Should older people have to take a competency test in order to keep driving?

Question

As people age their reflexes, eyesight, coordination, etc deteriorate. This can affect their ability to control a motor vehicle. However, in the UK there is no gauge for a persons ability to drive a motor vehicle once they have passed their test.

Should older people have to take a competency test (not a full UK license test, just 10 minutes with an instructor to prove that they are capable of handling a motor vehicle) once they reach a certain age? And what should that age be?

FYI I am currently 31 years old.

Answer 1

YES I think everybody should at least every 4 or 5 years. They don't make "older" people do it because the AARP says it's age discrimination. I have seen people in the 30's and 40's that need to justify why they still have there licenses as much as someone in there 70's

Answer 2

EVERYONE should be tested every 5 years, but we can all drive to pass our test, it's what we drive like without the examiner sat next to us that's the problem.

The other problem is the traffic division of our police forces has been basically replaced by cameras mainly targeted at speed, so now very few dangerous drivers get stopped and less prosecuted for basically driving like cocks.

I used to do 2,500 miles per month but gave it up as the standards of driving have deteriorated so badly and there are so many idiots out there it's just not safe. I now do 100 miles per day on a motorbike, and people don't care about any other road user and seem to feel invincible in their car and will even believe they can ram a truck and get away with it(I saw this happen the other day and the car driver's face was a picture-he tried to force his way in to a traffic queue and intimidate a 38 tonner-he lost).

Answer 3

Good question...and i think your suggestion of 10 mins is good, but you don't say what age you think is in the older category.
They say older peoples reflexes slow down, i'm 54 and mine are still good. I don't need glasses and i enjoy driving. I am confident enough to be on the road. Also people are living longer and looking after themselves, keeping younger so at what age do you think we start to deteriorate....i know what you mean, and i know this isn't part of your question, but what about the people who are young and reckless. I think they should have to do a similar test and i'm sure some of them would be off the road as well as some older ones.(bless them)...it must be very difficult to give up that bit of Independence when your loosing so many other things with age, but you won't know how it feels yet being 31..i've looked at some older people and thought they can't even see over the wheel, but i was parked yesterday in a car park when i heard a crash, i looked up to see a man in his 30's and a woman in another car around the same age had reversed into each-other. Hope i've answered your question...happy driving...

Answer 4

I believe that all people should have to prove that they still have the ability to operate a motor vehicle everytime that they renew their drivers license.

Either a full blown road test, or a simple motor skills test. But, everyone should present themselves to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles and submit to some new protocol.

I have seen that there are many factors that can inhibit a person's ability to drive - neurological, alcohol or drug abuse, or otherwise.

Unfortunately, for many of these people - they are the last ones to recognize when it is unsafe to operate a motor vehicle. These people cause accidents which hurt or even kill other people.

A uniform protocol would also ensure that we are not discriminating against our older drivers.

Answer 5

I think we should all be re-tested from time to time and would suggest licences only be given for 10 years at a time. I sat my test prior to the introduction of the basic theory test, so I've never sat one. I still hold a licence though. Equally, parking was not included in my driving test so I've never needed to prove my competency in it. Most people would say had it been in my test I would have failed it!

The difficulty however with mandatory re-testing would be that as we grow older and more infirmed we rely upon our cars to preserve our mobility. So, the impact of removing a driving licence from someone who's say over 65 could be a lot greater than on someone who is say 25. That introduces the factor of age discrimination. Insurance companies already discriminate against younger drivers. I would hope that they don't also discriminate against older drivers!

Answer 6

A "Driving Check Up" would be a good idea at around the 70 yrs mark. But I would also recommend a re-test for the under 25's, after 1 year. Seeing the level of the average "Boy Racer" driving around now a days I would think that the insurance company's would demand it!!!

Answer 7

I'm not from the UK but I think they should when they reach a certain age. My mom was 80 and thank goodness she quit driving on her own. She still had a couple more years before she had to renew it but she had a problem with her eyes and was slowly losing her sight so she quit. There are alot of people that won't though. I think they should have them checked atleat once a year after a certain age.

Answer 8

Yes I think everyone should be checked out every 10 as LGV and PCV drivers are and the DSA driving test should be a lot tougher too. With the introduction of the photo licence being renewable every 10 years then they now have the perfect opportunity to put this in place too.

Answer 9

I agree with this totally.. I think when people turn 65 they should have to re-take the driving test... I almost failed my driving test when I 16 because the instructor thought I was driving too slow... fact of the matter was that I didn't know the speed limit where I was so I was going 25 until I found the speed limit sign... Old people drive too slow anywhere.. freeway, surface streets, resdiential neighborhoods... they don't know how to get where they're going, they don't know how to obey most traffic rules.. and heaven forbid they're trying to find a location that they don't know where it is.. they'll drive 15 mph in the right hand lane with their blinker on as soon as they're in the vicinity at all until they find it... Ridiculous.

I agree with you older people should have to re-take a driver's test.. or at least some sort of course to see if they're a threat to other people on the road!

Answer 10

Absolutely, at 60 and every 5 years after that. Nothing fancy, just to prove they are still capable.

Old persons generally try to limit their driving to daylight, quiet roads, quiet times etc. though. They do try, and sometimes to give up the car is a big issue for them. It's like admitting the end is in sight. We do need to make allowances!!