john_s

iTrader: (1)

I've always had an open attitude towards old folk carrying on driving; as long as they feel up to it, let them.

After what happened this afternoon, i'm not so sure.

An old lady tuned across the front of me. I hit the brakes & just missed her car, but the car coming down the inside of me didn't and BANG!

Fortunately noone seemed seriously hurt... the old couple were very stunned, the pregnant lady (driving the other car) and her passenger and the child in the car were shaken but hopefully ok. All 5 have gone off to hospital. We had the world's supply of police and ambulances (including the NW air ambulance)arrive.

Hopefully everyone is ok.

Just thought i'd share it with you.

John.

what would scooby do

Compulsory re-tests every 5 years is the solution.. + make test twice as hard..

Chip

Cue pslewis

Chip.

David Lock

Is he still allowed to drive?

ajm

I've had 2 or 3 close shaves with the blue rinses. The worst was a little old lady who pulled out from the left on a mini roundabout. She had a fearful gaze that was fixed straight ahead almost as if she daren't check to see if anything was coming. She went straight OVER the top of the mini roundabout infront of me and off up the road the other side as if nothing had happened, leaving me and a few other cars at the roundabout with expressions on our faces and brown pants!

Look out for that gaze, it will give you precious extra milliseconds!

milo

would definitely agree with this for everyone, regardless of age.

i dunno when tests were introduced, but i thought some old folks got their licenses before even having to do a test, and they're still driving now.

Buzzer

I have to admit that more often or not it is retired people that cause grief on the roads.

Somehow you seem to be able to spot them from great distances as they trundle along. I would be up for compulsory re-tests for old dears at retirement age.

Short story............................

When i lived at home there was an old dear who lived opposite, a widow in fact, i would say she was around 70 years old. She bought a brand spanking new Metro after chopping in a Honda Accord. Whenever i was out and about i used to see her screaming down the road at 6000rpm IN FIRST I couldn't believe that everywhere she went she screamed down the road, smoke bellowing, engine screaming just to see her doing around 15mph.

After a couple of weeks i was passing to go to the boozer and she was getting in her car, we smiled at each other but i couldnt hold it in, i had to ask her whether she was having trouble with the car. She replied that after having a 2.0 L Honda Accord and then buying a 1.0 L Metro, was a great disappointment as the Honda was quicker and faster and the Metro was slow as it was a 1.0 L.

As soon as i poked my head inside the car, there it was MANUAL TRANSMISSION

Stueyb

We had one today go the wrong way down a one way system and ended up in burgerkings drive through - I KID YOU NOT !! She had no idea what was going on, the old dear needed sorting

workshy_fopp

Ability to drive is directly related to wearing a hat inside a car, be it a tweed pork pie hat or a baseball cap
As soon as my old man got a hat at 68 he lost it. I remember being in the car with him when he drove through a red light, then realised what he'd done and slammed on the anchors leaving us right in the danger zone, rather than flooring it and getting the **** out of there

fatherpierre

Re-test @60 and every 5 yrs thereafter.

My ex's Grandfather was a pile-up waiting to happen. He'd happily just slam on the brakes in moving traffick when looking for a street, and then sit there to read his A to Z with the queue building up behind him.

He died in a head on collision 4 yrs ago. He was overtaking on a blind hill summit and met a truck.

Serious.

Luckily he was on his own at the time, and the other driver was unhurt.

He just slowed down with age but didn't realise it. He was only mid 60s when he died.

douglasb

I haven't checked this, but I'm pretty sure that it was around 1935. I think that there was a minimum age of 16, so if I am approximately correct then nobody born after the First World War can be on the road without a driving test pass. There can't be many people over the age of 86 still driving.

Doug

jaf01uk

We had to position our car into the right lane of a dual carriageway at a roundabout to stop an old geezer from turning up the wrong side, he was looking for a side road which was the next exit!! The consequenses could have been horrendous, at first he didnt realise what we were doing blocking his exit until it clicked and he laughed and pointed at the side road on the left and continued merrily on his way Came onto a blind bit of dual carriageway on the A9 last summer and was confronted by a Fiesta driving the wrong way! she must have driven at least 1/2 a mile from the nearest "Works Traffic" slip road It's the poor bu**ers they hit I feel sorry for, you would think that a few scares like that would make them pack it in?
Gary

ajm

Its not just old people though, I have seen some truly awful displays of foreigners driving too! Was coming off the M40 up the slip road to see a cortina full of asians heading downwards towards me! No amount of flashing could disuade them, so god knows what happened when they got to the bottom.

