Do you think people over 70yrs should have to re-take their driving test???

Answer 1

Oh God YES!!! My friend had got into an accident a few years ago with an 86 yr old man who "didn't see" her PARKED car in the post office parking lot... He was backing up so fast in his truck that his tires ended up on top of her back bumper and screwed everything up even the lock on her truck was stuck! How you can miss a 3000 pound object is beyond me!!!

Answer 2

There comes a time when the law has to decide if a person is capable of driving safely or not. As people age their perception of speed and distance becomes less distinct and so more accidents can happen. The problem is that some people are perfectly capable of safe driving at 70 or 80 and some are dangerous. I know a man who is 102 and still driving - and he was scary at 65!

When I was younger I bought a car off a man who was 82 and had never made a claim on his car insurance or even had a bump. The Local newspaper did an article on his driving and showed me the newspaper cuttings. His insurance company had given him fully comp. insurance for 1p a year. Of course this acted as free advertising for them.

The man was obviously a safe driver but had made the decision to stop driving while he had a good record. I bought his last car.

While I was a driving instructor I taught two ladies of 69 year's old. One was very good - steering, judgement of speed and distance etc and one nearly killed me!
- So some are good and some awful.

At some point they will have to decide at what age to re-test people. When you reach 73 you have to have a medical so that's a start.

Answer 3

Most drivers, if they had to do a driving test, would fail. Have you ever not stopped completely at a stop sign? Changed lanes without indicating? Sped through a yellow light at an intersection? Used you car horn inappropriately? I see these things everyday, and not from older drivers. Consider this, between the ages of 16 and 70, you have no driving lessons or test, and wouldn't know whether you are driving safely, other than when you are caught speeding or crash.
Driving tests should be compulsory, not just for the over-70s, but for everyone, say, every 5 years. A 1 hour test, every 5 years, not too much out of your life, is it? You would then not be seen to be discriminating, and would not offend someone who deserves more respect than to be told not to drive because of their age.

Answer 4

When I read Jimmy The One saying that statistics make out that older people have less accidents, it does tend to get up my nose to read something of the sort. OF COURSE they have less accidents, they are less on the roads than younger ones who have to go to work every day to pay for the retirement of the old folk. Young people have a better social life so are more 'out and about'. You have to compare what is comparable. Old folk take their car out of their garage once a week, get mixed up if they see a new signpost (puts them out of sorts anything new), most have forgotten what the signposts even mean or if they apply to them or others on the road. I'm talking about what I have seen. My mother-in-law was 80 years old when I got into the car with her one day. I nearly had a heart attack seeing the way she drove. A real danger on the roads!! Since then, I told her that I wasn't letting her drive. She could hardly pass the gears, when talking she was nearly driving into the fields beside the road, didn't heed give way signs, saying that because she was on a 'bigger road' it wasn't for her but for those arriving at the intersection of the other road, and I'll stop there. I've had the 'chance' (sarcastic!) of being in cars with several drivers over 60 years old. Their eyes should already be tested and their licence taken away if they can't see sufficiently to drive safely. They haven't as many accidents because they are less on the roads but they are a real danger when they do decide to go for a weekly/monthly day out!!!!

Answer 5

I think people under 25 should have to re-take their driving test. Im 63 years of age and pay £230 for fully comp insurance, I hav`nt had an accident that was my fault for 20 years. If I was under 25 I would probably pay 8 times that amount. Its not about getting there fast, its about getting there safely. The answer to your question is yes as long as they dont have to pay for the test, and they would probably pass it with flying colours. So I wont be getting 10 points!

Answer 6

There was a South Park about that.

I don't know if 70 should be the cut-off date...but I think at some point, people should be retested for their licenses. The worst near-misses I've been in were with old people who shouldn't have been driving. I'm sorry if it kills their independence or whatever...but I shouldn't have to put my life at so much risk so old people can drive till they drop dead. It's a proven fact that old people get to the point (at some point) where they literally don't see something happening if it's out of the ordinary.

So why should I have to deal with these people out to kill me because their reflexes are shot and they can't see well enough to drive? If they wanted somebody to take care of them when they were older, they should have been better parents or made enough money to hire chauffeurs or at least live somewhere with buses and stuff. I don't respect old people who have no business driving who are out on the road putting my life and theirs (and everyone else's) in danger. Take away their licenses...and their license plates. You can drive awhile without a license, but if you don't have a tag, somebody's gonna notice.

I don't know what age to make people retest for licenses...but there should be a cutoff point.

Answer 7

Absolutely positively yes! As well as anyone else who has too many tickets for disobeying traffic laws. There are too many idiots and incompetent people driving on our roads putting our lives in danger every day. You shouldn't get a free pass just because you are old.

Answer 8

Yes Yes Yes. I think reactions go as you get older but having said that I do have an uncle who is in his 80's who is fantastic better driver than me!!! but the majority are a hazard. Would like to know some stats how may accidents etc

Answer 9

Yes and they should be taught to drive at the speed limit too, not 10 miles an hours on every road they drive on, its dangerous.

Answer 10

Without a doubt yes.
I personally think everyone should have to re-take it every 10 years.