what can you do? or should i have done OLD PEOPLE DRIVING

[dabaldie]

on the way home from work i was driving down a single carriageway road, quite windy and i noticed the car in front was a bit all over the show and crossing the central line on the bends. Initially i thought the driver might be a bit worse for wear.
I looked at the car closely and saw it was a little old dear who could hardly see over the steering wheel of her rover 100.
Anyway i eased off and gave her loads of room until the road opened up into 3 lanes, 2 on our side, and one on the other.
I then went to overtake and just as i did she weaved into my lane and forced me to slam the anchors on and skid into the oncoming lane to avoid her ramming me. I then leant on the horn as you do... and watched as she, completely oblivios to me , indicated left and turned off at the roundabout 100metres up the road , right in front of another car!!

now whats the law say about what you can and cannot do? I know its not an arrestable offence so cant make a citizens arrest.. if they still exist? and also cant pull her over anyway.
would i be right in dialling 999 as it was very likely that there was going to be an accident.. christ if there was something coming the other way i wouldnt be here now! or would that be classed as a non-emergency?

btw.. if you see a drunk driver (ie someone getrting in a car obviously drunk).. are you able to call 999 legit?

anyway the above emphasises my view thet once you reach 75 you should be forced to take a driving test every 5 years at least!

 

[Gary_M]

Hi,

First thing - glad that you avoided any accident and harm (well, physical harm anyway - I'm sure the nerves took a pounding )

I can totally understand your dilemma. I 'suffer' these situations regularly as a particular stretch of road I need to travel on (60mph speed limit) very often has people toddling along at 35mph, totally oblivious to the huge queue of irate drivers behind them !!! And yes, it does tend to be an elderly driver holding everyone up. I am certainly not suggesting that 'only' the elderly cause such problems, and my reply would be to anyone that is considered as a 'danger' on the roads

I have in the past phoned the local Police station when I have seen someone driving very dangerously. I didn't dial 999, as I thought that the person I spoke to in the Police station would judge the 'urgency' of the call based on my information.

I think that you can still contact the Police about your situation, as long as you are willing to be a witness to the woman's driving. The problem is that unless there were other witnesses it will come down to 'one word against the other', so unless the woman admits that she was driving dangerously (which, as you say she was probably totally oblivious to anyway), it is unlikely that the matter would be taken further. On saying that, it may be that someone else has reported her too, so your call may not be in vain.

Although this will cause a riot, I actually think that EVERYONE should have to resit their test every 5 years. I wouldn't really fancy doing it, but it would save anyone from these eldery groups saying that the elderly were being singled out - and they would come up with the rationale that most accidents are caused by young people

 

[dabaldie]

Although this will cause a riot, I actually think that EVERYONE should have to resit their test every 5 years. I wouldn't really fancy doing it, but it would save anyone from these eldery groups saying that the elderly were being singled out - and they would come up with the rationale that most accidents are caused by young people

yep good idea.
would solve many problems. (maybe have an overlap period so you can sit your test before it is due just in case you fail and then have a chance to brush up before your old one expires)

anyway..

would keep the roads safer ie keep the bad habits off the road.
would solve the eyesight issue.. (over 30% of drivers would fail a roadside test!)
would stop the elderly feeling victimised
and would raise even MORE money for the government.. (not necessarily a good idea for us but wopuld certainly make it more likely to happen!)

 

[Richardp]

I would ban driving to the general public, its far too dangerous but as that won't happen I'll agree with Gary and make everyone retake their test.(watch out for slogger on his bike)

 

[dabaldie]

yeah but rich.. you hardly need to drive on the scillies

 

[Richardp]

yeah but rich.. you hardly need to drive on the scillies

oh! drat! you gone caught me out, well I gotta drive me boat over to tresco and back for a pint of skinners.

 

[paulbrown]

Sorry but I disagree with retaking your test on a regular basis, it would just become another stealth tax.

I believe seniors do need to have either a medical ,or at least eye tests, upon reaching a certain age and periodically thereafter.

Some people just can't drive regardless of age.

 

[Richardp]

disagree?shoot! we'll have to check the rules on this one, there's always a trouble maker.

 

[dg123]

Sorry but I disagree with retaking your test on a regular basis, it would just become another stealth tax.

I believe seniors do need to have either a medical ,or at least eye tests, upon reaching a certain age and periodically thereafter.

Some people just can't drive regardless of age.

I think the situation is that those over 70 can simply sign a form stating that they are still fit to drive. Doctors only come in to it when there is a declared medical condition.

Re-test every five years is bang on - that should rid us of low standards of driving and remove the need for 'safety' cameras.

 

[vokera80e]

i rekon this one is down to drink,i would have got the reg number and reported it straight away to the cops...(save a life)

 

[Steve]

Theres always one driver on my way to work, determined to hold up the traffic. They get to a village, see the 30 signs, and somehow never see the de-restricted signs (or, as i suspect in many cases, dont know what they mean).

Having been in quite a bad accident myself, i am aware they one can be the best driver in the world and still have an accident - what happened to me was the result of someone else not paying attention to the road (for those who remember, the bloke's house is now for sale, the insurers still haven't been able to contact him!)

My grandad once went on a driver assesment for work, and the guy doing it told him that if it was his real driving test, he wouldn't pass, due to a number of reasons! I suspect this to be true of many drivers, and I reckon a fair system would be to randomly retest (average every 5 years) anyone who has had a speeding fine or other road offence, and those over 70, INCLUDING the theory!

Then again, driving test centres already have 4 month waiting lists and are stretched to capacity, this would do nothing to help, but it is a good idea.

 

[sparkacus]

And whilst going on about slow moving traffic - why is it that trucks/Hgv's always have to take over each other at that one stretch of dual carriageway you could have passed them! They can only go at approximately the same speeds because of the restrictors they have fitted!
I think the Dutch have got it right and don't allow trucks/Hgv's to overtake during working hours unless there are three carriageways and even then they can only use the first two.
Makes you wonder if half our truckers are old too!!!!!

 

[Gary_M]

Theres always one driver on my way to work, determined to hold up the traffic. They get to a village, see the 30 signs, and somehow never see the de-restricted signs (or, as i suspect in many cases, dont know what they mean)............

Yeah, then there's the ones who were toddling along at 30mph in a 60 zone, come to a 40mph restriction and slow down to 25

 

[Slogger]

get in front of them and brake HARD if nothing else you get them taken off the road

 

[CG]

I hate these lorry drivers on the A14 or M11 - yes the ones who do 55 and 56 mph next to each other all the way from Duxford to Stansted tossers!!!!!! A crash every day on these roads all because they get off the ferry at Harwich tired and try driving all day having come from Latvia or some 3rd world place where petrol is half our price!!!!!!!!!

Always the left hookers running over a car full of kids etc whilst pulling out.

I never let them out ever