On the news, it said he often tried to sneak out on his own and avoid the security guards. The question should be WHY?
Perhaps the poor old sod just wants to feel normal. I'm not having any of it though. If I can't be king for a day, I don't want him being commoner for a day.
Some elderly drivers know when it is time to stop and other don't. It is difficult because driving is often about knowing your limitations and driving within them. So an older driver could be less likely to have an accident even though their reactions are not as good.
Having said that, there has to be a point where people are tested, maybe mid 80s. Not a driving test, but a capability to drive test. There are some people with dementia who don't have the understanding of what they can't do. I recall my Father in law thinking he still played football and kept asking where his car was when we had to get rid of it for his and others' safety.
Everybody has accidents though, so that isn't presuming teh Duke shouldn't drive, but at 97, it should be standard to make sure, he and others are safe!
My father had decent vision ahead but no peripheral vision. At roundabouts he'd aim for the apex, cutting up anyone outside him. Thankfully died from a stroke rather than a RTA.
On the news, it said he often tried to sneak out on his own and avoid the security guards. The question should be WHY?
Peace of mind/sanity I should imagine. It must be unbearable to have someone following your every move for the whole of your life. I wouldn't even want it for a day.
I learned to drive very late, 6 years ago, I was 30. I’d had some lessons when I was younger and didn’t really take to my instructor, so stopped. growing up in London I have access to decent public transport (comparatively speaking) and I was never into nor have ever been into cars.
I sold my car a few years ago because I needed too, and haven’t been back behind the wheel since. I may do again one day, but have never been that comfortable or confident with it. I’d say I’m just as big a risk as someone elderly. I think you need to be confident and competent when it comes to driving and I reckon so many people, despite passing their tests just aren’t good drivers, I put myself firmly in this category. This incident does raise some important questions as 97 is very elderly, but it’s very difficult to say, is there an absolute cut off point
My father had decent vision ahead but no peripheral vision. At roundabouts he'd aim for the apex, cutting up anyone outside him. Thankfully died from a stroke rather than a RTA.
What do you mean, he'd aim for the apex ? The apex is the highest point.
I think a capability test is a good idea. Not all mirror signal manoeuvre but if you get in the car with them and you are shit scared all the time, they have to fail.
Driving is about anticipation, specifically anticipating the most moronic, stupid thing the drivers around you will do.
Older drivers on occasion are a liability but no more so than the thousands of ignorant slugs sat in middle lanes of motorways and A roads nationwide I see daily. Genuine accidents waiting to happen.
Like most men, I class myself as a good driver, I pride myself on my awareness and dickhead radar.
Before we consider doing anything more about old people having driving licences as a nation we need to make those who drive whilst on the phone complete social pariahs much like we do with drink drivers.
Leave the oldies alone, they already have to reapply for their licence every 3 years any suggestion of retests is amusing but never going to happen in a month of Sunday's.
We live in a culture where the assumption is that any adult who wants to drive can do so. Sure, you have to pass a test but once you've done so that's it for life. Given that you can take the test however many times you like (money permitting), for some it's not so much a driving test but a test of determination and finances. The only people who don't drive are those with especially acute medical conditions and those with the honesty to say that it's not for them. I have the utmost respect for those people. I don't know what percentage of the population should be barred from driving, but seeing what I do on the roads it needs to be far higher than it is.
Driving is about anticipation, specifically anticipating the most moronic, stupid thing the drivers around you will do.
Older drivers on occasion are a liability but no more so than the thousands of ignorant slugs sat in middle lanes of motorways and A roads nationwide I see daily. Genuine accidents waiting to happen.
Like most men, I class myself as a good driver, I pride myself on my awareness and dickhead radar.
Before we consider doing anything more about old people having driving licences as a nation we need to make those who drive whilst on the phone complete social pariahs much like we do with drink drivers.
Leave the oldies alone, they already have to reapply for their licence every 3 years any suggestion of retests is amusing but never going to happen in a month of Sunday's.
But it's not a driving test they have to do, or anything relevant. If it's a major chronic condition, the licence won't be renewed, but GPs don't have time for a thorough examination of driving capability
In support of the Duke, one problem is that the junction is probably quite dangerous as it's a minor turn off from a private estate, rather than the main entrance. Maybe the Royal's should use the main entrance which presumably will have much better visibility for both them and other road users
We live in a culture where the assumption is that any adult who wants to drive can do so. Sure, you have to pass a test but once you've done so that's it for life. Given that you can take the test however many times you like (money permitting), for some it's not so much a driving test but a test of determination and finances. The only people who don't drive are those with especially acute medical conditions and those with the honesty to say that it's not for them. I have the utmost respect for those people. I don't know what percentage of the population should be barred from driving, but seeing what I do on the roads it needs to be far higher than it is.
Thankyou @Stig I failed 3 tests at 17 and realised it wasn't for me. I've got to 62 having never driven.
