Elderly drivers >:(

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cartoonhead

cartoonhead

Active Member
Posts
503
Location
Bucks
After having my 90 nearly written off due to bad driving by a elderly driver at the beginning of the year I was involved in another crash today.. Turning right at a round about in my mates car and a old lady hit me side on at 30mph, she didn't even brake.. She spun us 360 degrees and the back end the other side hit a lamp post, rear wheel came off..

Something has to be done, some sort of test to see that a person is still fit to be driving.. Fortunately no one was hurt yet again.

gujudasu.jpg
 
Sorry to hear about that mate, guessing its a write off.

Had problem today with some old bloke who just no spacial awareness and bought the road to a stand still for 10 mins as couldnt pull into a space twice the length of his motor.
 
takes 2 to tangle. But defensive driving and aware of what around is key. Just because you may, or have the right away, does not make it safe to proceed. I have had it many times where I have had the right of way, but then there is a nob and a WTF moment, with me giving up my right of way to avoid a collision. Collision avoidance is a key to safe driving also. 41 years NO ACCIDENTS...:D
 
Thor1950 said:
takes 2 to tangle. But defensive driving and aware of what around is key. Just because you may, or have the right away, does not make it safe to proceed. I have had it many times where I have had the right of way, but then there is a nob and a WTF moment, with me giving up my right of way to avoid a collision. Collision avoidance is a key to safe driving also. 41 years NO ACCIDENTS...:D
Click to expand...

Exactly the same for me but I did have several motorbike accidents between the age of 16 and 17, no other vehicles involved, just thought I could corner faster than the tyres of the time were capable of. :D:D
 
Thor1950 said:
takes 2 to tangle. But defensive driving and aware of what around is key. Just because you may, or have the right away, does not make it safe to proceed. I have had it many times where I have had the right of way, but then there is a nob and a WTF moment, with me giving up my right of way to avoid a collision. Collision avoidance is a key to safe driving also. 41 years NO ACCIDENTS...:D
Click to expand...

Right on. As the good motorcyclists say, there's no point being 'dead' right.
 
old people should most definatly take a retest at 65 or 70 I mean Christ my nan gets lost in her own house, take her to the local town and you have to ask her where she wants to go and say that way and she says I have lived here 13 years and I still don't know my way around here good job you know where your going and she is only 63 but time has not been kind to her internal sense of direction imagine her in a car good job she don't have a liscence
 
Sweeping statements , and generalization , I bet there are quite a few elderly drivers that are far better than your standard .:rolleyes:

I mean youve had two accidents , and they probably have only had one in the same period :)
 
tacr2man said:
Sweeping statements , and generalization , I bet there are quite a few elderly drivers that are far better than your standard .:rolleyes:

I mean youve had two accidents , and they probably have only had one in the same period :)
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2 Accidents in 10 months!

The last one I was tucked up in bed, a elderly man drove into my parked car on a arrow straight road with perfect driving conditions because he couldn't see he was practically blind didn't even touch the brakes same as this one!

I didn't even see the car I had already got round the roundabout and she flew into the side of me as i was exiting, no level of defensive driving could have prevented this..

And my driving is good :p
 
cartoonhead said:
And my driving is good :p
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I am pleased to hear this but are you so sure?

I am one of these 'elderly' drivers - no accidents, points, prosecutions etc. - but just to make sure that 'I was a good driver' when I turned 70 years of age, I arranged to do an IAM Drive 55+ which I passed with very high commendation. I did this because I was fed up with younger drivers assuming their rights to the road at all times and did wonder if driving rules had changed so much since I did my test in 1965. No, I was still correct, I was told, it is the youger driver who does not seem to appreciate what things like 'giving way' means, eg. using slip roads correctly when joing motorways and dual carriageways.

I live very rurally, in a place which gets many off-roaders / green laners driving between their chosen pathways and it is most disturbing to frequently see convoys of vehicles - mainly Land Rovers - driving along a) far too fast for the roads, and b) far too close together ie. nose to tail, with very little regard for others - pedestrians, cyclists, residents and weather conditions. A few years ago, even the Rally of Wales drivers had to be warned by the police, that driving between stages was on public highways and normal highway rules had to be adhered to or the consequences faced.

Statistically, i understand that it is NOT the elderly drivers who cause the most accident but the 'over-confident' ones who think they are 'good drivers'!!

I do agree that it seems a little silly never to have to prove driving conpetence once you have passed the driving test. Perhaps everyone should have to take some small test every 10/15 years or so, like those offered by IAM. Not to have their licences revoked but to show IF they have developed poor/dangerous habits and to be advised on what to do if necessary.

