should old people be allowed to drive?

[biggs682]

would it be a bad think if all drivers over a certain age had to sit a test of some description , after all motor vehicles can be dangerous in the wrong hands

 

[Dan B]

I'm all for getting dangerous drivers off the road but if you don't accept the insurance claims statistics for who's most likely to be dangerous, whose opinion on the matter do you trust?

 

[Vapin' Joe]

All due respect and that but you are a driving instructor and use the term 'accident'? Surely that's been consigned to the dustbin of history?

Only among the PC Brigade, who think that coming up with smug new name for an accident will magically reduce the number of them.

It hasn't, and it won't.

 

[jonnysnorocket]

[QUOTE 1813324, member: 9609"]I don't recall ever seeing someone the wrong side of seventy driving whilst playing with a mobile phone![/quote]

+1

 

[snorri]

aggressive drivers are the ones with bags of confidence and good car control but poor attitudes.

Strikes me the key word here is attitude, what we need is attitude testing, driving skill has little to do with it.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Strikes me the key word here is attitude, what we need is attitude testing, driving skill has little to do with it.

How do you test attitude? Anyone can act the saint on the day, what they do the next is another matter.

 

[ufkacbln]

Possibly, but old drivers are rarely quoted although they can be a danger on the road. At least, young drivers have good reactions and are fitter. When I was young, I used to drive fast and take risks. This is part of being young, thinking one will live for ever and underestimating dangers. This is normal and will never change. Being old slows you down in all respects and should be taken into consideration when driving. Zero accidents is utopia.

Please tell me that I have read this wrong....

We should accept risk taking behaviour by young drivers?

 

[ufkacbln]

How do you test attitude? Anyone can act the saint on the day, what they do the next is another matter.

There is a lot of evidence for exactly this.

Arriva performed formal psychometric testing on their drivers, then used education to "smooth out" risk taking and other adverse behaviour.

They halved their accident rates!

Other big companies have had good results as well.

 

[gavintc]

TBH, I think everyone should have to re-sit a test every 5 or 10 years.

Work for the DSA ? Sounds like job creation.

 

[growingvegetables]

How do you test attitude?

Level 3 fail - turn up on the day in a grey BMW/Audi/Astra, or any colour of Corsa;
Level 2 fail - turn up on the day in a grey BMW/Audi/Astra - but leave it outside, and swap to the good lady's clapped out Punto for the test;
Level 1 fail - being on record as the owner of said vehicle models.

That's 90% of the problems sorted - I grant you the remaining 10% might be harder.

 

[snorri]

How do you test attitude? Anyone can act the saint on the day, what they do the next is another matter.

There are already attitude and aptitude tests available which could perhaps be adapted.....at a cost. I agree with you a display of driving skills on the day gives little indication of future behaviour.

 

[Dewi]

Yes is the answer, if they can't control their car. This incident was just around the corner from my house, I pass twice a day and my wife had walked passed the spot a few hours earlier: -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-17746791

Rhos on Sea has a very large number of retired old folk, a large number of who shouldn't still be driving. I see examples of it every day so feel safer riding at night, even with the risk from drunks, knowing all the OAPs are tuck up in bed!

 

[Andy_R]

Possibly, but old drivers are rarely quoted although they can be a danger on the road. At least, young drivers have good reactions and are fitter. When I was young, I used to drive fast and take risks. This is part of being young, thinking one will live for ever and underestimating dangers. This is normal and will never change. Being old slows you down in all respects and should be taken into consideration when driving. Zero accidents is utopia.

Yes, they may have better reactions, but are they more aware. Have you noticed the iPod generation? The ones whose sole item of interest is the iPod/Mobile of choice and everything else is secondary?

 

[gavroche]

Please tell me that I have read this wrong....

We should accept risk taking behaviour by young drivers?

I don't know how old you are, but do you drive the same now as when you were 18? If not, why not? Back to my post for the answer.

 

[snorri]

Being old slows you down in all respects and should be taken into consideration when driving.

Oldies tend to drive slower, which can't be bad.
I saw one drive the wrong way round a roundabout at less than a good walking pace a couple of weeks ago. It could have been nasty if some young lad had been racing in the opposite direction, as it was it was a carefully driven police car she confronted.