[Niamh.]

Youtube video

[kirklancaster]

This is so hilarious it almost obscures the fact that the old duffer is a danger to himself and others when he's behind a wheel.

I really think there should be more stringent examinations for elderly drivers. After all a car is a potential lethal weapon.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by kirklancaster

This is so hilarious it almost obscures the fact that the old duffer is a danger to himself and others when he's behind a wheel.

I really think there should be more stringent examinations for elderly drivers. After all a car is a potential lethal weapon.

It really is, I know this video is quite funny but seriously, there could have been a child walking through the car park in his path as easily

[Pete.]

#StopGaryBusey

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Petemitch

#StopGaryBusey

No - that was actually funny.

[Toy Soldier]

Very common problem with elderly drivers is that their blood sugar levels drop suddenly and then it will basically be as though they've had a liter of whiskey. I've seen a video from a trucker's dashboard camera where he's driving behind a car that's weaving around all over the road and into oncoming traffic (the video is actually hilarious because the trucker has a very strong Scottish accent; "Whooa whoooaaa! Whit the *** is this guy daein'?? He's pure mental! He's gonnae kill someone!!")

The trucker manages to block the car with his vehicle and force it to a stop at the side of the road. The comment with the video says that the driver wasn't drunk, but was an elderly man suffering from extremely low blood sugar. He basically had no idea where (or who) he was.

[Livia]

Incidents involving elderly drivers always make the news followed by calls for more stringent tests and restrictions. The truth is that 18-24 year olds are FAR more likely to be involved in an accident than elderly drivers and yet we rarely hear calls for more stringent tests for them, or for raising the legal driving age.

[T*]

Livia I would like to drive when i'm 17 dont break this for me </3

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Livia

Incidents involving elderly drivers always make the news followed by calls for more stringent tests and restrictions. The truth is that 18-24 year olds are FAR more likely to be involved in an accident than elderly drivers and yet we rarely hear calls for more stringent tests for them, or for raising the legal driving age.

I was only posting it for the amusing video But seriously, nothing worse then getting stuck behind a 90 year old micra driver.........don't lie

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Tom!

Livia I would like to drive when i'm 17 dont break this for me </3

You'll be fine Tom, even if they did raise the age for driving it'd take years to implement.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Livia

Incidents involving elderly drivers always make the news followed by calls for more stringent tests and restrictions. The truth is that 18-24 year olds are FAR more likely to be involved in an accident than elderly drivers and yet we rarely hear calls for more stringent tests for them, or for raising the legal driving age.

In most of those cases though it is recklessness and bad driving to blame; it's preventable and more about instilling good practices and road awareness. In a lot of older drivers there is an issue over people losing their faculties as they age which can't be helped, so I don't see any harm in occasional checks to ensure that people are still in good condition to drive a car as they get older

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I was only posting it for the amusing video But seriously, nothing worse then getting stuck behind a 90 year old micra driver.........don't lie

Awww you thought this was Chat and Games... bless x

Oh no, it's maddening to get stuck behind Albert and Irene out for a Sunday jaunt in the Micra. But it's also annoying to have a teenager flash up behind you in his hot hatchback with the roaring engine (which usually turns out to be a hole in the exhaust), inches away from my beautiful car. In fact, get every other bugger off the road but a chosen few and driving would be a pleasure.

[AnnieK]

My dad had to physically remove my granddads car from him when he turned 90. He never drove over 27mph - ever, never checked his blind spots and actually never passed his test officially - he got a licence from the army. He prided himself on never having an accident or any points but it used to be sooo embarrassing being in the car with him - cyclists would often overtake him. My dad felt awful taking his car away but he really was a danger to other road users, he would also overreact and perform an emergency stop if another car on the road pressed their brakes - even a tiny bit. Oh...the main reason my dad took the car away was he was half blind because he also had severe cataracts but still claimed he could drive!

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Youtube video

.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Livia

Awww you thought this was Chat and Games... bless x

Oh no, it's maddening to get stuck behind Albert and Irene out for a Sunday jaunt in the Micra. But it's also annoying to have a teenager flash up behind you in his hot hatchback with the roaring engine (which usually turns out to be a hole in the exhaust), inches away from my beautiful car. In fact, get every other bugger off the road but a chosen few and driving would be a pleasure.

I do remember idiots at my school passing around an actual specific "tool" for putting holes in their exhausts to make their hairdrier-engine cars "roar" down the street. It was hilarious.

