PJay Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Do you think that maybe the age should be upped, to 80 ? After all the government are upping the pension ages, so 80 should be the new 70?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Probably not as there is no connection. One is a financial ploy whilst the other is a safety precaution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 ron. - 2017-01-25 10:36 AM Probably not as there is no connection. One is a financial ploy whilst the other is a safety precaution. Why is it a safety precaution? It has been found that more accidents involve young inexperienced drivers. Of course Doctors should have the authority to suggest that the person should be considered for a test in order to carry on driving. I know many drivers over 80, who are still very good and I think extra careful on the road. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 PJay - 2017-01-25 11:17 AM ron. - 2017-01-25 10:36 AM Probably not as there is no connection. One is a financial ploy whilst the other is a safety precaution. Why is it a safety precaution? It has been found that more accidents involve young inexperienced drivers. Of course Doctors should have the authority to suggest that the person should be considered for a test in order to carry on driving. I know many drivers over 80, who are still very good and I think extra careful on the road. PJay I'm not surprised that more accidents involve young drivers as there are vastly more of them than over 80's driving I would wager. It's a safety precaution because elderly peoples general health and faculties deteriorate faster the older they get and a check at seventy seems about right to me. Again, wait until you are nearing eighty and see the difference in insurance premiums you will be asked to pay even with a perfect driving record and no health problems. It's all down to human nature really. Incidentally, I'm just approaching eighty so can't be called biased! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 PJay - 2017-01-25 11:17 AM ...I know many drivers over 80, who are still very good and I think extra careful on the road. PJay I’ve known plenty of drivers over 80 that should never have been driving at that age... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 ...... and I think peoples safety on the road should be judged by the way they drive, and not just by their age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Advice relating to older drivers can be found here https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/older-drivers-deciding-when-stop-driving Without the type of age-related ongoing assessment that’s mentioned here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-34779388 I can’t see how any sort of useful judgement can be made of an elderly person’s ‘safe driving’ ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 ron. - 2017-01-25 10:36 AM Probably not as there is no connection. One is a financial ploy whilst the other is a safety precaution. I can see that money can be made when extending licences fir over 70s, but what safety reasons are there in raising the pension age? B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 crocs - 2017-01-25 6:16 PM ron. - 2017-01-25 10:36 AM Probably not as there is no connection. One is a financial ploy whilst the other is a safety precaution. I can see that money can be made when extending licences fir over 70s, but what safety reasons are there in raising the pension age? B-) I think that you are reading it the opposite way round to what I intended crocks. The financial ploy is that of the government raising the pension age to save money. Whilst doing away with the medicals at seventy involves the safety risk aspect - or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daviddwight Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Regarding young drivers three times in the last week I have seen young females drivers go through red lights at pedestrian crossings and in all three instances there were people about to cross, a friend also saw a similar incident were a car had to drive round a couple on a crossing, this was also a young female driver. I do not have a problem with female drivers in general as no doubt there are many very good female drivers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Hi folks, I have now reached that age where I have been invited to re apply for my licence, for the 3rd time. Ie 79 in a couple of months. I filled in the questionaire on line, and have just received today my next 3 years worth. personally, I beleive that I am not a danger to other road users, and to date have not had reason to revise this . That is not to say of course , that tomorrow might well give reason to reconsider, but I cant forsee the future. if the time comes when I have to give up, through for example ill health, I cant envisage how I would manage.. the thought of having to give up is horrifying, so please dont make me ..... I would have to sell my motorhome, and go back to a bike ( electric of course,) Tonyg3nwl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 tonyg3nwl - 2017-01-26 2:12 PM personally, I beleive that I am not a danger to other road users, and to date have not had reason to revise this . That is not to say of course , that tomorrow might well give reason to reconsider, but I cant forsee the future. if the time comes when I have to give up, through for example ill health, I cant envisage how I would manage.. the thought of having to give up is horrifying, so please dont make me ..... I would have to sell my motorhome, and go back to a bike ( electric of course,) Tonyg3nwl. You can get some re-assurance from the second link that Derek posted. In 2013, the Department of Transport said : " .. no evidence older drivers are more likely to cause an accident " " Age alone is not a reliable indicator of a persons fitness to drive and the vast majority of older people continue to drive safely " Not sure how you can assess anyones' safe driving abilities ( old or young ) except perhaps by their insurance claim record. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 ron. - 2017-01-25 8:23 PM crocs - 2017-01-25 6:16 PM ron. - 2017-01-25 10:36 AM Probably not as there is no connection. One is a financial ploy whilst the other is a safety precaution. I can see that money can be made when extending licences fir over 70s, but what safety reasons are there in raising the pension age? B-) I think that you are reading it the opposite way round to what I intended crocks. The financial ploy is that of the government raising the pension age to save money. Whilst doing away with the medicals at seventy involves the safety risk aspect - or not. Yeh, but I read it that way intentionally *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave C Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 tonyg3nwl - 2017-01-26 2:12 PM Hi folks, I have now reached that age where I have been invited to re apply for my licence, for the 3rd time. Ie 79 in a couple of months. I filled in the questionaire on line, and have just received today my next 3 years worth. Congratulations on your forthcoming birthday Tony, but surely this is the fourth time that you got invited to renew your licence! 73 Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Dave C - 2017-01-27 8:58 AMtonyg3nwl - 2017-01-26 2:12 PMHi folks, I have now reached that age where I have been invited to re apply for my licence, for the 3rd time. Ie 79 in a couple of months.I filled in the questionaire on line, and have just received today my next 3 years worth.Congratulations on your forthcoming birthday Tony, but surely this is the fourth time that you got invited to renew your licence!73 Dave Correct - and a fine illustration of the fallibility of the checking system! The dangerous older drivers are the selfish and blinkered ones who won't entertain any suggestion that they are fading in their abilities (which of course we all are in various ways from well before the age of 70) and fight like tigers (and lie like troopers) to keep their licence. It's in no-one's interests to ignore the escalating risk they present to society. The age of 70 has been used as a watershed at which extra checks on health are introduced automatically and, in the case of heavier vehicles, a medical examination is also required. You could argue that for some people that's too early but as a general rule I think it's about right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Hi again, yes you are correct.. 4th time.. memory gets corrupted as time passes! I would rather stop counting, but dvla machine remembers everything, including, mothers maiden name, passport number, place of birth, and national insurance number, as well as any declared medical history.. all was included on questionaire to get new licence.. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING US ALL. TONYG3NWL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 hi PJay, I definitely agree it should be raised and if not to 80 then certainly 75 cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Psalms 90:10) Presumably the DVLA is just following Divine guidance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 A few years ago my County Council (while we still lived in Lancashire) were offering free driving "refreshers" (no report, no test, just helpful encouragement) consisting of an accompanied drive lasting over an hour, a classroom session and, a few months later, a follow up accompanied drive, to see if the advice was still helping. I applied and asked if I could do it in my MH, because that was a more challenging vehicle to drive. The instructor was clearly very experienced and capable but she was also very tactful and positive in the way she went about monitoring my driving. She was careful not to talk too much but as we got into it and my driving was turning out to be not too bad, our conversation developed into a very constructive discussion. I enjoyed it. The classroom session was interesting too; about 20 people, mostly ladies and mostly probably over 70, some over 80. One cocky bloke who clearly though he was above this sort of thing (why did he volunteer, it wasn't one of these speed awareness course?) but otherwise people who were there to learn and probably, to boost or recover their fading confidence. I didn't learn as much as during the accompanied drive but it served to show me how these elderly ladies, perhaps typical of many you pass on the roads) were seeing things and what they knew. Their knowledge of road rules and speed limits was pretty weak. I suspect these Lancashire courses have fallen foul of funding cuts but I found it very useful. Whether anyone would have paid to go on such a course might be uncertain but as a way of boosting driving standards among older drivers it was very effective. It might also have shown a few drivers that it was time for them to be giving up, although I'm sure that would have been broached very tactfully. In an ideal world I would like to repeat it every year from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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