Put me a carbon fibre racing bike and that's another matter.
My father in law is 91. He only really drives to Tesco which is probably a 3 mile round trip at most (on a daily basis). In the last two years he nearly reversed into a woman in a wheelchair when coming off his drive and also had a minor prang in his road, the details of which he was very vague about (but his insurance went up after this.)
About 18 months ago was the last time I was in the car with him, lots of extremely heavy accelerator action for no reason, no signalling and generally lacking awareness of other road users. After which my wife vowed never again to go in the car with him at the wheel.
He is diabetic and about 6 months ago he had a hypo while at his local shops. He had to stagger along holding on to shop doorways and eventually asked a passerby to help him...........back to his car, after which he drove home.
He still talks about driving up the M5 to see us (150 miles each way) but thankfully he hasn’t driven this journey for about 12 years.
Road users and pedestrians of Barnstaple - beware!!
There are some pretty scary stories on here. I know that the conversation wouldn’t be easy but surely family need to find a way to get these people off the road.
Just think how you’d feel if they killed someone in an accident.
My stepfather drove happily at 90. 6 points on his licence, serves the old bugger right.
Actually, he is 90, doddery as hell, and has just decided to relinquish his Honda Jazz. He's been an awful driver for ten years at least, but his mileage last year was just over 100, and the garage that does his MoTs is twenty miles away. He practically stopped driving anyway after he drove out of his garage and straight into his neighbour's fence. Father of a friend of mine packed in at a similar age after he planted his i10 through the front of Sainsbury's.
Common to both these was that they'd driven manuals for years and switched to autos late on due to gammy legs, then crashed by pressing the accelerator rather than the brake.
Both of them drove for too long, but refused to relinquish that last vestige of independence until their prangs brought home to them what a risk they were.
I think statistics are important - are older drivers safer or more dangerous statistically? Most youngsters who have made their exhausts louder are dangerous and probably more of a risk. Not because their exhausts are louder, but the mentality they have behind it which is an immaturity. Pisses me off because my son has to pay higher insurance because of these a holes and they advertise themselves!
We live in a culture where the assumption is that any adult who wants to drive can do so. Sure, you have to pass a test but once you've done so that's it for life. Given that you can take the test however many times you like (money permitting), for some it's not so much a driving test but a test of determination and finances. The only people who don't drive are those with especially acute medical conditions and those with the honesty to say that it's not for them. I have the utmost respect for those people. I don't know what percentage of the population should be barred from driving, but seeing what I do on the roads it needs to be far higher than it is.
Thankyou @Stig I failed 3 tests at 17 and realised it wasn't for me. I've got to 62 having never driven.
Put me a carbon fibre racing bike and that's another matter.
I never got as far as taking a test. My spatial awareness is not exactly fantastic, so driving down narrow roads with cars parked both sides is incredibly stressful, and when I get flustered my left/right differentiation goes. I nearly quit after the time my instructor took me round the Catford one way system on a lesson, but the final straw was when I had to try to do a three point turn on a road with a pronounced camber, and nearly ended up driving into a wall because I got my feet mixed up while at 90 degrees to the usual road direction. Luckily it was a dual control car, so the instructor had to slam on the brakes, but after that I figured it was safest for all concerned if I stuck to public transport instead.
Of course another problem for many older drivers is that stopping driving would impact on so many aspects of their already restricted lives. Doing the shopping, seeing friends, getting to the doctors or hospital appointments, the chemist and simply being able to get out and about. Isolation is a real problem for many older people and I suspect this is a reason why so many continue to drive past the point when they should stop.
How do you tell them? Well I think you need to think about what you can do to help. It may mean being prepared to support them with some of the above activities - whilst recognising that pride may stop them from asking you.
I think statistics are important - are older drivers safer or more dangerous statistically? Most youngsters who have made their exhausts louder are dangerous and probably more of a risk. Not because their exhausts are louder, but the mentality they have behind it which is an immaturity. Pisses me off because my son has to pay higher insurance because of these a holes and they advertise themselves!
We live on an A road with a 30mph speed limit, but many drive at a much higher speed. The people who most frequently use excessive speed are young boy racers whose cars have modified exhausts. I saw one this morning and he must have been doing at least 50 mph.
My dad is 82 this year and together with my mother drove the 1.000 kms to visit us here in the south west of France this past Christmas. He is lucky enough to drive a 2 year old E class with all possible driver assistance systems and I know that helps in tight maneuvering situations. They live in a village where there are 2 buses a day (1 in the morning and 1 in the evening) and not having a car would severly impact on their quality of life and ability to get out and meet their friends, go shopping or go to the theatre. He hasn’t had a serious accident since passing his test at age 18 and has to pass a medical every 5 years. Personally, I don’t think that this is frequent enough!
Every driver should be retested periodically. Maybe every 5 years and then annually after 75. But this is only an uninformed opinion perhaps everyone should face annual retest. What do other countries do?
