Still driving at 97 years old? (1 Viewer)

[Otis]

So, firstly, I have no idea how he is still alive at 97. All that dancing across the chimney pots in Mary Poppins does me in, even just watching it.

And secondly, do they really still allow people to drive at that age?



What's the law over here? Is there a limit in the UK?

 

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[Boosh]

I think you should have to retake your test once you’re 50 and then retest every few years. The standard of their driving is incredibly dangerous

 

[SAJ]

I think you should have to retake your test once you’re 50 and then retest every few years. The standard of their driving is incredibly dangerous

It’s not just their driving everyone should have to do a re test every 5 years.

 

[JAM See]

The geezer's got a flying car! Of course he's gonna have the odd mishap.

Leave him alone.

 

[hill83]

My grandad has just moved back from France for good and stopped driving. He used to drive there and back. He’s 93.

 

[skybluejelly]

So, firstly, I have no idea how he is still alive at 97. All that dancing across the chimney pots in Mary Poppins does me in, even just watching it.

And secondly, do they really still allow people to drive at that age?

View attachment 28799

What's the law over here? Is there a limit in the UK?

Driving licence expires at age 70 in uk , then renewable every 3 years with doctors approval

 

[SAJ]

Driving licence expires at age 70 in uk , then renewable every 3 years with doctors approval

You don’t need a doctors approval. DVLA send out a form you complete it send it back and get another3 years.

 

[Flying Fokker]

Driving licence expires at age 70 in uk , then renewable every 3 years with doctors approval

Also, self declaration. I had a relative who delighted in showing me his renewed license at 83. I’d spent a lot of useless hot air telling him he was unsafe. He applied for three year renewal. I witnessed him driving along the A46 at 30 miles an hour. My son had to drive him home once we’d flagged him down.

‘How are you doing George? You know this road’s really busy at this time of day?’

’Not t’ bad, just taking my time, it‘s raining and dark.’

I got to the point where I let all his tyres down when he’d had a prolonged period in hospital.

 

[napolimp]

Also, self declaration. I had a relative who delighted in showing me his renewed license at 83. I’d spent a lot of useless hot air telling him he was unsafe. He applied for three year renewal. I witnessed him driving along the A46 at 30 miles an hour. My son had to drive him home once we’d flagged him down.

‘How are you doing George? You know this road’s really busy at this time of day?’

’Not t’ bad, just taking my time, it‘s raining and dark.’

I got to the point where I let all his tyres down when he’d had a prolonged period in hospital.

It's absolutely ridiculous sometimes, the government needs to sort it out.

I was driving up The Chesils a few months ago, and was behind a car meandering across the road at 20mph repeatedly almost colliding with oncoming traffic several times. Took them a full 2 minutes to turn onto Baginton Road, and then stopped at Leamington Road junction refusing to pull out. In the end I had to get out and go up to the window thinking it was a drunk driver, it was a 80 something y/o man who looked absolutely scared s**tless.

I definitely think everyone over a certain age should have to retake their driving test, as I can only assume indicators didn't exist in the 80's/90's.

 

[Saddlebrains]

Personally if i was in power id say at 70 thats it, no more driving, free bus travel and train travel around the local county

Also would raise the driving test age to 21.

The biggest section of incompetent drivers and complete speed obsessed pricks is the u21 bracket and over 70 bracket for me.

Remove that demographic from the roads and watch the accident stats drop like a stone

May i also add if i was in power everyone wearing a manbag, playing music in public transport without headphones, and convicted nonses would be shot on sight so its probs too harsh

 

[Sick Boy]

Personally if i was in power id say at 70 thats it, no more driving, free bus travel and train travel around the local county

Also would raise the driving test age to 21.

The biggest section of incompetent drivers and complete speed obsessed pricks is the u21 bracket and over 70 bracket for me.

Remove that demographic from the roads and watch the accident stats drop like a stone

May i also add if i was in power everyone wearing a manbag, playing music in public transport without headphones, and convicted nonses would be shot on sight so its probs too harsh

Utter shite.

