Should this old lady be charged?

[daffy654]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/706 7916.stm

I don't think she should be taken to court as such but really think she shouldn't be driving.Is there any way they can take her licence off her without court action?

[Oneeyedvic]

jackthehat - what good would it do? It would send a clear message to people that dangerous driving is dangerous driving full stop. If you cannot be in full control of a vehicle, then you should not be driving.

If this was a simple mistake then fair enough, regardless of age, no prosecution would or should be made. Fact is that she drove for 4 miles.

To make excuses due to her age is irrelevant.

[horselady]

The old chap next door to me still drives, I think he is around 84. It seems to be clutch control he has real trouble with, sort of goes into reverse, then revs like mad and shoots backwards to park in his driveway, at the last minute he brakes, just before he hits the wall. He gets the flowerbeds every now and then. Really shouldn't be driving any more.

[Sweep2k]

jackthehat, whether or not someone was killed or injured is utterly irrelevant.

You punish the offence, not the consequences.

Otherwise you create a system where somoene driving 35 in a 30 zone, who hits someone, is punished more harshly than someone driving 90 in a 30 zone, who by sheer chance doesn't hit anyone.

[Trotbot]

Isn't there a deterent factor here? The law, in theory, punishes the guilty and deters others from committing similar crimes. If she was prosecuted and fined (jail is unlikely) then others may hand in their licenses, and it may prevent an accident. If she is not taken to court, others may think that they can carry on driving until it is too late, as there is no effective penalty.

If it was my grandma, I would be very concerned about her going to court and generally be a bit upset with the world. However, I did tell my grandpa to stop driving because he was a liability (the 'R' makes it go backwards, not forwards!).

[Reverandfunk]

If I get 3 points for being 7 miles an hour over the speed limit on an empty road at 2.30am then she should be prosecuted for the havoc she created.

[squarebear]

I quite agree. Just beacuse she may be a sweet little old lady shouldn't make her above the law. If she breaks the law then she should be punished as anyone else would be.

[HJT40]

Of course she should be charged. Naomi, what if she had hit your car or that of a relatives, would you be so sure then? The law is there for a reason. Even if the only outcome of the matter is that she is banned from taking to the wheel again.

How many times have you heard someone say "ah bless look at her pottering up the wrong side of the motorway?"

[sandbach99]

A few weeks ago there were 2 crashes on the M4 each caused by cars going the wrong way, one caused the deaths of a couple in their 60s, in each case the drivers going the wrong way were teenagers/ 20 odd year olds.

I don't remember any questions on here regarding these crashes and certainly no-one said all teenagers, 20 odd years should give up their licences.

As you younger members age I hope you remember how you thought everyone over 60/70 should give up theirr licences, not shop at lunch time or weekends or any of the other things, including breathing. that the younger age groups think we have no right to do.

Anyone can make a mistake whilst driving, some more serious than others. I have no doubt she will seriously consider if she is stil fit to drive, but I doubt if the white van driver who got in the wrong lane at the lights will consider if he should keep his licence.. The first time I saw him was on my left hand side as I was turning right in a queue of traffic in to a single lane road, and believe you me he was not stopping for anyone, he was quite content to sandwich me or run on the pavement where a family was waiting to cross.