The layout of the roundabout was such that they must have almost done a 3 point turn to get down that way!

john_s

iTrader: (1)

Just thought i'd add that i've had a phone call from the preganant lady this morning, who said she and baby and her sister are ok but badly bruised, and the little girl is fine. Apparently neither of them can remember much about the accident at the moment.

Got plod coming round this afternoon to take a statement.

John.

jaf01uk

Thats good news, hope they hang the offender out to dry, make an example of them, the "drive at 45 club" are worse offenders than those who speed in my view, at least the speeder tends to be taking a bit of notice of the road not looking at the scenery?

Leslie

I must say that I also find also find the behaviour of so many younger drivers is particularly dangerous. I mean those who feel like racing with their friends even in built up areas with no thought for the safety of anyone else. There is also those who drive along trying to overtake everything in sight and upsetting the other drivers who are behaving themselves. Especially when they are "staircasing" through the traffic chopping in front of other people and often forcing them to brake heavily. There are those who imagine they are God's gift and drive at silly speeds and go round blind corners on the bitter edge. Like that man the other day who overtook a line of traffic at around 90 mph and hit a woman coming the other way on a blind bend! His son was killed and the woman and her child were hurt. Of course there are always those who feel they have to do a GP start at every traffic light. I have to include those who drive at double the speed limit on motorways and overtake on the left hand side because they don't feel like slowing down for another car who might be overtaking at legal speeds. Its amazing how many younger drivers have pulled out into me when I have been on my motor bike because they don't look properly.

The point is that the public roads are not meant for competitive driving and gross speeding can be very dangerous in todays crowded conditions. The sort of behaviour I decribed is not indulged in by older drivers usually for reasons of commonsense and respect for others. Thats probably why insurance premiums are so high for the younger drivers who are judged on past experience to be most susceptible to causing accidents. if older drivers feel that they are happier driving slowly then they have a perfect right to do so, it is not illegal. Those of us who are younger should be prepared to show a bit of patience and respect and take extra care around them. Its not difficult to do after all. If you feel you have to show everyone how good you are behind a wheel, then put your money where your mouth is and go on some track days. You might of course get a bit of a shock when you really see what fast driving is about!

No one more than me likes to use the performance of his Scooby, but there is a place and a time. Crowded roads are not the right place. when the traffic is very light,say in the middle of the night, then there is a chance to enjoy your car without frightening others and to remain within the law.

Anyone can make a mistake,young or old so it is unfair to lay it all at the feet of the older driver.

Worth remembering that age will eventually catch up with us all too!

Les

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

the problem will get worse with a rapidly ageing population

RussBoy

I'm pleased the lady's family are all ok John S.

About a week ago I was in a lay-by buying flowers for the missus () off the very busy and sometimes VERY fast 'Caterham by pass' and saw a old chap in a Metro suddenly brake so hard (from 40mph....) in the fast lane I was convinced someone had ran out in front of him. Once stopped he calmly indicated left, waited for a car in the inside lane to pass (about 60mph), and then pulled across the carraigeway to the lay-by (obviously wanting to buy flowers too).

Meanwhile, an Astra travelling at what looked to be about the national speed limit for that road had to emegency stop behind the old guy (brakes and tyres smoking in the process) and then a car or two after him did the same. The Astra then realised what the old bloke was doing (i.e hadn't stopped for a kid running out etc. but instead for a bunch of daffs...) and bibbed him. The old bloke then gave him the 'finger' obviously oblivious to the pile up he'd nearly caused...

Now, what makes me really pi$$ed off is that as a diabetic (I'm 32 by the way) I have just had normal my licence revoked and been issued with a 3 year version (if you use insulin this is standard procedure). Now, I am meticulous with watching my sugar balance plus I have never driven under the influence of drink or drugs yet I am penalised for medical reasons. Drunks meanwhile can go back on the roads after a year's ban etc. and old fools like this one can roam freely at will causing all sort's of carnage....

My suggestion? 3 year renewable licences to all those over 70 as well - that's not an 'anti oap' statement as I think anyone who has potentially driven for 50+ years should be checked to ensure they still meet current standards anyway.

Just to balance the scales slightly, I totally agree with Leslie re: us all getting old etc. and young inexperienced cocky drivers also being a pain on the roads at times....


Russ

john_s

iTrader: (1)

Plod took a statement off me. Afterwards he said he's going to recommend that the CPS takes no action if the old lady agrees to surrender her driving licence.

John.

Mice_Elf

Had one example today of shocking driving. Very narrow lanes in Moseley, 2 in either direction. Traffic was blocked up and I stopped outside the yellow grid box. Lady who was indicating in Lane 2 coming towards me started to turn right - so across my nose to my left.

