tested every 10 years, with the numbers rising every year? Where would the money come from.

It's also quite telling that the government isn't interested in going down this road either. They have no plans to introduce licence re testing.

 

[Ganymede]

I think User has a good point that drivers should be "where the money comes from" but I think welsh dragon has hit a certain nail - that the political will has to be there to begin with. It would be a huge task and you'd have to get it through Parliament (ie past the motoring lobby) first.

 

[Profpointy]

I'm not denying that some old folks are well past sensibly driving, but whilst I've seen a few instances of dithery or dozy driving from the proverbial old man in a hat, the deliberate aggression, attempts to ram me off the road, impatience, stupid overtakes blah blah have not been the past-it coffin-dodgers in my experience.

There's a theme in some of these posts making a similar inference to "all cyclists jump red lights" so should do a driving test.

Yes, some should pack it in, but in the greater scheme of things, this is not where the hazard lies.... but of course it's easier to target a minority.

for the record I'm not in the old category yet.

 

[Bollo]

I think User has a good point that drivers should be "where the money comes from" but I think welsh dragon has hit a certain nail - that the political will has to be there to begin with. It would be a huge task and you'd have to get it through Parliament (ie past the motoring lobby) first.

Although it was me what pitched it on the thread, I can't see the political will from any of the main parties and the Kippers would have an aneurysm!

In my imaginary world, the idea would be that the retest would be as much a refresher for current driving conditions/vehicle capabilities and law changes (i.e killing a cyclist does not mean you get a prize) than a simple pass/fail. If you performed badly, you wouldn't necessarily lose your licence straight away, but be expected to undo further training at your own expense followed by a pass-fail retest. You could also hit people with higher insurance if they perform poorly. I'd fund it by charging people to throw stuff at Michael Gove. Vote Bollo!

 

[welsh dragon]

Although it was me what pitched it on the thread, I can't see the political will from any of the main parties and the Kippers would have an aneurysm!

In my imaginary world, the idea would be that the retest would be as much a refresher for current driving conditions/vehicle capabilities and law changes (i.e killing a cyclist does not mean you get a prize) than a simple pass/fail. If you performed badly, you wouldn't necessarily lose your licence straight away, but be expected to undo further training at your own expense followed by a pass-fail retest. You could also hit people with higher insurance if they perform poorly. I'd fund it by charging people to throw stuff a Michael Gove. Vote Bollo!

That should bring in tons of money then. you have my vote

 

[MikeG]

I'm not denying that some old folks are well past sensibly driving, but whilst I've seen a few instances of dithery or dozy driving from the proverbial old man in a hat, the deliberate aggression, attempts to ram me off the road, impatience, stupid overtakes blah blah have not been the past-it coffin-dodgers in my experience.

There's a theme in some of these posts making a similar inference to "all cyclists jump red lights" so should do a driving test.

Yes, some should pack it in, but in the greater scheme of things, this is not where the hazard lies.... but of course it's easier to target a minority.

for the record I'm not in the old category yet.

I am not sure you have read the thread.

The theme isn't about blaming any group for road traffic accidents or deaths: it is all about protecting people, including the drivers themselves, from the decline of driving ability associated with ageing. We aren't talking about a tiny minority here, either. We are actually talking about virtually every single driver on the road, at some stage of their lives. There is no attempt to stigmatise anyone, however much you seem to want it to be so. This is a real, every-day, heartbreaking, but deadly serious situation.

Taking someone's keys off them can actually signal the end of their independent lives, so it isn't to be undertaken lightly. However, there is their own good to consider, as well as the health and well-being of members of the road-using public. Thus the thoughtful tone of this thread, which you have somehow missed.