I do agree with MTVN though - a lot of the time, young drivers being dangerous drivers / in more accidents is down to them being careless, showing off, feeling invincible etc. rather than any actual inability to drive safely if they calmed down and put their minds to it. Also, other than that, a lot of accidents for young drivers are down to inexperience which often involves things like reversing into objects / understeering on corners and putting the car off the road (often into a ditch on a country road), usually resulting in a wrecked car but few injuries. When there are truly horrifically dangerous things going on causing horrible crashes it's usually down to recklessness as I said above - e.g. overtaking at 80mph on a blind corner, which is absolute madness. I was in a car with a friend who did it aged 18, narrowly avoided a head-on collision, I never got into a car with him again.

Occasionally with the elderly, as I said, they are simply medically unfit to be safe on the road, and completely unpredictable things can then happen (such as veering into oncoming traffic, or running red lights straight into a stream of cars). It's also something that can be really hard for people to admit to themselves - quite understandably - and I think it would be completely wrong to arbitrarily take away the right to drive at a certain age, so really having competency tests over a certain age is the only way to go.

[LukeB]

Reminds of my driving on Grand Theft Auto

[waterhog]

i no this driver - i was sitting in the passenger seat reading some poetry

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I do remember idiots at my school passing around an actual specific "tool" for putting holes in their exhausts to make their hairdrier-engine cars "roar" down the street. It was hilarious.

I do agree with MTVN though - a lot of the time, young drivers being dangerous drivers / in more accidents is down to them being careless, showing off, feeling invincible etc. rather than any actual inability to drive safely if they calmed down and put their minds to it. Also, other than that, a lot of accidents for young drivers are down to inexperience which often involves things like reversing into objects / understeering on corners and putting the car off the road (often into a ditch on a country road), usually resulting in a wrecked car but few injuries. When there are truly horrifically dangerous things going on causing horrible crashes it's usually down to recklessness as I said above - e.g. overtaking at 80mph on a blind corner, which is absolute madness. I was in a car with a friend who did it aged 18, narrowly avoided a head-on collision, I never got into a car with him again.

Occasionally with the elderly, as I said, they are simply medically unfit to be safe on the road, and completely unpredictable things can then happen (such as veering into oncoming traffic, or running red lights straight into a stream of cars). It's also something that can be really hard for people to admit to themselves - quite understandably - and I think it would be completely wrong to arbitrarily take away the right to drive at a certain age, so really having competency tests over a certain age is the only way to go.

Keep going T.S. With all these balanced, reasoned posts, I'm actually being converted to your fan club

Seriously, I know exactly what you mean when the immature idiots doctor their exhausts to make their 20 year old resprayed XR3i's sound like Ferrari's. It's the same with the cretins who 'burn rubber' when setting off or cornering. You know better than anyone that it all stems from massive inferiority complexes and gross immaturity.

Taking Liv's point on board, I never thought about bad young drivers being more numerous than bad old ones, but I agree.

I still think that the older a driver gets, the more frequent and stringent should be the re-testing of their abilities though.

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by waterhog

i no this driver - i was sitting in the passenger seat reading some poetry

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

My dad had to physically remove my granddads car from him when he turned 90. He never drove over 27mph - ever, never checked his blind spots and actually never passed his test officially - he got a licence from the army. He prided himself on never having an accident or any points but it used to be sooo embarrassing being in the car with him - cyclists would often overtake him. My dad felt awful taking his car away but he really was a danger to other road users, he would also overreact and perform an emergency stop if another car on the road pressed their brakes - even a tiny bit. Oh...the main reason my dad took the car away was he was half blind because he also had severe cataracts but still claimed he could drive!

Aw, Annie that's so endearing really. Poor old Grandad - he was refusing to concede his old age and wanted to prove he was still independent.

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by Petemitch

#StopGaryBusey

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Livia

Incidents involving elderly drivers always make the news followed by calls for more stringent tests and restrictions. The truth is that 18-24 year olds are FAR more likely to be involved in an accident than elderly drivers and yet we rarely hear calls for more stringent tests for them, or for raising the legal driving age.

This is twice now I've done a U turn after reading your posts. But I never thought about young drivers.

[arista]

Banned the pops from Driving

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Livia

Incidents involving elderly drivers always make the news followed by calls for more stringent tests and restrictions. The truth is that 18-24 year olds are FAR more likely to be involved in an accident than elderly drivers and yet we rarely hear calls for more stringent tests for them, or for raising the legal driving age.

but the difference is that 18-24 y/os are still learning and are going to improve their driving. A 92 y/o is not going to improve, he'll only get worse.

[Gstar]

this was actually me on Wednesday night trying to avoid human contact and get home in time for the eastenders repeat