Driving re tests for 65 years and older?

[boingy]

I guess the whole point of this post really is about irresponsible drivers, whether you're aging and have vision problems, or your under 25 trying to impress friends by speeding.

Seems to me the one's with the highest risk are at the two ends of the age categories to drive.

The perfect sum up. Maybe 75 would make more sense.

[Calgarybaggy]

Where I live they really go after young drivers who get caught speeding “excessively”. My 18 year old son was driving on a windy narrow mountain road which opened up to four lanes for a stretch so he sped up to pass all the heavy trucks that had been in front of him. Unfortunately he ended up going more than 30kmh (20 mph) over the limit in order to pass them, which is the threshold for excessive speeding, and got caught, had his car confiscated for a week and got a three month driving ban. The fines, storage charges, towing fees, license renewal fees etc came to about $2500, plus his insurance went up significantly. That was his first ever ticket. It was a horribly unfair penalty in the circumstances but i don’t think he will be diving that much over the limit again any time soon.

[boingy]

A car is essential to me and so is getting to retirement. This whole debate stresses the life out of me. We live up a 2 and a half mile lane. Need the car bad! No accidents in decades and I could just see me failing a test just because some young gun wants to show his clipboard prowess!

[mickd1961]

A complete re test for the elderly is too punitive.

I think a 15 minute competency test every 5 years after 75 is probably a fairer idea, it’s easy enough to tell if someone is competent without putting them through a formal check.

It’s also a good way of checking someone’s eyesight and to pick up if someone is showing signs of being vague and confused with the obvious worries that dementia might be taking hold.

I do wonder how many of the idiot lowlife
on our roads manage to pass the theory test?

It beggars belief that many of these people could pass such a test.

[boingy]

A complete re test for the elderly is too punitive.

I think a 15 minute competency test every 5 years after 75 is probably a fairer idea, it’s easy enough to tell if someone is competent without putting them through a formal check.

It’s also a good way of checking someone’s eyesight and to pick up if someone is showing signs of being vague and confused with the obvious worries that dementia might be taking hold.

I do wonder how many of the idiot lowlife
on our roads manage to pass the theory test?

It beggars belief that many of these people could pass such a test.

Spot on. Doesn’t need a full test. Just competency.

[mickd1961]

Spot on. Doesn’t need a full test. Just competency.

I think so mate.

One minute in the car with my late father in law from 80 onwards was enough to let you know he had dementia.

To get to the local shops half a mile away, a journey he’d made for nearly 30 years, mother in law had to sit be him and tell him to make the two right turnings required, she also had to flick the indicator up and down for him!😳

He also had macular degeneration in one eye, he was blind.

Mother in law was as bad as him in supporting him, they both said he “had a right to drive” for as long as he wanted to……it caused us a lot of argument and aggro with them over it.

My wife and her sister twice visited his GP to get him to him stopped from driving, he wouldn’t do anything!

It’s incredibly hard to get an old unfit person stopped from driving in the U.K.

[boingy]

I think so mate.

One minute in the car with my late father in law from 80 onwards was enough to let you know he had dementia.

To get to the local shops half a mile away, a journey he’d made for nearly 30 years, mother in law had to sit be him and tell him to make the two right turnings required, she also had to flick the indicator up and down for him!😳

He also had macular degeneration in one eye, he was blind.

Mother in law was as bad as him in supporting him, they both said he “had a right to drive” for as long as he wanted to……it caused us a lot of argument and aggro with them over it.

My wife and her sister twice visited his GP to get him to him stopped from driving, he wouldn’t do anything!

It’s incredibly hard to get an old unfit person stopped from driving in the U.K.

Terrifying. Reminded me for a moment when I was a passenger to my cerebral palsy friend who was driving really fast down the motorway in a blizzard who then switched the lights off instead of putting his wipers on. Scared? Just a little 😳

[mickd1961]

Terrifying. Reminded me for a moment when I was a passenger to my cerebral palsy friend who was driving really fast down the motorway in a blizzard who then switched the lights off instead of putting his wipers on. Scared? Just a little 😳

I shouldn’t laugh mate……but,

the vision of you alongside a bloke with cerebral palsy with no headlights on and windscreen wipers going like the clappers has made me laugh!🤣🤣🤣

[baggieal]

Been on two speeding awareness courses in the last 10 years and the majority of those on it shocked me - mostly over 50’s

[boingy]

I shouldn’t laugh mate……but,

the vision of you alongside a bloke with cerebral palsy with no headlights on and windscreen wipers going like the clappers has made me laugh!🤣🤣🤣

Makes me laugh now Mick but then, sheeeeesh!