Eyesight tests for elderly drivers

Quote from the end of the article:

"Drivers over 70 are expected to renew their licence every three years and include a declaration on their fitness."

No they're not! That's the problem!!

[northwind]

Last year I almost got run over when an ild guy in a Carina missed his turning and drove right over the traffic island I was on... The sort with ramps for crossing points. I swear, he never even realised what he'd done, and he only missed me because I jumped. A week later, the same guy was killed when he got confused and turned down a railway track at a level crossing. That's nothing to do with eyesight, it's just mental incapacity to drive, and that's a bit harder to test for.

OTOH, my grandad was still driving until his late 80s, and for most of that time he was fune, but then he became aware that he was having slight blackouts. He gave the car to my brother the next day. (coincidentally, my brother wrote it off 3 months later after going straight on when he should have gone right, and flying 20 feet into a field- that was mental incapacity to drive too )

I'd agree in principle that there should bemore testing, but I don't know how to make it work, is all- there's no easy, quick way to test for that sort of mental agility. I also reckon every driver should have to do an eye test every 10 years or so regardless of age- you need to be able to see to a set standard to learn to drive, why shouldn't the same be true afterwards.

Windy, I interpret this as hazard perception - if new drivers have to do a test, why not make more established ones do it too? There's a research paper on the DfT website which says the largest contributory causes of accidents are inattention and failure to anticipate. I don't know how to sort these issues though

[northwind]

That's a possibilty... But then, older folks are more likely to have problems with the computer testing methods. Still, not a bad suggestion.

PS Windy? F*** off!

Originally Posted by Sythree

Windy, I interpret this as hazard perception - if new drivers have to do a test, why not make more established ones do it too? There's a research paper on the DfT website which says the largest contributory causes of accidents are inattention and failure to anticipate. I don't know how to sort these issues though

A nice idea in theory, but if it ended up being anything like the current hazard theory test which is quite frankly useless, then it wouldn't accomplish much.

[embee]

As a slight aside, we do have some pretty stupid ancient rules about driving, like we are not required to carry a driving licence while driving (like what's the problem with that?) and also in many countries if you wear specs you must carry a spare pair when driving - seems sensible.

Maybe it's a civil liberties thing, like you should be at liberty to drive without a licence and not being able to see anything.

On the subject of rules/regulations, have a look here
http://www.publications.parliament.u...nd/cmam054.htm
for a taster of the kind of thing going on.

For example having to carry/wear Hi-vis clothing to be worn when out of a vehicle "not parked" i.e. at a breakdown

Also various bodies being able to specify lower speed limits for "all rural roads in an area"...........etc etc

In the various previous comments we have had heart/eyes and reaction times mentioned I have had heart surgery and couldn.t work in my own business for2 1/2 yrs My medical cost me £350 every three years just to prove to the DVLA,who have never seen me, asked me to attend one of thier doctors, that I'm fit to drive I have no objection to this but in addition I have a very good doctor who checks me out every 6months I think self declaration is unwise and EVERYBODY over 60 should have an medical before having their license issue for a further 5yrs and then yearly from 65 on
This would put strain on the general practitioner but surely a clinic nurse employed by the DVLA would be an honest and impartial judge providing they have the medical records of the individual
I'm sorry to say this but IMHO my own father 79 should not be driving and if my own license was revoked on medical grounds it would be for the saftey of the public and myself and I accept this

I don't want to say anything against what anyone else has said. It is a problem, but it is not easy.

The last time my father drove me, he was 80 then, someone pulled out on him and actually he avoided the accident but he was really shaken and flustered. I thought at that moment that I have got to do something about this and stop him driving. I didn't say anything then, why, because it was too difficult, it would have effected his and my mothers life too much, because I was a coward.

Two days later he was dead (nothing to do with driving) and I am ever so glad I never said anything.

I seriously think there is a problem with some elderly drivers, but I wonder whether this is anything like as serious as the problem of some lunatic younger drivers.

I think I just wanted to say that it is not easy. Sorry.

[northwind]

Sorry? What for? You said nothing that needs it... I'm incredibly glad my grandad hung up his driving hat (yes, he had a driving hat) without any pressure... I would have hated to have to tell him that he wasn't safe any more. It could only be harder with your dad. (Mine has become a terrible driver lately, just through overfamiliarity and overconfidence... we're trying very hard to get him to do some further training but even that's difficult, and it's a relatively minor thing.)

I think you're spot on about there being other problems, but even the mighty SV650.org can only put one thing to rights at a time

Originally Posted by Sythree

Windy, I interpret this as hazard perception - if new drivers have to do a test, why not make more established ones do it too? There's a research paper on the DfT website which says the largest contributory causes of accidents are inattention and failure to anticipate. I don't know how to sort these issues though

http://www.iam.org.uk ?

msr