 

[TomRad85]

Personally if i was in power id say at 70 thats it, no more driving, free bus travel and train travel around the local county

Also would raise the driving test age to 21.

The biggest section of incompetent drivers and complete speed obsessed pricks is the u21 bracket and over 70 bracket for me.

Remove that demographic from the roads and watch the accident stats drop like a stone

May i also add if i was in power everyone wearing a manbag, playing music in public transport without headphones, and convicted nonses would be shot on sight so its probs too harsh

Happy 70th! Now instead of sticking your shopping in your car boot we're going to make you lumber around buses with it.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[SAJ]

Personally if i was in power id say at 70 thats it, no more driving, free bus travel and train travel around the local county

Also would raise the driving test age to 21.

The biggest section of incompetent drivers and complete speed obsessed pricks is the u21 bracket and over 70 bracket for me.

Remove that demographic from the roads and watch the accident stats drop like a stone

May i also add if i was in power everyone wearing a manbag, playing music in public transport without headphones, and convicted nonses would be shot on sight so its probs too harsh

The thing is you ask any age group who are the worst drivers and it’s always an age that isn’t what they are.
The reality is every age group has shit drivers. That’s the reason why you can’t say by a certain age people shouldn’t drive.
It should be determined by taking another test, not like the test to see if you can drive when you start, it should be a full hour test on a variety of roads to see if you are competent on all road types. If you fail then you either have take take some form of driving tuition and pass another practical test within a time period say 6 months. If you again fail you lose your licence or if you choose not to have the tuition you lose your license.

 

[skybluejelly]

You don’t need a doctors approval. DVLA send out a form you complete it send it back and get another3 years.

yep sorry i thinking of if you want to retain your d1 entitlement .(force of habit )

 

[Flying Fokker]

Personally if i was in power id say at 70 thats it, no more driving, free bus travel and train travel around the local county

Also would raise the driving test age to 21.

The biggest section of incompetent drivers and complete speed obsessed pricks is the u21 bracket and over 70 bracket for me.

Remove that demographic from the roads and watch the accident stats drop like a stone

May i also add if i was in power everyone wearing a manbag, playing music in public transport without headphones, and convicted nonses would be shot on sight so its probs too harsh

Can we hold you to that? Do you have a license and are you willing to hand it in?

 

[Flying Fokker]

The thing is you ask any age group who are the worst drivers and it’s always an age that isn’t what they are.
The reality is every age group has shit drivers. That’s the reason why you can’t say by a certain age people shouldn’t drive.
It should be determined by taking another test, not like the test to see if you can drive when you start, it should be a full hour test on a variety of roads to see if you are competent on all road types. If you fail then you either have take take some form of driving tuition and pass another practical test within a time period say 6 months. If you again fail you lose your licence or if you choose not to have the tuition you lose your license.

Oh ye…. There are some right Narbs on the road nowadays.

 

[Ian1779]

Personally if i was in power id say at 70 thats it, no more driving, free bus travel and train travel around the local county

Also would raise the driving test age to 21.

The biggest section of incompetent drivers and complete speed obsessed pricks is the u21 bracket and over 70 bracket for me.

Remove that demographic from the roads and watch the accident stats drop like a stone

May i also add if i was in power everyone wearing a manbag, playing music in public transport without headphones, and convicted nonses would be shot on sight so its probs too harsh

The Venn Diagram of incompentent drivers and BMW owners is a perfect circle.

 

[Saddlebrains]

Can we hold you to that? Do you have a license and are you willing to hand it in?

Im 32 mate id happily hand it in at 70, I've never met 1 person in their 70s that can drive properly.

Way under the speed limit, spacial awareness dog shit, positioning dog shit, cant see the lane markings or road signs properly i could go on

Same with little pricks who pass at 17 18 etc. Drive like their Lewis Hamilton to try and impress the slags in the motors with them in the hope of a blowy

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Got in the car with my Grandma when she was in early onset dementia around 2005 (we didn't really know at the time). I was about 13, her maybe 70, and she managed to go through two red lights on kamikaze Island by Coventry Airport.

