Should drivers over 70 be retested

Should I be lucky enough to reach 70 I will be hoping, by then, I'd have dispensed with the need to drive...

Think there are plenty of other groups of road users that need a closer look at before 'dealing' with the over 70's...
 
drdel said:
I don't know if anyone has noticed but if, as the underlying message suggests, you take the right to drive from those over 70 there will be a significant impact on spending as retirees have both the money and time and are an increasing proportion of the population.

There are numerous studies quoting how the 70 years olds of tomorrow will enjoy the health benefits of the 50 year olds. The NHS would incur more ambulance costs ferrying people to visits. The bus costs for local authorities would increase and spending in many local centres would fall.

The accident rates for the older driver are low as is the average severity of the accidents in which they are involved.

The odd serious accident is a tragedy but pretty rare and laws made in haste usually suffer from the 'law of unintended consequences'.

Nobody seems to have mentioned much about the impact on Golf Clubs if significant numbers of senior members are prevented from driving.
Click to expand...

Slow play would be eradicated??:whistle:
 
drdel said:
I don't know if anyone has noticed but if, as the underlying message suggests, you take the right to drive from those over 70 there will be a significant impact on spending as retirees have both the money and time and are an increasing proportion of the population.

There are numerous studies quoting how the 70 years olds of tomorrow will enjoy the health benefits of the 50 year olds. The NHS would incur more ambulance costs ferrying people to visits. The bus costs for local authorities would increase and spending in many local centres would fall.

The accident rates for the older driver are low as is the average severity of the accidents in which they are involved.

The odd serious accident is a tragedy but pretty rare and laws made in haste usually suffer from the 'law of unintended consequences'.

Nobody seems to have mentioned much about the impact on Golf Clubs if significant numbers of senior members are prevented from driving.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure anyone has suggested taking away the right to drive - more asking people to show they are still capable of driving safely
 
I believe that over 70 drivers are generally far safer drivers than recently qualified teenagers, so why not make them take a retest a year after qualifying? As a private pilot, I have to take a skills test every couple of years, regardless of age, so retesting drivers every few years is not such a bad idea, but I suspect it would cost too much money.
 
delc said:
I believe that over 70 drivers are generally far safer drivers than recently qualified teenagers, so why not make them take a retest a year after qualifying? As a private pilot, I have to take a skills test every couple of years, regardless of age, so retesting drivers every few years is not such a bad idea, but I suspect it would cost too much money.
Click to expand...
Do you have anything to provide a basis for that ?
 
williamalex1 said:
The price of my insurance at 69 is a fraction of what a teenager would pay. So the insurance companies must think kids are a greater risk.
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I would suggest they are both a high risk - one group are immature drivers and capable of mistakes due to arrogance and lack of expirence on the road and the other group due to reduced reactions , eyesight , concentration levels - all things that decrease through the years.

Both IMO risks on the road - as opposed to one being "far safer"
 
delc said:
Government statistics and insurance claim rates. Older drivers do not generally try to show off to their mates, and have years of driving experience on their side.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link to the government statistics please :thup:
 
drdel said:
I don't know if anyone has noticed but if, as the underlying message suggests, you take the right to drive from those over 70 there will be a significant impact on spending as retirees have both the money and time and are an increasing proportion of the population.

There are numerous studies quoting how the 70 years olds of tomorrow will enjoy the health benefits of the 50 year olds. The NHS would incur more ambulance costs ferrying people to visits. The bus costs for local authorities would increase and spending in many local centres would fall.

The accident rates for the older driver are low as is the average severity of the accidents in which they are involved.

The odd serious accident is a tragedy but pretty rare and laws made in haste usually suffer from the 'law of unintended consequences'.

Nobody seems to have mentioned much about the impact on Golf Clubs if significant numbers of senior members are prevented from driving.
Click to expand...

They can afford a taxi then or get on the half empty buses that go to & from the city centres everyday if they "have the money & time", or they can use the Ring & Ride services which can pick them up from their homes and take them almost anywhere, so, I disagree that we would isolate the elderly and especially those that can afford to run a vehicle as there are many services they can use for free or at a fraction of the cost of running their own car!

Its not picking on the elderly, it's a method of ensuring that those on the road are capable of driving and more so understanding how much things have changed on our roads over the years, so that for me goes for everyone, do away with road tax or dilute it significantly and test everyone every 5 years, hows that for radical thinking :smirk:
 
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