Worries about the capabilities of older drivers..

[busby]

If you want to really notice how bad some peoples driving is try riding a motorbike regularly. It’s all about defensive driving as it doesn’t matter who is in the wrong you are the one getting hurt or killed. I know it’s a generalisation but really old people, mums with young kids and east London minicab drivers scare me the most.
When topics like this come up “speed limits aren’t a target” always gets rolled out. A section in the Highway Code also explains making progress. Some of the drivers near me, normally vey old, who drive down the middle of the country lane at 20mph and still brake for bends shouldn’t be on the road. We also have a lot of people near us, normally young mums, who drive everywhere at 35-40mph no matter what the speed limit. The don’t keep up in the national speed limit and then tail gate you in the 20 and 30 limits. It’s really not nice being tail gated when you re on a motorbike.
Don’t get me started on lane hoggers.

Caught a bus today,,,To be honest I would not have ever given the driver a licence.Erratic,,could not judge his vehicle width,road positioning terrible,,was glad to get off.BUSBY.

 

[PaulOH]

I have read this thread and I'm very pleased to see that many posters are talking about 'a driver's' general ability to drive. not related to age, eyesight, disability or experience.

IMHO, what we might think of various age groups or people who did or didn't commit offences or have the advanced driving test or who can or can't park in Sainsburys counts for nothing when you see that Audi or whatever coming down the road towards you and you have no idea if the driver is 18 or 81 (or older).

An accident is a near-miss that wasn't. The first person who says a near miss has never happened to them, I'll throw the first stone and please form an orderly queue.

However luck is not the sort of thing that people calculate risk on - and that's as it should be. Generally unsafe drivers shouldn't be on the roads and there should be an effective, ongoing programme in place to test every driver's ability from 18-118 to ensure that they can drive and are safe to an acceptable level.

Unfortunately, it may mean that older people who are currently driving aren't able to continue, so it has to go hand in hand with a connection programme for those who don't drive.

Remember that in the future, maybe not as many people will drive as do now...

 

[Nirvanauk]

Caught a bus today,,,To be honest I would not have ever given the driver a licence.Erratic,,could not judge his vehicle width,road positioning terrible,,was glad to get off.BUSBY.

Got on a bus this morning from Coniston to Ambleside as the driver got on he said “good morning , and welcome to this mornings episode of Wakkie Races” that summed the trip up.

 

[Alsatian]

Got on a bus this morning from Coniston to Ambleside as the driver got on he said “good morning , and welcome to this mornings episode of Wakkie Races” that summed the trip up.

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

My wife was better at reversing our van than I was.

But I don’t like talking about that so keep it to yourself.

Think that was a backward step posting that on here, but I won't tell a soul

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Charlie57]

Think that was a backward step posting that on here, but I won't tell a soul

Nor me

 

[Silver-Fox]

I've been a pensioner for nearly 7 years, here's a current example of my driving!

View attachment 778734

Can I have a go in her please, pretty please

 

[Silver-Fox]

They ought to start by monitoring and regularly testing taxi and private hire drivers.

Definitely

 

[Silver-Fox]

Private Hire licences are issued by local councils, so each council would have to employ licensed examiners.

I do believe the license issued is to trade and nothing to do with driving standard.

And let’s be honest here some are issued to drivers with dubious backgrounds/history.

 

[Silver-Fox]

poppycamper

News just in

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tony50]

I have a horrible feeling that if us Senior Citizens were made to retest there would be a lot more Motorhomes up for sale, speaking about women drivers I was managing over 100 cars once statistics showed that Male drivers were far more likely to have accidents.

 

[busby]

I have a horrible feeling that if us Senior Citizens were made to retest there would be a lot more Motorhomes up for sale, speaking about women drivers I was managing over 100 cars once statistics showed that Male drivers were far more likely to have accidents.

Wonder which group cause the most accidents? BUSBY.

 

[Bramidan]

I have a horrible feeling that if us Senior Citizens were made to retest there would be a lot more Motorhomes up for sale, speaking about women drivers I was managing over 100 cars once statistics showed that Male drivers were far more likely to have accidents.

If drivers fail the test they shouldn’t be driving anyway, let alone a motorhome.
Compulsory tests for the over 70’s, why do you oppose it? Is it because you doubt your own abilities ?
By the way, the “you” I have used is not for the poster but rather for “you” plural.

 

[L' Hobo]

If drivers fail the test they shouldn’t be driving anyway, let alone a motorhome.
Compulsory tests for the over 70’s, why do you oppose it? Is it because you doubt your own abilities ?
By the way, the “you” I have used is not for the poster but rather for “you” plural.

COMPULSORY tests for the over 70's will never happen because it is discriminating. Perhaps if they brought in a physical driving test every 10yrs year for EVERYONE (30,40,50,60,70 etc) that might turn up some interesting results and make the roads safer?

 

[Tony50]

Wonder which group cause the most accidents? BUSBY.

No idea,

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tony50]

COMPULSORY tests for the over 70's will never happen because it is discriminating. Perhaps if they brought in a physical driving test every 10yrs year for EVERYONE (30,40,50,60,70 etc) that might turn up some interesting results and make the roads safer?

To be honest as I was an Fleet Engineer for a Brewery apart from many jobs the brewery loaded on to me I ran an inhouse Garage so I gained a Class 1 licence as requested by my Boss , and to be honest after passing test , I would not say I was really fit to drive Artics as I seldom drove them, and if I did I only drove them on test on a Dual carriageway !! I wonder how many other Drivers in their early 20's then felt the same ? Rigids and Danglers I did not mind driving

 

[Pekepal]

When I took my driving test we did not have motorways or roundabouts or pedestrian crossings in our area and only one set of traffic lights.
HOWEVER I know how they all work and what the highway code says about them..
SO why not our younger drivers who have been brought up on motorways, roundabouts etc..
As I said above I am appalled by today's road knowledge and ettiquete.

