Drivers over 70 stay at home!

[Larrynwin]

No it’s not the younger drivers they can drive better than Hamilton or Verstappen as soon as they get a Licence and show you at every opportunity to prove it.

So it’s not the younger drivers that cause 85% of all serious injury road accidents ?

 

[iandsm]

Fake Thread Headline.

Nothing to see here, move along.

Rather liker the BBC and the news media, Whatever the story make it as dire and miserable as possible

 

[Cherub]

I would agree but what makes you think that 70 is the magic age at which peoples competence to drive suddenly happens? I think if you seriously want to take all drivers who are unsafe off the road then there should be re-testing of every driver at the most every 5 years. They should also have to have a medical certificate as well.

And a drugs test.

 

[The Wino]

So it’s not the younger drivers that cause 85% of all serious injury road accidents ?

I suspect he was saying that in a jokey way!. I bet if they did fit speed limiters to youngsters cars the oldies would be cursing

 

[MR. FUSION]

Good job nobody mentioned moho drivers or tuggers, 99% of the public think they are a PITA & should only drive at night on Wednesdays

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[MR. FUSION]

Why aim at older drivers when young drivers are the greatest risk, maybe a speed limiter on cars driven by young drivers with less than say 2 years experience

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What actually needs to happen is the driving age is raised from 17, its far to young for most youngsters, particularly these days, when a lot of them seem to have delayed maturity.

 

[Larrynwin]

What actually needs to happen is the driving age is raised from 17, its far to young for most youngsters, particularly these days, when a lot of them seem to have delayed maturity.

Yes and one hand is permanently holding a mobile phone

 

[denisejoe]

I agree with that just let over 70s sit a test instead job done

How about every one has to have an eye test every 2 years plenty of 30 to 60 year olds I’ve seen that either can’t drive properly or are 1/2 blind

 

[MR. FUSION]

Yes and one hand is permanently holding a mobile phone

Yep, so many on the phone.

 

[busby]

How about every one has to have an eye test every 2 years plenty of 30 to 60 year olds I’ve seen that either can’t drive properly or are 1/2 blind

Both,,BUSBY.

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[Gaston aires]

I'm over seventy.

I certainly wouldn't be a passenger in any vehicle I was driving...

JJ

Or any club that would have you.

 

[sedge]

I do actually think that ALL drivers from when they first get their provisional onwards should have proper eyetests including peripheral vision. Assuming you don't need glasses for anything else, it's more than possible at any age but more as you age, to start cataract growth which can be very slow indeed to actually tell you yourself that Houston, I have a problem and go and get it sorted.

 

[L' Hobo]

I think the answer is really quite simple. There are three reasons, all probably interconnected.
1. As drivers get older they tend to drive less, and drive down "known routes" during daytime and fine weather only. Thus they become disorientated when out of this comfort zone. (Not only true of the elderly though. Plenty of younger motorists who won't drive in the dark or on motorways. I had a friend in her late 20s who travelled 4 miles to work when the direct route was less than a mile because she did not like turning right. - She was married to a driving instructor!)
2. Reduced mental capacity due to dementia starts to happen.
3. Physical impairments become more common. Many elderly refuse to acknowledge these impairments, and that they might affect driving. Poor eyesight, reduced physical mobility are examples. Look how many elderly refuse to accept they have a hearing loss.

Personally I have no objection to having to take a shortened driving test every few years once over the age of 70. Might encourage me to refresh myself on the Highway Code.

... and speaking of poor eyesight, I am getting rather worried by the grey spots drifting in front of my eyes.

Grey spots? You need to clean your windscreen, there supposed to be white.

As I've said before, in my opinion, ALL drivers should HAVE to take a proper eye test every 3yrs. ( AND why, after I've pressed the BOLD button, will it not come off again??? )

 

[ElliesBoss]

( AND why, after I've pressed the BOLD button, will it not come off again??? )

It's an age thing.

 

[Rapido925M]

Where would all of these optometrists come from?
How much would you be prepared to pay for the test?

Last year my eye test was cancelled because of Covid. Would you like me to be banned from driving until I could sit my test?
The Devil is in the details!