Currently there are about 1.8m tests a year in the U.K. Retesting every 5 years would require about 9m extra tests to the 45m license holders. So we need to add a huge number of qualified testers (that don’t exist) and test centers. Even a 10 year retest would be a significant investment.
There isn’t an easy answer to this. Any new laws only make sense if they can be enforced if you want it to be preventative.
Personally I don’t think you can stop people driving with no license and/or insurance.
In the US you need to renew your license every 10 years (in Mass. anyway). You have to do a vision test at the time, that include peripheral vision. Maybe they should include a knowledge test as well.
I’d support retesting for anyone found at fault in an accident.
Increase the penalty for driving without a license, but the bigger penalty should be driving without insurance.
Comments
Having said that, there has to be a point where people are tested, maybe mid 80s. Not a driving test, but a capability to drive test. There are some people with dementia who don't have the understanding of what they can't do. I recall my Father in law thinking he still played football and kept asking where his car was when we had to get rid of it for his and others' safety.
Everybody has accidents though, so that isn't presuming teh Duke shouldn't drive, but at 97, it should be standard to make sure, he and others are safe!
It must be unbearable to have someone following your every move for the whole of your life.
I wouldn't even want it for a day.
I sold my car a few years ago because I needed too, and haven’t been back behind the wheel since. I may do again one day, but have never been that comfortable or confident with it. I’d say I’m just as big a risk as someone elderly. I think you need to be confident and competent when it comes to driving and I reckon so many people, despite passing their tests just aren’t good drivers, I put myself firmly in this category. This incident does raise some important questions as 97 is very elderly, but it’s very difficult to say, is there an absolute cut off point
The apex is the highest point.
Older drivers on occasion are a liability but no more so than the thousands of ignorant slugs sat in middle lanes of motorways and A roads nationwide I see daily. Genuine accidents waiting to happen.
Like most men, I class myself as a good driver, I pride myself on my awareness and dickhead radar.
Before we consider doing anything more about old people having driving licences as a nation we need to make those who drive whilst on the phone complete social pariahs much like we do with drink drivers.
Leave the oldies alone, they already have to reapply for their licence every 3 years any suggestion of retests is amusing but never going to happen in a month of Sunday's.
In support of the Duke, one problem is that the junction is probably quite dangerous as it's a minor turn off from a private estate, rather than the main entrance. Maybe the Royal's should use the main entrance which presumably will have much better visibility for both them and other road users
I failed 3 tests at 17 and realised it wasn't for me. I've got to 62 having never driven.
Put me a carbon fibre racing bike and that's another matter.
About 18 months ago was the last time I was in the car with him, lots of extremely heavy accelerator action for no reason, no signalling and generally lacking awareness of other road users. After which my wife vowed never again to go in the car with him at the wheel.
He is diabetic and about 6 months ago he had a hypo while at his local shops. He had to stagger along holding on to shop doorways and eventually asked a passerby to help him...........back to his car, after which he drove home.
He still talks about driving up the M5 to see us (150 miles each way) but thankfully he hasn’t driven this journey for about 12 years.
Road users and pedestrians of Barnstaple - beware!!
Just think how you’d feel if they killed someone in an accident.
6 points on his licence, serves the old bugger right.
Actually, he is 90, doddery as hell, and has just decided to relinquish his Honda Jazz. He's been an awful driver for ten years at least, but his mileage last year was just over 100, and the garage that does his MoTs is twenty miles away. He practically stopped driving anyway after he drove out of his garage and straight into his neighbour's fence.
Father of a friend of mine packed in at a similar age after he planted his i10 through the front of Sainsbury's.
Common to both these was that they'd driven manuals for years and switched to autos late on due to gammy legs, then crashed by pressing the accelerator rather than the brake.
Both of them drove for too long, but refused to relinquish that last vestige of independence until their prangs brought home to them what a risk they were.
The chauffeur will of course be much younger!
How do you tell them? Well I think you need to think about what you can do to help. It may mean being prepared to support them with some of the above activities - whilst recognising that pride may stop them from asking you.
He is lucky enough to drive a 2 year old E class with all possible driver assistance systems and I know that helps in tight maneuvering situations.
They live in a village where there are 2 buses a day (1 in the morning and 1 in the evening) and not having a car would severly impact on their quality of life and ability to get out and meet their friends, go shopping or go to the theatre.
He hasn’t had a serious accident since passing his test at age 18 and has to pass a medical every 5 years. Personally, I don’t think that this is frequent enough!
There isn’t an easy answer to this. Any new laws only make sense if they can be enforced if you want it to be preventative.
Personally I don’t think you can stop people driving with no license and/or insurance.
In the US you need to renew your license every 10 years (in Mass. anyway). You have to do a vision test at the time, that include peripheral vision. Maybe they should include a knowledge test as well.
I’d support retesting for anyone found at fault in an accident.
Increase the penalty for driving without a license, but the bigger penalty should be driving without insurance.