Should Elderly Drivers Be Periodically Tested For Their Ability To Drive Safely?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3619860/Woman-driver-80-caused-mayhem-carnage-ploughed-eight-schoolgirls-leaving-five-injuries-spared-jail.html

Just because this particular pensioner was unfortunate enough to seriously injure five young school girls, why should all other elderly drivers be forced to take further driving tests?

[jackthehat]

Yes.
The only people 'arguing' against this will be those drivers approaching the suggested age who believe, often wrongly, that they are still as 'capable' as they have always been when it comes to driving....

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

/// The major change, apart from the sheer volume of cars now, is the utter absence of courtesy, consideration, and the ability to anticipate ahead - all of which have been eroded with the passage of forty-plus
years. ///

I think you will find that those absences are not associated to the older driver, but more to the younger drivers, in the past forty-plus
years.

[Islay]

In the area I live, drivers over the age of 70 appear to have 'forgotten' how to use their indicators and how to give way, constantly pushing their way out into traffic or pulling out at the last moment causing traffic to break suddenly to accommodate them.

Just last night I watched a lady of 80+ pop her walking frame into the boot then use the car as a frame to hold onto before struggling to get into the driver's seat - she drove out of the carpark without stopping or slowing down and very nearly drove into the side of another car!!

[viv41]

I have seen many, many younger people who never indicate also.

[jomifl]

As a young driver I used to have a few 'scary moments' when I misjudged situations or the road. As an 'older' driver I don't have these any more but I do find many younger drivers just a tad slackarsed when it comes to driving skills. Perhaps 'defensive driving' should be taught to new drivers.

[EcclesCake]

My father was a shockingly bad driver in his later years. I was relieved when he was taken off the road after hitting 5 stationary cars.

[Ellipsis]

I think an online or test centre simulator would be better than nothing (e.g. like the hazard perception test in the current driving test) but a proper test would be in a true car environment which makes for a much more expensive simulator.

Perhaps an approach could be to take a simple simulator test which, if you fail, you fail (weeds out the really bad cases quickly) and which, if you pass, you go on to take a full test.

[bhg481]

It's not always old drivers, is it?

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/leyton-high-road-crash-driver-fighting-for-life-after-crashing-into-building-a3263671.html