89 year old still drives but is clearly losing the plot

[tigwig]

My husbands grandad has really started to lose his marbles, lives on his own and everything but doesn't know what he is saying anymore and gets very confused. The thing is he still has his own car and drives around every day. This really annoys me and I want to put a stop to it before he kills himself or someone else. How would I go about this without anyone finding out it was me? Father in law has half heartedly spoke to him but he just said how would he get about? Hubby tells me to butt out and I've not to do anything!

[Prudie]

Probably one right answer is to speak to his GP who has to sign off the over 70s(?) a fit to drive form for the DVLA.

But this is a very emotive subject for those with family in this situation. My mother was driving at 89 and it did worry us but if she'd had her licence taken away her life would have been over (similarly independent, lived alone, drove daily)

[gsr600]

if he can still drive & get home after then he aint doin so bad, they do get a bit dangerous though, its not your problem although i appreciate your concern,
i bet he never had a test of any sort - & believes he i still a good driver, if the bodywork of the car is not to beat up - then he must be better than you think.

[AlBags]

Lady I knew well from when I was a kid was driving her old Morris 1300 at 96! She was an Ambulance driver in the war.
Just revved and slipped the clutch a bit too much.
Could have biked faster, tho : )

[alavahalf]

I did a job yesterday for a lady who was 85....I said, I liked the colour of her car which was sat in her garage.. it was a small bright red Toyota just over two years old.
Upon closer inspection I relised that not one panel, trim or bumper was undamaged.
She said that almost every time she goes out she has a little scrape.... but not to worry the man is collecting it in a few days ... he will respray it for her !
It appears that she keeps her cars for around 2-3 years and always has them resprayed before she buys a new one, and feels that this is normal practice.!

She assured me she is ready for her victims ... and has printed cards in her glove box with her insurance details etc... ready to hand over when she gets caught having a scrape ...
How thoughtful of her..!

[TWR]

Hi Tigwig, I will come straight to the point are you waiting for someone to get very badly injured or killed? I do really understand that this is their joy & independence but to be right your husbands Grandad has come to the time of his driving life to pack it in, the one thing that you husband can do is to immobilise his car & just before all you do gooders start preaching, what is the alternative? A grandad that has a good driving record, or on a guilt trip knowing that he has killed someone when he should have stopped driving due to his condition.

[denis567]

Just a point about Prudie's answer, I have just renewed my licence at 73 and I did not have to obtain a doctor's signature.

[Prudie]

I can't find the info myself either but I know my mother had to get her GP's OK each time, it was what worried her the most.

[twix123]

Should he have an accident, his insurers are liable to 'void' his cover if he is considered medically unfit to drive and this material fact has not been disclosed!

[AlBags]

Prudie's never had an accident ...
Seen hundreds tho .. in her rear view mirror : )

[jake-the-peg]

Prudies mother probably has a specific health condition.

In general the DVLA just ask over 70s to self certify that they are still fit to drive.

Personally I disagree - it would be too difficult to check all over 70s each year but at least an eye test every 2 years should be possible.

I do sympathathise though it's taken us 6 months to convince my father to stop. He still insists on telling the DVLA he can drive though - bit of a pride thing

[sigma]

Just a few points,
1) Not that it's relevant but how old is he.
2) Have you witnessed or experienced his driving.
3) What qualifications or experience do you have that enable you to assess his driving.

[my4ds]

im with EdDie on this one.
go to police and let them deal with it.
my friend who is a bobbie has seen so many accidents caused by elderly folk driving.even a death iof a school child n one accident.

i KNOW i would personaly report this person if he was my relative.i bubbled my EX fil for drink driving .my name was never mentioned at all and to this day i dont think anyone knows it was me.

[rowanwitch]

Colleagues mum drove and she suffered from alzheimers, he didn't know until a neighbour phoned him,, he thought he had all the keys, He phoned the police himself and notified DLA in case his mum convinced a neighbour to help her get into the car, he was scared they would call out a locksmith or the AA or something and she'd end up getting new keys as she initially got too distressed when he tried to take it away. Eventually he had to take the car to his house and tell her he was having it fixed when she asked, it took over a year before she deteriorated to the point she stopped pestering him about it

[my4ds]

http://www.foxnews.co...0,2933,172983,00.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk...ancashire/8518847.stm

[funnygirl]

My84 year old dad was the same. He just couldn't see and refused to admit it.

DVLA have now caught up with him and he gave up driving after being forced to have several eye tests and failing them all.

[tamborine]

".....said how would he get about...." That's a more sensible answer than can be got from lots of driving retards.

Don't take away his independance, unless you want to shorten his life ! My bet is you're after his car - LEAVE HIM BE !

[joko]

what about getting him a mobility scooter? or even a bike if he is physically able to ride one...at least then hed not feel so housebound without the car

you must get his doctor to tell him...

if a codger killed a member of my family through a misplaced sense of 'pride' then i would make sure they regretted it...i would have no sympathy at all

[beso]

There a plenty of young drivers, supposedly with all their marbles who are complete fckwits. For some reason, despite only a year of driving they think they are highly exprerienced heros with advanced skills.

The truth is the highly advanced drivers are very slow, knowing that they could encounter one of these over-confident novices just around the bend.