Should old people be able to drive?

don

as lon as they are fit to

old know all

Driving Licences come to an end at 70. After that you can apply for five year licences, but you have to be able to declare you are fit to drive. If the licensing authorities have any doubts (usually because someone has tipped them off) they ask you to take a medical. Insurance companies also ask for medicals.

As you get older, your reactions get slower, but your anticipation gets better. You don't need to be able to react when a 17 year old does something stupid - you already know he's going to do it. There are regular stories in the press about geriatric motorists going the wrong way up the motorway or driving at 10 mph. However, the fact remains that 90% of accidents involve drivers under 25.

dels replies

Yes of course as long as
they are fit and able.. I am 76, and my reactions and alertness are as good as in my twenties.I consider myself a much better driver than a lot of the other idiots on the road. No I am not a slow crawler, one of the faster ones in fact.

Antheus

Why wouldn't they be?

Tawny138

Age is not the issue. Ability, health, the sense to abide by the rules and drive safely are just a few of the criteria. That is or should be the same for any age.

mark

Old people are able to drive, so long as they've passed their test and they declare themselves fit...

mags_cass

yes why not there better than the young drivers out there

I <3 my Suby.

I think there are plenty of old people who can drive much better than most young people. But I think it would be a lot safer for everyone if they were tested more often past a certain age. The older people get the faster things like vision and reflexes worsen.

Overcast Kid

Depends on whether they are compentent drivers or not. I know some old people who are excellent drives, and some who I would be scared to get in a car with.

A simple driving test would for them would keep us all safer.

:)

jaygirl

My mother is a young 84 and still drives every day. She lives outside the town so there would be no transport from where she lives if she didn't drive her car. Her driving is not that great but she only drives short distances now so yes I think old people should be able to drive but perhaps they should retake a test at 70 or 75.

El Cid

Old people are still people, and therefore the criteria as to whether they are fit to drive on the roads are the same as other people. If they are competent and can show they can control their vehicle safely and make reasonable progress, then yes. The statistics show that majority of fatal road accidents are caused by young people. Alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour are more important factors in accidents than age-related disability, but an old man driving up the wrong way in a motorway makes sensational press.

tim h

I think that they should have to take another test at say, 70. As long as they can prove that they are still capable, no problem.

John=

I don't think age is the factor that should determine whether people should drive, it should be down to ability.

I know people who are in their eighties and drive just as well as anyone else. I also know people in their forties who are so nervous they make themselves a danger to traffic.

In the UK the problem with older drivers is that many of them never took a formal driving test, so although they "can" drive they often have never been taught to the levels required by the driving tests people are taking today.

My opinion is that there should be recurring driving tests every 20 years or so to make sure drivers are still driving to a safe standard, although this should not be as difficult as the first test, it should just be a test to make sure you are not a danger to rest of road users.

EvelynThe ModifiedDog.

So long as someone has the mental agility and physical dexterity, then why not? I mean it's not as if it's the over 65s that cause 25% of all deaths by driving, is it?
I know plenty of people, young and old, who I wouldn't trust with a shopping trolley in Tesco, never mind a car, yet many over 65s are still perfectly capable of running rings around younger people in a car.
Do you want to tell Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Paul Newman etc that they're too old & doddery to drive? You'd have to catch them first!

Salza

Lmao Sare !!

Umm ... Yeh if they are well enough to drive !! Lol! x x

Hussydog

I think they should be allowed as some older people rely on their cars like they were attatched by skin draft.

I think however from the age of 65, every 2 years they should get a note from the doctor to declare themselves fit and able to drive. The DVLA should upon recipt of this, not make them do a full driving practical test, instead create a new competence test to prove they know any updates to the highway code and can handle the vehicle they drive.

This I think should be sufficiant and a small fee applicable (about Â£20).

deadrat

Why do you need help?

SCEPTRE

There is no cut & dry answer to this,some people regardless of age should not be on the road at all. I am 73, still drive a 44ton reefer, I have to have a full medical and physical every year and have had to since I was 60, for those of you who think there should be a cut-off age for driving, you are going to get old one day but it does not mean you have to become a decrepit liability.

To be honest..if they can drive the speed limit then they are okay with me

tacos

if they can drive...........let em drive

Caleb C

well actually i think it should be the degree of the old person for instance if the old person is def in one ear or blind or mildly blind or has serious health problems then no but if they are perfectly healthy then i say to them just dont try to hit me

chuckles.221983

yes, back in there day there wasnt so much traffic or faster cars.
theres nothing wrong with the old people wanting to drive safely. We should all learn to share the road and all have paitients.
Old people have every right to be on the road like we do.

kel_tg

i don't think it is as simple as old versus young. I do think that there should be a system in place for drivers over seventy take a test every four years when they renew. It will help keep those whose eyesight is changing and reflexes are slowing know that they are reaching a time when they may not be able to drive. To say that once they reach a certain age they can't drive is wrong but adding a requirement to prove they are fit to drive may save some lives or reduce the number of accidents.

John P

I don't see how you could stop them without some severe discrimination. As long as they are fit and competent I don't se a problem.

They have to retake a test every 3 years over a certain age, if i remember rightly, although some do seem to carry on driving even when they become a danger, same can be said for some young drivers as well though

ERIC S

I think you should realise that old people are just the same as the middle aged and the young, when it comes to driving. I personally think the young drive like maniacs, but that's thinking like you. To be fair some young are good natural drivers others are not and this applies to the old and middle aged. If you are young and one of the maniacs older people that like to drive withing the law will be a pain to you. I tell you what, there are more young die on the roads then there are old people and by a log chalk. If by chance you are just worried about somebody close who you think should not be on the road, then my answer is hardly for you.

Define 'old' please.

General Devious

yes of course, but maybe they should have refresher courses simply because the roads have changed so much.

The Squirrel's nuts â—‹â—‹

Yes, and putt too.

Bonn* Love is a Disease..

no! my boyfriends nana drives she lives in spain she goes about 10 mile an hour down the road and pulls out infront of people without looking or caring, she definalty wouldnt be allowed to drive in england!

Kayleigh

Personally i think no,in some cases elderly people are pretty good drivers although some can barely see in front of them and could cause a serious accident!

sweetiepie_26

no they are a ******* nusence!!! my gran is like 80, is still driving and is a complete loony!!! she has been the cause of many accidents due to roadrage FROM HER!!! lmao...i think once people get to a certain age they should b made to take another driving test just to check if they can still drive safely
x x x

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