General Chat

on uk driving licences, in box 12....
if you have 01
then you MUST wear glasses../eyesight correction..
.while driving

Ah. A bit of a faux pas then!

Apparently he wears them for driving

..but were his glasses for long or short sightedness?
As you get older, there is more need for glasses for seeing things close up.

Apparently
Armoured cars are top heavy and can flip very easy
even just clipping the Kerbs can do this
So its not right for some to shift the blame to the innocent driver
who was hit side on by his car

Also worth remember there was a baby was inside the other car
and its also rumoured he wasn't wearing his glasses

Official statistics for 2016:

"It is clear to see from data released by Gov.uk last year, that drivers aged 20–29 pose the most risk on our roads. With dramatically higher figures than any other age group, drivers in their twenties were last year involved in 20,841 road incidents of all severities – considerably higher than any other age group and drastically greater than road incidents of all severities involving drivers aged 70–79 (3,254) and road incidents involving drivers aged 80 and over (1,939.)"

It's interesting that, say, in Portugal.people over the age of 70, have to have a driving assessment examination every 2 years - but it's free.
In the UK, it's every 3 years - and you have to pay!
Surely, the driving assessment could be included in the free health check we're offered?

Having said that, neither my sister (66 years old) nor I, have ever had, or been invited for a free health check, even though I do have a pre-existing condition - one kidney - 'discovered' 8 years ago, when I was 54.
Phoning friends and family, I've discovered another 12 people who have never had this 'important' health check, meant to take place every 5 years for those aged 40 - 74. :-(

I am a bit of a "Luddite", in some ways....

things that upset me, on the road, for example,
cars with driving lights on in daylight, with one bulb not working...
cars with driving lights that wink as they go round a corner, or roundabouts...in daylight? why?
cars that use the same lamp for sidelight and indicators....(Audis?)
cars that hog a lane of a motorway at just below the legal limit....(certain german cars are culprits here...)

cars that drive 20 mph below the limit...Ie doing 40 in a 60 zone...

will think of more later

Hubby was a very good driver but sadly became a hazard even though he thought he was ok

I got to dread going out with him. My "I will drive " was met with "no I will"

Even my protests of I need to keep my hand in was met with no. !!

I got to dread going out with him and became the awful passenger seat driver as I just had to put my twopennuth in as sometimes I thought we would have an accident

As we grow older, our bodies change. What we could easily do at, say, 50 becomes a struggle at 80.

Let’s think of a few examples which would effect our driving skills

Slower reactions
Deteriorating eyesight
Night blindness inc pupils taking longer to adjust to oncoming headlights
Aches & pains in legs, arms & neck - you’ll move more slowly & carefully while looking left & right.
Deteriorating mental faculties, exactly as Shirley has described.

Add stubbornness & ‘it’s everyone else’ and the older driver is setting themselves up for an accident.

My father was forced to give up driving aged 80 when he wrote his car off. His work as a sales rep had involved driving 100s of miles a week. He genuinely was a good driver in his younger years.

We’d tried persuading him to voluntarily stop driving after several people had contacted us about his near misses etc. We even ticked the ‘have experienced (medical problems)’ when applying for a replacement license after his was lost.

Roads are far more congested than when any of us on here took our tests. Let’s hope that we can either recognise for ourselves when we become unsafe, or listen to the concerns of our younger relatives.

I agree it's ageist but maybe us older drivers no matter how experienced drivers we are need to be reassessed just to make sure we are still capable and safe drivers

I was too safe when I was learning and this was thought to be dangerous because I didn't react as others thought I would so this could be a problem

I still hang back if I'm not sure where other drivers would take the chance and move off

My thoughts are a few minutes are worth it to be safe

Sadly too many drivers are rush rush rush

It's ageist and disrespectful to select ability to continue driving based purely on age. I have driven from age 17 and am now 71 and drive a sports car. I have driven all my life, both in the jobs I've done as well as socially. I worked once with an 84 year old who had driven articulated lorries most of his life all over the country and abroad. He, at the age of 84, was one of the best drivers I have ever travelled with. I think a standard of health and ability are more important, as is the amount of driving experience. Sadly some lose confidence and ability because they drive less and less once retired, but then some younger people don't drive much, or it is the male mostly in the driving seat. Insurance statistics prove it is mostly younger drivers who have accidents, including mothers distracted by children in their cars. I would hate to think someone gave up driving because they once made an error of judgement which can happen to anyone.