Suddenly, Boy Wonder in his Honda Accord flew past me on my left and anchored up 2 cars length on the other side of the yellow box. Meanwhile lady turning had slammed on the brakes causing the 2CV behind her to slam on (must have been bare milimetres between their bumpers) and start yelling abuse at her.

=shakes head=

OllyK

Ahh but they do that 40mph everywhere, in a 30mph, past schools, through Tesco car park. It's just they can't get to grip with the cruise control!

But yup these people annoy me as well!!

kend

I do a lot of emergency response driving.
I particularly agree with the use of the hat as a warning to other road users. I am extremely careful when approaching a car with hat wearer driving, as the chance of a sudden slamming on of the anchors in blind panic seems very high.

Miceelf: Bad driving / too fast for conditions particularly prevalent around Moseley. Between Wake Green Road , and Yardley Wood Road there have been 6 or 7 fatal RTAs in the last couple of years.

Nick100

PMSL @ kend - never thought of the hat that way before - normally just

Douglasb - don't you believe it - they're all down here in retirement-ville on the south coast - just wait for a few flakes of snow and it's 10mph everywhere.

As OllyK said - they do constant speed everywhere - normally 35 in a 40, then 35 still when they go in to a 30.

I've had them gradually slow down and stop in the middle of a road to admire the view - normally find getting really close behind and a quick blast on the horn wakes them up.

And as for the ones pulling across in front of you - normally following someone else. It happened again yesterday on a de-restricted road but over a bridge so poor visibility, so I was doing about 45+. Someone pulled across in front of me to go in to a side road with plenty of space and easy to see. Then grandad and grandma decide they should follow regardless of the fact that I am now about 10 meters from them not 100m as the first guy. So full on the brakes and the horn and missed them by about 1m. Grandma's eyes did light up a bit in the passenger seat, I have to say.

Several times had them pull out of a side road (scenic route or the likes !) where they have been happily doing 20mph, on to a de-restricted road where I am doing 60 and they then carry on doing 20 !! They look, see you are more than 10 meters away and assume your doing 20mph as well and they've got plenty of time.

No hope for them - retest every few years - and I would suggest that is for everyone not just the olds - I'm surprised the government hasn't seen that as a new revenue stream yet and additional tax for motorists - perhaps I should be quiet.

andypugh2000

sorry don't agree with the hat, I wear a flat cap to and from work for a laugh and drive like colin mcrae the looks i get are amazing

OllyK

Had a nice one a few weeks back. Single carriage way, old dear in front of me, another car in front of her. Car in front of the biddie indicates to turn right in to his drive (in a village at this point). Old dear just pulls out and overtakes him with oncoming traffic. Horns from all directions and looks of amazement as she bibbled on oblivious to it all.

Buzzer

I'm very concious of taking away the freedom of movement to old people as they have a right to use the highway as much as the next person but i do believe the government should encourage proper driving practise.

Theres a lot of money re-couped from the road fund license (that old nutshell) and i think this should be put to good use by giving OAP's a free test. If they pass then cool no probs just do another one 3 years later and so on. If the old dear fails then they should be given 'X' amount of free lessons and then re-tested. If they pass then another 3 years until another. If they fail then they have to re-apply and fund their own lessons until they pass or they simply say bo11ocks to it and walk everywhere.

The cost could be kept down on the 'free' tests and lessons if it was compulsory to use the OAP's car and that way they could even get a free inspection aswell

Steaming Wizard

A couple of points.

I have witnessed an old dear go round the wrong side of a roundabout on a dual carriageway, took the right exit, but in the wrong direction. She was driving in her left hand lane, which was in fact the fast lane for all the approching traffic. After half a mile of driving alongside her, in the fast lane of the correct carriageway, horn blasting much hand waving from all in my car, she eventually spotted what she had done wrong. Was very scary to witness.

second thing, a lecturer of mine at college reckoned that he got his license without having to take a test, while he was in the army, stationed in the far east somewhere during WWII. Don't know how true it is, but does make you wonder.

I agree totally with the complusory testing over the age of 60

Dracoro

Please bear in mind that it's NOT a right to drive. It's a privilege that we are licenced to do once we pass our driving test. It's a pity that a proper scheme of driver testing as we get older isn't in place. Most old people who become unfit to drive (we probably all will be at some point as we get older) realise that they can't drive as they should (and to their credit they sensibly stop which must be a hard decision to take as it's removing much of their independance)and thankfully these are the majority. However there'll always be ones that will carry on regardless (as there will be young idiots on the road who will refuse to drive properly). It's down to the powers that be and the police to police the roads and create safer roads. Unfortunately there's less and less of them on the roads (and we all know why, ££££ + scameras etc.) and therefore the driving standards on our roads will continue to deteriorate.