Forum menu
I hear Sandringham is going to add a new amateur horse event to their country fair - there’s no real skill involved, all you need to be able to do is jump to conclusions...
I reckon he was doing a rehearsal for Meghans "accident" and messed it up slightly!
It is actually amazing how many old duffers you see on the roads who are literally an accident waiting to happen. Lots have absolutely no idea what's going on around them & seem completely oblivious to anything beyond the bonnet.
On the other hand I see young drivers with the ability to make the car go but little else & a lot with little or no consideration for anyone else.
I'm an old duffer to some people (62) but managed to pass my MIDAS (minibus) test last year & hopefully will do again in 2022.
It is actually amazing how many old duffers you see on the roads who are literally an accident waiting to happen.
Is it? I see obvious cases like this very occasionally. However, I'm 65 and poodling along in a 30 limit (at 30) the other evening I had a car glued to my back bumper for half a mile or so before his patience gave way and with much downshifting and throttle stabbing shot by me and accelerated off into the distance at some speed. Who is more dangerous?
Who is more dangerous?
The anecdote every time
Who is more dangerous?
The one who's not paying attention.
The one who's oblivious to other road users, like cyclists for instance.
My dad gave up his licence when he knew it was time to. A lot of old folks don't though. 🙁
As a cyclist, I wish all drivers were women or men over 60. Whenever I experience a driver slowing down behind me and waiting for a proper place to overtake and give me plenty of space, it's almost always one of those two groups.
The shit passes and close overtakes near me are generally not the elderly (and I ride through Harrogate). They’re invariably late middle aged angry overweight white men in PCP cars, breaking the speed limit and getting frustrated at everyone.
You add to that the number of drivers texting (usually van drivers but about half the road in slow traffic), and the recently retired couples driving home from a boozy lunch, and somehow a 97 year old who has one accident is suddenly the biggest threat?
"anagallis_arvensis
Member
A retest would have to be different as said a thorough medical, but then you do you weed out those **** who can control a car perfectly well but just drive in an uncaring and dangerous manner?"
Traffic cops? Thing is, it doesn't matter, we shouldn't tolerate one preventable form of unsafe driving just because there are other ones that are harder to target. The point is to make the roads safer, not to be sporting about it.
Houns
Member
Driving without duke care
It's not heirless driving, but under the circumstances it might as well be.
I see all the usual driving God's and general haters of anyone daring to overtake or slightly speed are out in force on this one.
The fact is, and it genuinely is a fact, that there are a huge percentage of people on the roads who would fail a retest, not just old people, people become blase about their driving ability and actually sticking to the rules that helped them pass in the first place, such as not using Snapchat whilst on your test or going to the pub for four pints before your test.
I know quite a few of both types of drivers and I'd happily dob them in if I knew when they were up to either.
Traffic cops?
Very good point. I forgot such a thing used to exist!!!!
‘Traffic cops?’
Well yes,
I wear a white shirt and epaulets for work, and it’s quite noticeable how people’s driving changes when they see me.
Those people overtaking me (when im in my car) on the motorway (who, absolutely genuinely, are probably within the speed limit) but catch a glimpse out of the corner of their eye and immediately brake.
To the young **** driving past perth bus station the other week who dropped his phone when he saw me sitting behind the driver of the citylink coach because he saw a white shirt.
People know what they are supposed to be doing, but they only choose to behave when they think they might be caught.
More visible policing would help imo.
I DGAS how old, OR young a driver is, I’ve seen shite driving from every type of driver.
There are clearly a lot of bad drivers out there. The young boy racers cause more accidents because they are typically speeding, cornering too fast etc,. while the elderly drivers cause chaos due to inconsistent driving, swerving around, going up wrong lanes etc,. (all stuff I have seen just this week). They cause less accidents because they are typically going slowly but mainly because the drivers around them are taking evasive action.
I think simple retests would catch the bad elderly drivers as I don't think they would drive any differently as they are not aware their driving is bad whereas the boy racer having only relatively recently passed their test knows how they should be driving.
I should not have been allowed to drive until I was around 25 as I was a maniac
My dad shouldn't have been allowed to drive from about age 75 onwards (and he drove a lorry for almost 50 years) but was simply not safe so we stopped him driving.
There'll be some MI6 operatives getting a telling off today as they failed to provide the public with a nice brexit diversion. 😙
I'm looking forward to self driving cars....... "CAR.... to the pub and don't spare the horses!"
car pulls away in a controlled manner
I thought this was going to be a thread about Season 3 of the grand tour. 😃
#amazonshitcarshow
You can report older drivers to NHS and they go out with a driving instructor and NHS Occupational Health I think. Relative does it and is very busy. Normally relatives report it. Some thank her when licence is revoked others hate her.
Traffic cops?
Got stopped lots of times when young but didn't work. As long as I humoured them and smiled at their "Hello Nigel Mansell" opening line I was sent on my way.
I see all the usual driving God’s and general haters of anyone daring to overtake or slightly speed are out in force on this one.
That's pretty pathetic mate, seriously.
Considering how much his wife drinks I'll bet he was over the limit
Biographer on R4 this morning reckons he might never have taken a driving test either !
(Something about learning to drive in the army pre-1930)
Been driving for 80 years & had a few prangs apparently, not mown anyone down , that we know of !!
(infact where is JHJ?)
IMO there should be a retest every ten years.
Imo the problems involving elderly drivers are mostly eyesight related.
The problems with young drivers are impatience, too many gagets, lack of concentration, showing off to mates in their car etc.
Elderly drivers have more experience and tend to be safer drivers, however I think driving over the age of 90 is a no no.
That’s pretty pathetic mate, seriously.
But true.