Cars swerving and slamming on breaks everywhere. How we didn't crash was a total fluke. She had no idea we had just played live dodgems, and when I told her she had gone through two red lights she got angry with me and told me I was wrong.

People lose competence at different ages, and for different reasons, but that really opened my eyes.

 

[napolimp]

Got in the car with my Grandma when she was in early onset dementia around 2005 (we didn't really know at the time). I was about 13, her maybe 70, and she managed to go through two red lights on kamikaze Island by Coventry Airport.

Cars swerving and slamming on breaks everywhere. How we didn't crash was a total fluke. She had no idea we had just played live dodgems, and when I told her she had gone through two red lights she got angry with me and told me I was wrong.

People lose competence at different ages, and for different reasons, but that really opened my eyes.

That's weird, I had pretty similar experience but with my Grandad. Was about 13, he was late 60's with early onset dementia, drove straight through a row of cones on the side of the road. Just kept knocking them over one after another.

 

[napolimp]

Personally if i was in power id say at 70 thats it, no more driving, free bus travel and train travel around the local county

Also would raise the driving test age to 21.

The biggest section of incompetent drivers and complete speed obsessed pricks is the u21 bracket and over 70 bracket for me.

Remove that demographic from the roads and watch the accident stats drop like a stone

May i also add if i was in power everyone wearing a manbag, playing music in public transport without headphones, and convicted nonses would be shot on sight so its probs too harsh

Disagree, most a**eholes will always be a**eholes, regardless of age.

 

[SAJ]

Im 32 mate id happily hand it in at 70, I've never met 1 person in their 70s that can drive properly.

Way under the speed limit, spacial awareness dog shit, positioning dog shit, cant see the lane markings or road signs properly i could go on

Same with little pricks who pass at 17 18 etc. Drive like their Lewis Hamilton to try and impress the slags in the motors with them in the hope of a blowy

Think this proves my point entirely. Apparently the only good drivers are 32 year olds.
How many 70 year olds have you actually got in a car with?

 

[nicksar]

Im 32 mate id happily hand it in at 70, I've never met 1 person in their 70s that can drive properly.

Way under the speed limit, spacial awareness dog shit, positioning dog shit, cant see the lane markings or road signs properly i could go on

Same with little pricks who pass at 17 18 etc. Drive like their Lewis Hamilton to try and impress the slags in the motors with them in the hope of a blowy

When you hit 70 your opinion will change...for sure.I would also guess at the ripe old age of 32 you have probably not had many close friends (or relatives) killed in head on car crashes?,I've had three close friends who have been killed in head on A road crashes whilst travelling to or from work,they were all in their 30's...older drivers are more careful/cautious for lots of reasons it's not always incompetence.

 

[Sick Boy]

The closest I’ve ever come to a head on collision was with someone around 30-40 who lost control of his car and ended up on the other side of the road.

 

[Sick Boy]

Got in the car with my Grandma when she was in early onset dementia around 2005 (we didn't really know at the time). I was about 13, her maybe 70, and she managed to go through two red lights on kamikaze Island by Coventry Airport.

Cars swerving and slamming on breaks everywhere. How we didn't crash was a total fluke. She had no idea we had just played live dodgems, and when I told her she had gone through two red lights she got angry with me and told me I was wrong.

People lose competence at different ages, and for different reasons, but that really opened my eyes.

I had to renew my license recently and had to see a doctor as part of it and I’m only in my late 30s. I don’t think there’s anything like that in the UK, even for older drivers?

 

[Saddlebrains]

Think this proves my point entirely. Apparently the only good drivers are 32 year olds.
How many 70 year olds have you actually got in a car with?

Where did i say all good driver are 32 you Lemsip?

You've literally made that up, I'm saying the very old and the very young are the most dangerous drivers on the roads.

And 4 over 70s in the past, 1 was OK, the other 3 thought that driving around at 15mph everywhere wasnt dangerous and that lanes were optional

 

[SAJ]

Where did i say all good driver are 32 you Lemsip?

You've literally made that up, I'm saying the very old and the very young are the most dangerous drivers on the roads.

