Should we have to resit our driving tests when we reach a certain age

[fatmanlevi04]

well?

[sddsddean]

In my opinion as a professional driver, you should have to resit your test every 5 or 10 years..., but it will never happen because the cost and administration would be immense and it would be an instant vote loser to any Government that proposed it.

[fatmanlevi04]

Apart from the fact I put the question under the wrong category thanks for your answer, I agree.

[Toureman]

If you were a "professional" driver you would volantarily take an advanced test like the IAM or ROSPA.

[Siamsal]

Yes.

My dad is 84 now, and still driving. I worry about him. I don't believe he's dangerous, but at that age, one's reactions and perceptions can't be as good as someone 20 years younger.

Trouble is, we live in the country and really it's impossible to get anywhere without a car. My sister doesn't drive, I'm at work all day. What do we do? Say 'you'll have to sit at home all day'? He'll just ignore us.

A test every 5 years at 70+ would be a good thing, I think. Then either people would be checked to be fit to be on the road, or banned.

[WendyS]

I did read somewhere back in the Spring that the DVLA is beginning a public consultation process over new government proposals that every driver over 75 should be obliged to take further tests to prove their competence to continue driving. This process is designed to reduce the number of accidents which are being caused by older drivers. The proposal is that drivers over 75 will have to undertake two tests. The first will consist of a 30 minute �cognitive� written paper which will examine their fitness to drive. This will be followed by a second test eye test. If drivers pass both tests, their licences will be renewed for five years. At the end of that period both tests will have to be repeated. At the time of writing (Sept 2006) I haven't read any more about how long the consultation process will last or when these new proposals might be introduced.
Expect an uproar from older people who live in rural areas without any bus service to get them to the shops, to the doctor, to hospital etc. I appreciate the dangers of older people driving but if this extra layer of bureaucracy is introduced, a lot of older people will be imprisoned and unable to survive in their own homes any longer as the car is the only means of allowing them to remain independent.

[dancecaller]

A driving test examines your competance to drive in all conditions.
Sensible older people may limit their driving, e.g. not at night, not in heavy traffic, no Motorways. Hard to test that.
But it is a worry, hope I know when to stop.

[commoner]

..mm...if older people cause more accidents ......how come insurance for young drivers is astronomical and older drivers get big reductions?................just askin'. Insurance companies are not well known for giving any class of people money off just out of the kindness of their hearts

[sddsddean]

I have Toureman. Its called (or was called) an HGV Class 1 (now a C+E thanks to our European friends!).

[Toureman]

Hi SDDSddean,

So you passed the HVG 1 test, so have I, I also hold the IAM certificate for HGV 1, and IAM certificate for cars.

[emma_26]

the insurance for younger drivers is higher because freshly passed test means a lot of excitement and freeness so can be a little careless at times , especially high for new male drivers cos of the typical boy racer thing! although i think that a boy racer would definately have more chance of stopping in an emergency than an elderly person cos of reactions etc. i think boy racers are safer than elderly drivers!!!! an no im not a boy racer im a 26 yr old woman!

[Toureman]

Well EMMA, what words of wisdom.

I suppose compared to you, who is still in the high accident group, I suppose I am an elderly person, I should think at my age my reactions might just be one tenth of a second slower than yours but with all the advanced driving tests I have done I know I would see the need to react to dangerous situations about 10 seconds before you, that is why my insurance costs about 75% less than yours.

[WendyS]

I think one has only to look at some of the terrible accidents and deaths caused by dangerous driving and see that many of them are caused by "boy racers" who seem to imagine that public roads can be treated like Brands Hatch.

Older drivers simply need to use the roads to get from A to B, not to puff up their "driving skill" feathers like peacocks, so I'd rather find myself as a passenger in a car with an older driver than a boy racer any day.

[emma_26]

well toureman my insurance is actually really cheap my insurance cost me 400 pounds for a year on a vectra 2.6 v6 sri. compared to my boyfriends insurance on the exact same car with him being 36 and holding his licence for 18 years mine was only 100 pounds more than his. I was not meaning to offend anybody but very old drivers who insist on doing 23 miles per hour on a 30 road do my head in!
sorry if i ofeended anyone it was not meant like that