Bad drivers................
 

I was bored enough yesterday to actually read the local paper and was shocked to see this article. Basically it's yet another instance of an older driver who clearly should not be behind the wheel of a car endangering people because for some reason she still (presumably!) has a licence. This got me thinking about how crazy it is there is no mechanism to deal with this? I've already encountered this several times with 2 grandparents who both drove well beyond when they should have and also a nice old lady who lived next to our last site who was so blind she couldn't recognize me from more the 6 feet away! Indeed my own step-mother is in the later stages of dementia but still holds a valid driving licence, has a car and technically could still drive if it wasn't for my Dad hiding the keys!

The issue isn't one of age though, my Dad is still what I would consider to be an excellent driver in his early 70's whereas I know several drivers of my age (42) that I would be scared to get into a car with. The issue is that there is no mechanism to re-assess our driving ability after passing the driving test. It seems ridiculous that 24 years ago I passed my test and since then my ability to control 2 tonnes of high speed metal has never been questioned. I'm convinced this leads to situations just as the one in the news story where the lady was so incapable of driving she had to write down instructions!

I for one would not object to more regular testing if it improves the general standard of driving on the road. I think at the very least we should have to resit a driving test every 10 years up until 70 and then annually from then, this rubbish about being able to 'self-certify' is utter nonsense.

Rant over!

Driving assessment at 70 should be brought in, but generally I think older people tend to drive with more care and consideration. The major issue on our roads now is smartphones, the opportunity to look at a phone screen instead of the road needs to be removed....now.

Every week I have to drive over a 1000 miles around sites, a minority of 'drivers' are not looking at a phone. How many times do we sit behind someone in traffic who doesn't set off when the queue moves off, or in slow moving traffic leaves a multi car gap in front of them so they can do something else but minimise their risk of hitting the car in front if it stops...they're texting or on the internet.

'Safety' cameras dont see what they are doing, there's virtually no Police to enforce the law they are breaking, and these idiots know it. It's time all vehicles were fitted with jamming devices to stop phones/tablets working while the engine is running.

That's not entirely fair for passengers and bluetooth users, or if someone wants to stream music, but it's gone too far. One of the hundreds of these idiots on last weeks M5/6 commute was watching football on a tablet propped up on the dash of his van, while his vehicle was travelling in a 50mph section. He got away with it, so he'll do it again.

I'm 78 years young, have held an unblemished driving licence since 1965 and I consider myself still to be a competent driver. Since moving to Portugal and exchanging my UK licence to a Portuguese licence, when I reached 70, I had to have an bi-annual medical, 50€ from an approved, and a Certificate of satisfactory Eyesight, again at my expense before I could renew. All this goes to prove that I am 'able' but my road worthiness is not assessed in any way... I would approve the implementation of any testing on a regular basis, for my own safety and perhaps for that of others.
I have asked my wife, who is nearly always with me when I drive, to :smilie_re: LET ME KNOW IF MY DRIVING HAS DETERIORATED...

It should be relatively simple to prevent phone or tablet use in a car. The metal body has the effect of a Faraday Cage, named after the scientist Michael in 1836. It’s why you don’t get electrocuted when the car gets struck by lightning. It conducts current and radio waves around the outside of the protected area. Glass? Laminated.

Should be easy on the line to coat the inside of the body with suitable paint to affect only the micro waves that enable reception. Trouble is, the freedom of speech brigade would be demonstrating all over the place. Until that hurdle is crossed, perhaps jamming devices on motorway gantries? Doesn’t really matter about emergency services/rescue/police I suppose.

As for elderly people driving beyond their capability, how often do you read about on one hand them going too fast and then how they slow everyone down? Can’t have it both ways. It’s like blaming all BMW drivers for the sins of the one that deliberately and purposefully sought you personally out and ruined your whole personal week by doing something you personally didn’t approve of and wouldn’t ever, honest, personally do yourself. Arrogant so-and-so’s.

Probably better, and certainly more accurate, to study insurance records on rating factors regarding age related accidents. Highest risk age? 35/55. The best way to stop this happening? 6 months in jail. They can keep their licence and lose their and anyone else’s phone for 5 years. Hit them where it hurts. Too harsh? Have a conversation with the relatives of the deceased.

I'm curious to know if there are any stats relating to the number of "accidents" had by people that fail the theory test and or driving test more then once against those that pass first or second time.

macafee2

I've already posted a suggestion that any sort of offense/collision means an automatic retest.

That way if a driver is never prosecuted (or indeed has a fixed penalty?) or is never involved in a collision then they continue their motoring. If, however these things happen they they have to take a full retest, both theory and practical, perhaps at an increased cost? Causes hassle and grief? Good - that's the idea.

Andy.

Blocking a phone's ability to be used when in a car would be dangerous. People phone for help from the inside of cars all the time, not just accident victims either.

I think that the mobile phone issue is being dealt with now, 6 points is justifiably harsh and I think enough to deter most sane people. Of course in the same way you still get drink drivers on the road there will always be a hardcore bunch of morons that continue to think it's fine but given time the punishment will start to have an effect.

Back on the lack of assessment I had an incident recently in my new car which had just 300 miles on the clock. Basically I pulled up to a T junction where another car was waiting to turn right. As I always do I left plenty of space which almost certainly saved my car from wearing a VW Passat! The chap (an older gent) pulled out in front of a car on the main road causing it to slam on its brakes, thankfully it was going slow enough to stop before hitting the Passat. Realising what he'd done the chap in front of me then stopped in the middle of the road blocking it both ways, he then panicked and his reverse lights came on. My spider sense kicked in and as a precaution I put the Volvo into reverse 'just in case' which was lucky as he just floored it backwards! I hit the horn and moved back (no one behind me) and he then slammed on the brakes before reversing some more for good measure!!!! I could see from his body language that he was struggling, he did eventually make it out of the junction but if it hadn't been for my luck in reading the situation through no fault of my own my car would have been smashed up after just over a week on the road.

Sadly on the roads I drive on in rural Norfolk this is a fairly regular occurrence which is probably why I'm always on high alert. It does seem to be the more infrequent drivers such as the elderly, farmers or Mum's on the school run (even Mrs Guru rants about them!) who are the worst however I do strongly believe that this could be corrected through testing and were appropriate a refresher course once or twice a decade. As said I think it's nuts that I haven't had a single check of my driving ability since I passed my test and under the current rules I probably never will.

They don't though, not all the time, and if a jammer was activated only when the engine was running they could phone for help with the engine switched off.
If they had broken down, this would be the most likely scenario.

If anyone should face a re-test, IMHO it should be youngsters who have held a licence for 6 months or a year......

My other concern is elderly people who admit that they no longer have the confidence to drive longer distances, and only use their car ‘to nip to the shops’. No wonder more accidents occur within a mile of home than any other location.