And you forgot to quote the rest of my post chastising various types of drivers.
I'm clearly in the driving god category though so I will pinch your overtaking slot 😉
The anecdote every time
Just a response to the blanket "old drivers are shit" assertions. Sorry.
I’m pretty sure my grandad didn’t take a test, iirc, before the test was introduced you just applied for a licence and it was issued. He started driving at 17, that was 1935, im sure he said he had his a matter of weeks before they announced that all new drivers would need to take a test after then.
He was born in 1918, so a little older than the duke.
EDIT: he got his licence less than three weeks before the test became compulsory.
He also drove for 74 years, the only accident in that time was when he reversed into his own tractor while manoeuvring in the yard.
But true.
Hatred of overtakers? What are you even on about? It looks to me like you are trying to be dismissive of anyone who doesn't like aggressive driving.
So he pulled into a road & hit an oncoming car.
The driver of the other car broke his arm & the child had minor injuries.
Was he breathalysed ?
Will he be facing charges?
Response of the authorities is that they'll lower speed limit on the road, presumably so if he does it to someone else, he's less likely to be hurt.
I think we should all take a test every 10 years and over 60 every 5 years.
Add to that a retest for all parties in any police or insurance reportable collision. Also, for speeding - 1st offence you get your speed awareness, next time you get points AND re-test. Automatic bans at 12 points (no hardship defence).
Also need a legal obligation on both Doctors and Opticians to report any patients who have conditions that should disqualify. My mother and father (now dead) both suffer alzheimers and we've had to fight to stop them driving and my mother still rants about it.
Regular re-tests should become routine - it's a £100 expense for theory and practical - Trivial amongst the costs of running a car. If people fight about the cost recover it through insurance or tax and make them free. Everyone thinks they're above average so surely they'd pass with ease. Cost of collisions is huge - it would probaby be a net profit for the country as a whole.
I’m more surprised that the Land Rover actually made it down the road without some huge electrical problem, or the gearbox seizing up 🤡
As a cyclist, I wish all drivers were women or men over 60.
One of my worst near misses was an 80-something geezer almost wiping me out by overtaking with a caravan across a mini-roundabout at about 35mph and pulling in too early. If I hadn't swerved left I might not be here typing this.
Had a fair few other gammon bellends in their 60s doing close passes and showing no remorse when I've told them off.
And this is also just my experience, but I sometimes suspect older drivers are more likely to close pass (without malice) just because that's what they've always done. More set in their ways, IYSWIM.
I liked the old guy on the Police intercepters program who always drove with a crash helmet on.
From BBC report...
The force said it was standard policy to breath test drivers involved in collisions and both had provided negative readings.
And...
And there will now be an investigation into the circumstances of the accident. It might be that the duke is about to be persuaded to give up the wheel.
By a judge in court as he gets sentenced hopefully (but not bloody likely).
Biographer on R4 this morning reckons he might never have taken a driving test either !
(Something about learning to drive in the army pre-1930)
Been driving for 80 years
He joined the army when he was 9?
Announced they are reducing the speed on that road today and placing cameras. It's on the BBC.
Guessing the "other car was speeding" cover up has started?....
I've noticed some eldery drivers are very sensible and slow.
Response of the authorities is that they’ll lower speed limit on the road
They were discussing it anyway. Knowing something of how councils work, this will have been in the pipeline for years.
The army thing is later than 1930. My Grandad learned to drive in the army during WW2 so never took a driving test either.
People are living longer so it makes sense that we need to introduce some form of fitness to drive test at a later stage in life - not sure a full on driving test is required. If nothing else other than to update people on the rules of the road and modern infrastructure like Smart Motorways...I've never touched the Highway Code since I passed my test 20 years ago and on average there is something like 10 or more ammendmnents to the HC every year, so there's been maybe upto 200 changes to the HC since I passed my driving test. And apparently we all signed an agreement when we passed our driving test committing us to keeping ourselves upto date with the HC so ignorance is no excuse.
Though after doing a speed awareness course a couple of years ago and a Motorway safety course yesterday I'm upto date now!
Guessing the “other car was speeding” cover up has started?….
Speed limit was 60, and the immediate action to lower the speed limit suggests it probably wasn't.
Announced they are reducing the speed on that road today and placing cameras
Amazing how they managed to do it some time ago. This is from March last year
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/average-speed-cameras-between-kings-lynn-and-hunstanton-1-5422066
or last week https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/where-are-average-speed-cameras-on-a149-1-5847833
mentions the Babingley turn where the accident happened.
Now I really don't know what happened, but a conspiracy theory is a bit much.
Hang on though, I've read 1984. Maybe there's a whole team sat in a massive building changes old news reports to fit the new normal. Doubleplusgood.
To be fair to the King of the Lizard People I almost flipped my van on the M6 trying to pick up a banana off the passenger footwell. Never made that mistake again. Bloody scary and stupid.
Most of you seem unaware that there already are mechanisms in place!
License has to be renewed every 3 years past 70.
FIL just had his license revoked because someone (we don't know who - doctor possibly) told the DVLA he wasn't fit to drive.
But if you want a real measure of the risk, ask the insurance companies who bet their money on it every day why premiums for the elderly are lower than 20-somethings. (I think FIL was still paying less than I do at 38 with a clean driving record fwiw)
petec
Hang on though, I’ve read 1984. Maybe there’s a whole team sat in a massive building changes old news reports to fit the new normal. Doubleplusgood.
Calm down, are you related or something?😏
Just curious, do those links day the speed was being reduced in that section too?
Most of you seem unaware that there already are mechanisms in place!
License has to be renewed every 3 years past 70.
And what is the criteria for renewal? It is not a test, or anything close to a test is it.