Regular health (including reaction speed and signs of dementia) and skill checks for everyone would be fairer and make the roads safer.

I too hope I know when to call time on driving

Hubby had a problem admitting he was having problems

He was such a good driver and drove to work every day from Kent to south east London to pick up the private ferry across the Thames to the fords Dagenham sites

At the weekend he drove to the site via the dartford crossing

His Alzheimer and body Dementia was having an effect on his driving in so that he would get too close to a vehicle. ( I hate exhaust uppers) Plus he would misjudged corners and hit the curb

It was our grandaughter who pointed out to him if he had an accident his insurance may not cover him and he could lose everything.plus he would never forgive himself if he injured someone

He thought about it for a few mins and said yes I need to stop driving

It is difficult to accept that the time has come and you really aren't up to it anymore

It wiil be a big adjustment for me when I have to say that's it but it can be got around with taxis and online shopping

Phillip really deosnt have that concern ,he has staff who will always be there

I have been driving since the mid-1960s having passed my test then but if I had a chauffeur I'd happily be driven.

A lot of my friends now drive only locally, a couple have given up altogether, some because the density and speed of traffic has increased beyond their comfort zone. Some began to stop driving when they began to suffer night blindness.

So far so good for me but the longest single journey I've driven in the last year or so has been a journey of 3.5 hours on motorway and A and B roads with one coffee break in the middle. I really hope it becomes clear to me when it's time to give up.

Apparently Prince Philip does have a driving licence.

My grandaughter had a similar accident
She was at fault ! It was early morning and she was driving to the pick up point for the coach to work

She came to the crossroads and the early morning sun was dazzling even though she was wearing sun glasses and she slowed down and then proceeded across only to hit another driver who drove around the bend in the road . This was going across country

Both cars were write offs

Thank god neither sustained bad injuries

She was in her early thirties so it's not always an age thing

I am coming up 82 and still drive but would give up if I had this type of accident

There may be a case for re taking the test after a certain age as roads and traffic have changed a lot since lots of us older drivers took our tests

I passed the test in1975 so was in my late 30's then

A boost for driver-less cars, perhaps? ;-)

Most comprehensive car insurance policies cover a replacement car within 24hrs while ins etc is sorted out. Depending on what t u pay the model can vary from budget to like 4 like.

Given the Duke's financial resources and age I would have thought that common sense should have told him to use a chauffeur / bodyguard.

The roads of Norfolk and neighbouring Lincs are poor with a dreadful safety record.
The Duke should not try mixing it with the hoi polloi and their fast moving MPVs. Did any body's nails get broken?

I broke my wrist when knocked off my motor bike by a hit run truck as a teenager. I would not call it a minor injury esp with A levels coming up.

Sue, with respect, what is " Speeding?

in my view ...driving without due care for conditions...
ie foggy, bad visibilty...


driving faster than someone has decreed safe(or convenient for a particular stretch of road)

that road is a 60 mph road( or was, and appears to .be accident prone.
it will be reduced to 50 shortly....

a driver cannot join 60 mph traffic from a standstill....that is what slip roads are for....

Didn't take long for a new car to be delivered for him

Mere mortals have to go through the whole insurance process

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/prince-philip-crash-as-duke-takes-delivery-of-another-land-rover-will-he-be-back-on-the-road-soon/ar-BBSrjf3?ocid=spartandhp

It would have been picked up by local then, possibly, National papers if the other driver was 97. The same age related discussion would ensue.