Do you think as people get older they should have to re-take driving tests?

Question

Following on from my last question about speed limits someone made a good point about old people which I agree with.

How about every 5 years from the age of 60? Sight and reactions tested too?

Raymo - I am not being agesit, I am pondering ways of making the roads safer and have been astounded by the lack of ability displayed by some of the older people on the road. It is a FACT that eyesight in everyone deterioates after the age of 45 so after letting this happen for 15 years surely gettin checked at 60 isn't a bad idea?

At 65 you get a buspass and are classed as an OAP. So its not just me deciding that 60 is old.

Thanks for ur answer tho!

Answer 1

I think everyone should take a "refresher course" every 10 years from the day that they pass their test until the age of 60 then every 3 years from 60 onwards which would include a full medical, sight and reactions tests, also some driving at speed and manouvers.

Answer 2

Hi, i was having this discussion the other day, there has been quite alot of car accidents in the town where i live and people have been killed as a result and it has been because of elderly drivers. So of corse i think they should retake their test. We dont mean to be affensive to old people but they are a hazord to pedestrians and other drivers. For one thing they dont have same reactions as they did when they were young and i think they should re take there driving tests every 2 years from the age of 55, i know it is quite a lot of money but surley they could do it for free as in the end it could save lives.

There was a coach crash where i live taking school children on a trip to south port and the driver was in his 60's and they said that it wasnt the drivers age that cause the accident, because he passed a medical people that age have every year. But quite a few of the children said the coach was swearving side to side, even though the driver had had a medical that year, how does he know or the doctors know that he never blacked out or something or even fell asleep, Its not just about sight and reactions its just the fact that the elderly are unstable and maybe should not even allowed to drive. As all the children could of actually been killed as they coach did over turn. No affence to the elderly as we all get elderly sometime,

Answer 3

The road is a shared resource, everyone has to look out for each other and themselves and accept there will be slower drivers/vehicles on the road. I always add an extra 10 minutes onto my journeys now because I can almost guarantee I will get stuck behind a tractor or something. Anyway, at best our reactions are built to cope with speeds of up to 15mph, yet cars take us well beyond that. The area that our eyes focus on is really no larger than say a 2 pence piece so are any of us really that safe? I expect when we all get 'old' we won't want to give up our licence but, an eye/reaction test would be a good idea.

Answer 4

If the idiot impatient usless young drivers were tested properly to get their license in the first place they wouldn't be driving in such a manner to cause hassle to the more elderly drivers. They years of driving brings experience and whilst I agree that there comes a time when it may be more prudent not to drive I can think of far more crap arrogent "drivers" or should I say point and aimers that get behind the wheel, who are far from old. The youth of today should start having some respect. If it wasn't for the elderly you wouldn't even be living in a free world. In fact you wouldn't even be alive. What harm does it do for you to be nicer on the road and if someone is struggling just pull back and give space.
Anymore stupid suggestions to erode society? More legislation? If you weren't so arrogent you would get your head out your **** and understand reality.

Answer 5

Yes, but it should be free of charge. Because it is expensive enough to keep a car with a 26k a year job. Just think of a £60 pound a week pensioner having to pay to retake a text for something that they will rely on more as they get older. I am 25 and i cannot live without my car but i run miles every day. Think of these old people with mobility problems. All you have to do is think ahead and avoid bad drivers young and old alike.

Answer 6

i think they should introduce compulsary free driving test for people over 65 to be taken every 5 years
and compulsary free sight tests every 2 years
its a fact of life your reactions and vision deterioate as you get older
drivings a dangerous business these days, there are so many idiots on the roads already you do need your wits about you

Answer 7

Sorry, didn't see your last question - but for this one, my Mum and Dad emigrated to Australia and my Dad had to re-take his driving test. I think that he was 75 at the time. His car at the time was automatic transmission, so I suppose that he lost out on using a manual gearbox.
The sight thing is a legal requirement and all drivers should have their eye-sight tested annually - young or old your eye-sight can deteriorate.
If reactions were to be tested, I doubt if any one of us would have ever passed our driving test. Experienced driver or not, if someone is watching, we perform badly.

Answer 8

Yes they should that way we would have less OAP`S on the road it would be brilliant no more getting stuck behind a car doing 10mph or having to wait in the supermarket carpark whist the OAP`s try and park

Answer 9

I wouldn't object to being tested every five years. Did you know the age group with the most accidents are the under 25s? Has this anything to do with the way under 25s drive IE: fast and aggressive.

Answer 10

Very good point - I'm sure a lot would have considerable difficulty in passing, but would it make the roads safer, seeing that that age group have the least accidents and the insurance companies love them for it?