Some elderly drivers can be a hazzard at times, and in some cases, should not be driving but then, so are some younger drivers. I know someone who passed their test in 1973 after the 5th attempt and has never driven since BUT is legally entitled to do so!! Is this acceptable?
 
derwendolly said:
I am pleased to hear this but are you so sure?

I am one of these 'elderly' drivers - no accidents, points, prosecutions etc. - but just to make sure that 'I was a good driver' when I turned 70 years of age, I arranged to do an IAM Drive 55+ which I passed with very high commendation. I did this because I was fed up with younger drivers assuming their rights to the road at all times and did wonder if driving rules had changed so much since I did my test in 1965. No, I was still correct, I was told, it is the youger driver who does not seem to appreciate what things like 'giving way' means, eg. using slip roads correctly when joing motorways and dual carriageways.

I live very rurally, in a place which gets many off-roaders / green laners driving between their chosen pathways and it is most disturbing to frequently see convoys of vehicles - mainly Land Rovers - driving along a) far too fast for the roads, and b) far too close together ie. nose to tail, with very little regard for others - pedestrians, cyclists, residents and weather conditions. A few years ago, even the Rally of Wales drivers had to be warned by the police, that driving between stages was on public highways and normal highway rules had to be adhered to or the consequences faced.

Statistically, i understand that it is NOT the elderly drivers who cause the most accident but the 'over-confident' ones who think they are 'good drivers'!!

I do agree that it seems a little silly never to have to prove driving conpetence once you have passed the driving test. Perhaps everyone should have to take some small test every 10/15 years or so, like those offered by IAM. Not to have their licences revoked but to show IF they have developed poor/dangerous habits and to be advised on what to do if necessary.

Some elderly drivers can be a hazzard at times, and in some cases, should not be driving but then, so are some younger drivers. I know someone who passed their test in 1973 after the 5th attempt and has never driven since BUT is legally entitled to do so!! Is this acceptable?
Click to expand...

Don't worry I am sure :)

Don't assume that just because I don't consider myself elderly I am some 18 year old who races around town. I am always respectful towards cyclists and especially horse riders and always drive defensively.

I don't know the statistics but as I said 2 crashes in 10 moths that can only be put down to poor driving by people I don't consider up to the task says something to me..
 
cartoonhead said:
Don't worry I am sure :)

Don't assume that just because I don't consider myself elderly I am some 18 year old who races around town. I am always respectful towards cyclists and especially horse riders and always drive defensively.

I don't know the statistics but as I said 2 crashes in 10 moths that can only be put down to poor driving by people I don't consider up to the task says something to me..
Click to expand...

No, I am not even thinking of your circimstances, I am merely putting forward my experiences and suggesting possible ways of addressing the problems you perceive before they arise.
 
I would agree people should have to brush up on driving skills later in life. My car was written off by an elderly gentleman pulling onto the road and driving straight in to the side of me, I was doing 40mph luckily for me he wasn't!! The man pulled on to the road because his wife ( in the passenger seat) told him it was safe to go. Surely he should have double checked before pulling out I know I would have.
 
derwendolly said:
No, I am not even thinking of your circimstances, I am merely putting forward my experiences and suggesting possible ways of addressing the problems you perceive before they arise.
Click to expand...
;)
agree 100% matey.

a younger driver feels as confident as the next man,
but until you get some 50 plus years of experiance under your belt,
you have just not quite been there,
done that yet.
I have only (touch wood twice)
had accidents that are or have not been my fault thus resulting in a 100% claim payout, 3 times,
twice when I was working full time cabbing (taxi`ing) averedging 300 miles a night of east londons streets for over 2 years every night !!
the other time was when a single line of stopped traffic was made,
or tried to be made into an overtaking lane by a west Indian lady in a hurry.
err wrong !!

In between, I raced, minirods, anglia 1200 rods, bangers, F3 stock cars for 14 years very succesfully = I know how to crash, or avoid crashes to win, and I did win a lot !!!!

now, @65 I take it more easily in a car, my landie, or my motor scooter,
BUT, drive defencively, i.e. treat each barsteward on the road as they are/will/might attack me with there motor vehicle, just like racing bangers in the death & destruction darby`s = last man running is the winner = its like that on the roads today, in inner citys, outer citys, and any major route...
Now, I know lots of you dont live in very built up areas, but drive into any busy town and you`ll see just what I mean.......
phew....
 
I am also classed as elderly having just reached 65. I have safely ridden motorcycles since aged 16 and still do. Riding a bike makes you much more spatial than any car only driver.
What ever I drive Landie, RAV4 or Ford Focus I drive as if I am on my bike and every other bugger on the road wants to maim me.
Yes I have had big shunts in cars when I was rallying, that got expensive so I started long distance trials with the MCC. Smooth and gentle makes progress.
 
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