And 4 over 70s in the past, 1 was OK, the other 3 thought that driving around at 15mph everywhere wasnt dangerous and that lanes were optional

So if the 8 million people aged 70 or over your opinion is based on 4 drivers. Hardly scientific is it.
I go back to my original point there are shit drivers and good drivers at every age. The test should be based on competence not age. My Daughter in law is the same age as you and she’s a poor driver at best. Doesn’t mean in my view all 30 year olds are shit drivers.

 

[nicksar]

I had to renew my license recently and had to see a doctor as part of it and I’m only in my late 30s. I don’t think there’s anything like that in the UK, even for older drivers?

There are numerous health conditions that need to be reported to the DVLA in the UK,I think most people swerve reporting them tbh?
Another thing worth a mention,I spent many years of my working life in vehicle engine development so had to road test/drive cycle prototype vehicles,had to do an advanced driver's course before getting a "JLR" driving licence...learnt a lot on that course and would recommend a similar course for all driver's.

 

[Saddlebrains]

So if the 8 million people aged 70 or over your opinion is based on 4 drivers. Hardly scientific is it.
I go back to my original point there are shit drivers and good drivers at every age. The test should be based on competence not age. My Daughter in law is the same age as you and she’s a poor driver at best. Doesn’t mean in my view all 30 year olds are shit drivers.

I still stand by it, the youngest drivers and the oldest drivers are the most dangerous

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Where did i say all good driver are 32 you Lemsip?

You've literally made that up, I'm saying the very old and the very young are the most dangerous drivers on the roads.

And 4 over 70s in the past, 1 was OK, the other 3 thought that driving around at 15mph everywhere wasnt dangerous and that lanes were optional

Statistically you are right.

I'll admit that when my grandparents started to get into their 70's their driving starting getting a bit scary and eventually they had to give up, but it was a hell of a fight to get them to do it. I guess it's that to admit it is an admission of their age and the inevitable steady decline that will come with it. Also losing a car will also mean losing an element of their independence because they then become dependent on public transport or the expense of taxis. The other option is becoming more reliant on family members or friends, which some don't have the option of and others don't want to feel like a burden.

But at the same time I don't think you can just say "70 and that's it." We had a family friend who I felt perfectly safe in a car with as he was approaching 80.

I'm all for having to prove your competency every so often (regardless of age) rather than the current form filling to get it renewed.

As for youngsters, again I don't think you can say at 17/18 they're going to drive like a prick but at 21 they won't.

I didn't drive like that when I passed at 18, and most of my friends didn't. A few did, some due to peer pressure with friends in the car and others just because they were over-confident, but a lot of the latter were still driving like that well past the age of 21 - probably until nearer 30 and some beyond that. I'd say the biggest thing that changed most of them was having kids.

So do we say no-one can drive until they've got kids? Should girls be allowed to drive at 18 and boys not because boys are more statistically likely to drive like dickheads?

 

[SAJ]

I still stand by it, the youngest drivers and the oldest drivers are the most dangerous

I’m in no doubt you are correct in that statement which is supported by the insurance industry in that premiums start to rise once you get to 80 and are most expensive for novice drivers. But it still doesn’t mean all 70+ year olds should be taken off the road just because of age.

 

[richnrg]

Apparently he took his eyes of the road for a second whilst reaching for a toot-sweet in the glove compartment

 

[Otis]

Have to say, I am now in my 60's and my reflexes definitely aren't what they used to be. You do slow and your reactions aren't quite as quick.

It is interesting to note, I am on trains all the time. Sometimes 3 or 4 trains a day and I have heard a few older people say they don't drive anymore, or a lot less.

There was a group a couple of weeks ago and 3 of them said that they pretty much gave up driving around the age of 70. They still drove, but very, very rarely.

We do need to retest people I think after a certain age.

 

[Grendel]

I had to renew my license recently and had to see a doctor as part of it and I’m only in my late 30s. I don’t think there’s anything like that in the UK, even for older drivers?

That’s not standard for Italian citizens surely?

 

[Sick Boy]

That’s not standard for Italian citizens surely?

Yes, it is.