Gordon

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[L' Hobo]

Where would all of these optometrists come from?
How much would you be prepared to pay for the test?

Last year my eye test was cancelled because of Covid. Would you like me to be banned from driving until I could sit my test?
The Devil is in the details!

Gordon

Was any licence cancelled because of Covid delays? No, they were sent a letter and extended.
Who would pay, unless your an OAP when it's free, You, of course, just like you have to pay for your road tax etc. Is the possible saving of lives not worth a few quid??
When I lived in Australia, you had to get your eyes tested before they would renew your licence and Reg Plates. If it can work there when the nearest eye clinic or doctor is, possibly 100's of miles away, why cannot it work here?

PS. I live in East Anglia and I had an eye test last year and this year also??

 

[The Wino]

I do actually think that ALL drivers from when they first get their provisional onwards should have proper eyetests including peripheral vision. Assuming you don't need glasses for anything else, it's more than possible at any age but more as you age, to start cataract growth which can be very slow indeed to actually tell you yourself that Houston, I have a problem and go and get it sorted.

Actually I always say I hope I get cataracts as everyone does if they live long enough and I want to live long enough!
The big problem with some people these days is they want their cataract doing at a point where the vision isn't bad enough for it normally recommended because all their friends have got a good result and are persuading them to ask to get it done. I generally have a chat with them and give them a copy of the consent form where its outlined that there's a one in 100 chance to see worse after than before a one in 1000 chance of losing the sight and a one in 10000 chance of losing the eye. When the sight is bad enough for the benefit to outweigh the risk its a different chat as its a 100% chance of the sight getting worse if it's not done.
I do agree on the regular sight tests though but not sure about a full peripheral vision test a lot of visual field machines don't go out far enough. The DVLA test is with both eyes open which won't detect early glaucoma or certain neurological field loss so it needs to be an extra test. The DVLA fee from memory is about £40 for the field test and I don't think anyone is going to do a DVLA field test as part of an NHS eye test. A normal each eye separate central visual field screening is a good idea every test and a good sign that you're getting a full eye exam. It increases the chances of picking up glaucoma where the pressure is normal it makes up about a third of people with glaucoma and used quite often to be missed until the sight was pretty poor .

 

[The Wino]

Was any licence cancelled because of Covid delays? No, they were sent a letter and extended.
Who would pay, unless your an OAP when it's free, You, of course, just like you have to pay for your road tax etc. Is the possible saving of lives not worth a few quid??
When I lived in Australia, you had to get your eyes tested before they would renew your licence and Reg Plates. If it can work there when the nearest eye clinic or doctor is, possibly 100's of miles away, why cannot it work here?

PS. I live in East Anglia and I had an eye test last year and this year also??

The test strictly speaking is free at the point of delivery it is actually paid out of taxation. I retire after another 2 days after 40 years as an optometrist one thing that really annoys me is the rate paid for an NHS eye test my car mot last week cost rougly 2 1/2 times as much.

 

[L' Hobo]

The test strictly speaking is free at the point of delivery it is actually paid out of taxation. I retire after another 2 days after 40 years as an optometrist one thing that really annoys me is the rate paid for an NHS eye test my car mot last week cost rougly 2 1/2 times as much.

A number of Eye clinics, including my own, where I live have now gone totally private because of the low rate, and as Glaucoma runs in the family, I too now have to pay to be tested despite being 76yrs old but better than wine, women and song

 

[The Wino]

A number of Eye clinics, including my own, where I live have now gone totally private because of the low rate, and as Glaucoma runs in the family, I too now have to pay to be tested despite being 76yrs old but better than wine, women and song

I think it would have happened years ago if it wasn't for the big companies who see it as a loss leader to sell specs. It has held back optometry in the UK.

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[Nanniemate]

Presumably you are nowhere near 70 years old yet?

Will your opinion change when you are? Competence to drive should be the only criteria - not age!!

If that was the case there would be a lot less traffic on the roads 1000's have passed the test but are they competent........

On the brighter side for us under 70 more space for our vans in lovely spots

The tin hat is on

 

[L' Hobo]

It's an age thing.

As it's Christmas.....Oh no it's not! .........All the others switch on and off OR are you implying the button is too old?