Oooh I’m so pleased there’s someone else on here old enough to remember life before roundabouts!

 

[Tony50]

If drivers fail the test they shouldn’t be driving anyway, let alone a motorhome.
Compulsory tests for the over 70’s, why do you oppose it? Is it because you doubt your own abilities ?
By the way, the “you” I have used is not for the poster but rather for “you” plural.

I don't oppose it , I don't want to do it , I feel more than capable of passing a test , could do with brushing up on Highway code though . Had several my fault accidents years ago (not proud of it) never hurt anyone , perhaps that experience is why for the last 50 years I have been lucky . (not counting my chickens before they hatch though) An old saying is ---
" Any Driver can Drive fast it takes a good Driver to drive careful ".

 

[L' Hobo]

To be honest as I was an Fleet Engineer for a Brewery apart from many jobs the brewery loaded on to me I ran an inhouse Garage so I gained a Class 1 licence as requested by my Boss , and to be honest after passing test , I would not say I was really fit to drive Artics as I seldom drove them, and if I did I only drove them on test on a Dual carriageway !! I wonder how many other Drivers in their early 20's then felt the same ? Rigids and Danglers I did not mind driving

Before I had my own business, I used to be a freelance vehicle demonstration/test driver for several Heavy Goods/ Coach sales companies (I held a full HGV, PSV & Forklift licence) and drove various vehicles every week. It's all a case regular practice.
My most unhappy experience was when I was forced, by the testing company, to do my DRIVERS CPC (despite holding the Transport Managers CPC) driving assessment module, in a VW POLO around the streets of Croydon! I had not driven a small car for, at least 40yrs, it was terrifying.
PS What's a 'Dangler' do you mean a Road Train? ( They used to be harder than an Artic, especially reversing before the days of a rigid hitch?)

 

[Portland]

Before I had my own business, I used to be a freelance vehicle demonstration/test driver for several Heavy Goods/ Coach sales companies (I held a full HGV, PSV & Forklift licence) and drove various vehicles every week. It's all a case regular practice.
My most unhappy experience was when I was forced, by the testing company, to do my DRIVERS CPC (despite holding the Transport Managers CPC) driving assessment module, in a VW POLO around the streets of Croydon! I had not driven a small car for, at least 40yrs, it was terrifying.
PS What's a 'Dangler' do you mean a Road Train? ( They used to be harder than an Artic, especially reversing before the days of a rigid hitch?)

If it was pretty easy location , usually a loading bay, you could leave the trailer attached. If it was difficult you coupled trailer to the front.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Roby2008]

Just back from a 3301Km round trip from here (South of Munich) to Southampton and back, so Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Blighty, mostly Motorway as it was a to and from not a tour.
We saw, Phones in the hand while driving, driving without lights (in the dark obviously), lane hogging, bumper hogging, total disregard of other road users - giving way at junctions, letting other cars into a queue, racing at 150 mph on the Autobahn during rush hour etc, and my favorite being verbally abused and called an f Kraut from a builders pick-up in Southampton ( I was in his way doing 50 in a 50 when he was in a hurry apparently), all par for the course on a long journey.

None of these incidents involved older drivers, not a hat or a nodding dog on the parcel shelf in sight.

 

[L' Hobo]

If it was pretty easy location , usually a loading bay, you could leave the trailer attached. If it was difficult you coupled trailer to the front.

As I said before, it's all a case of regular practice plus the semi-rigid coupling which wasn't around when I first did it, it was just a free running drawbar

 

[Tony50]

Before I had my own business, I used to be a freelance vehicle demonstration/test driver for several Heavy Goods/ Coach sales companies (I held a full HGV, PSV & Forklift licence) and drove various vehicles every week. It's all a case regular practice.
My most unhappy experience was when I was forced, by the testing company, to do my DRIVERS CPC (despite holding the Transport Managers CPC) driving assessment module, in a VW POLO around the streets of Croydon! I had not driven a small car for, at least 40yrs, it was terrifying.
PS What's a 'Dangler' do you mean a Road Train? ( They used to be harder than an Artic, especially reversing before the days of a rigid hitch?)

Dangler is what we call a , 2 axle rigid towing a (in our case 4 wheel trailer) the 2 vehicles and 2 trailers we ran were Scania's pulling the trailers , designed properly ( I used VBG to fit the coupling on the vehicles in the correct place ) and the trailers followed in the wheel track of the Scania's, very interesting project for me ,specing the vehicles and Trailers.Thr bodies were demountable using the air suspensions on vehicle and trailer

 

[busby]

To be honest as I was an Fleet Engineer for a Brewery apart from many jobs the brewery loaded on to me I ran an inhouse Garage so I gained a Class 1 licence as requested by my Boss , and to be honest after passing test , I would not say I was really fit to drive Artics as I seldom drove them, and if I did I only drove them on test on a Dual carriageway !! I wonder how many other Drivers in their early 20's then felt the same ? Rigids and Danglers I did not mind driving

Drove artics for 40 years so never a problem,,,Never had to take a test though,,BUSBY.

 

[Tony50]

Drove artics for 40 years so never a problem,,,Never had to take a test though,,BUSBY.

My son got his American Driving Licence in Florida by a Tester watching him drive around a carpark!!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}