 

[MR. FUSION]

The govt is using an aggregate method of removing drivers off the road. So with older drivers I read it is proposed if you are involved in a qualifying driving infraction and/or accident you will be assessed medically & sent for driving skills testing.

 

[Larrynwin]

I was diagnosed with glaucoma in my left eye a few months before renewing my C1+E licence and although 20/20 in both eyes there was a very slight reduction of field vision when eyes tested individually although ok both together but it was enough for DVLA to remove my C1+E.
My eyesight is tested annually in the Eye Dept at our local hospital in addition to Specsavers biannually and fortunately still good.

 

[The Wino]

I was diagnosed with glaucoma in my left eye a few months before renewing my C1+E licence and although 20/20 in both eyes there was a very slight reduction of field vision when eyes tested individually although ok both together but it was enough for DVLA to remove my C1+E.
My eyesight is tested annually in the Eye Dept at our local hospital in addition to Specsavers biannually and fortunately still good.

I suspect you have a glaucoma check at the hospital each year ( its only designed to look at the glaucoma aspect of your eyes it won't look at your spectacle prescription or necessarily pick up other eye conditions). The sight test at the opticians is a more general check and looks at other eye conditions and if you're specs are right. The good news is that if you're on an annual visit you're low risk of severe sight loss. Make sure you follow the drops to the letter and tell your relatives. As you have discovered it's not possible to tell if you are losing peripheral vision usually until you're well below the legal limit for driving. I see people on a regular basis who are shocked when they're told to notify the DVLA and it's likely they will lose their license.

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[Nanniemate]

Grey spots? You need to clean your windscreen, there supposed to be white.

As I've said before, in my opinion, ALL drivers should HAVE to take a proper eye test every 3yrs. ( AND why, after I've pressed the BOLD button, will it not come off again??? )

Because you need an eye test

 

[Larrynwin]

I suspect you have a glaucoma check at the hospital each year ( its only designed to look at the glaucoma aspect of your eyes it won't look at your spectacle prescription or necessarily pick up other eye conditions). The sight test at the opticians is a more general check and looks at other eye conditions and if you're specs are right. The good news is that if you're on an annual visit you're low risk of severe sight loss. Make sure you follow the drops to the letter and tell your relatives. As you have discovered it's not possible to tell if you are losing peripheral vision usually until you're well below the legal limit for driving. I see people on a regular basis who are shocked when they're told to notify the DVLA and it's likely they will lose their license.

I missed the fact that following the diagnosis I had a Trabeculectomy op on the left eye which even after 8 years has maintained pressure in that eye at 14 .
Thankfully for me my right eye is perfect and I have a field test as part of the annual hospital check up .
Specsavers always do a pressure test and it was they that initially reported the increased pressure above 20 and referred me to the hospital.

 

[The Wino]

I missed the fact that following the diagnosis I had a Trabeculectomy op on the left eye which even after 8 years has maintained pressure in that eye at 14 .
Thankfully for me my right eye is perfect and I have a field test as part of the annual hospital check up .

Unfortunately a pressure of 14 doesn't guarantee it won't continue to lose sight I have seen people get worse at that pressure but they have certainly improved your odds!. I usually tell patients that glaucoma is an ageing change the best we can do usually is slow any deterioration to a point where it does affect lifestyle if we achieve that we've done well. When I qualified in the 1980,s people who had glaucoma for 10+ years typically had pretty poor sight now they generally have pretty good sight we live in a lucky era. The other really good news is most of us are around a lot longer to use the sight!

 

[L' Hobo]

Because you need an eye test

Some people ain't arf cocky just because they've been on holiday! Why ain't you isolating????

 

[cyberyacht]

Both OH and I have glaucoma. Fortunately my pressures are stable but OH had a Trabeculectomy in the early autumn. In her case we are still waiting to have a DVLA sight test for her licence renewal which was sent off in May. Specsavers have always done field vision tests on my periodic visits even before I was diagnosed with glaucoma.

Often it's not vision issues when driving, it's people's awareness. I don't know if it is an increase in motorway driving that makes them switch off instead of concentrating.

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