So, a old friend 88 years young had a hip replacement done and duly discharged from hospital. Bit later able to drive, and rear ended by someone , car written off, As he had some problems using the clutch his daughter said get an auto. Did so and when coming to a stop pressed the imaginary clutch pedal and rear ended someone writing off his new car. Went and bought another car (manual with a light clutch) and then fell over and fractured his femur..
Wanna buy a nearly new car cheap Orb... Err no thanks.
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Pity he didn’t have the good sense to know the time had come to stop driving.
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>> Pity he didn’t have the good sense to know the time had come to stop
>> driving.
>>
Exactly! Rather stupid and irresponsible
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I ask myself whether I will pack up driving if my capacity to do so declines.
I then wonder at what point will I believe my ability has deteriorated to the point I need to stop. I may no lnger have the eyesight and reactions of a 20 year old, but I have over 50 years largely accident free driving experience.
Many simply blame someone or something else - other drivers, poor car design, rubbish road layout, lack of signs etc etc etc. Admitting personal accountability is the final option.
It is easy to be self rightoeus and insist that to carry on driving would be irresponsible. I have no desire to kill or injure anyone through my inadequate use of a car.
However I will honestly admit that it would take repeated prangs (effectively becoming uninsurable) or very seriously failing health (eg: eyesight) before I would willingly give up the freedom a car allows.
Last edited by: Terry on Sat 6 Dec 25 at 12:03
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>> However I will honestly admit that it would take repeated prangs (effectively becoming uninsurable) or
>> very seriously failing health (eg: eyesight) before I would willingly give up the freedom a
>> car allows.
>>
BUT the first accident wasn;t his fault and he had the 1st car for 14 years without accident. It's after the at fault accident he reverted to a maual and now after breaking a Femur he IS giving up driving.
Where has he been bad in all that.
He offered me the car, ( a nearly new Skoda) but I'm ok car wise.
Let he who casts the first stone.....be
Last edited by: ORB>> on Sat 6 Dec 25 at 12:19
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How do you rear end someone by hitting the imaginary clutch pedal? The usual thing is the hit the brake pedal much too hard and stop very abruptly. I've done it myself - when I was much younger!
Herself has just chosen to have a new car, on the basis that if her existing one might not have 'seen her out' she would be better off adapting to a different car now (at a very capable 76) than she might be in several years' time. That said she has been driving automatics since 2002 so she doesn't have that aspect to cope with. She switches between her car and the automatic Outlander easily enough.
I'm 72 and drive different cars quite regularly, including our own manual and two automatics. I will be very reluctant to stop driving, but I can imagine it. I bet I'm not the only one who will admit to finding night driving more challenging - the reduced dynamic range of older eyes makes it difficult to see any detail in shadows in the face of oncoming headlamps, especially 'nodding' LEDs/xenons which are a menace.
If I have a choice I prefer the Outlander to either the MX-5 or the Mazda 2 at night. Being higher up means I am less dazzled.
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> I'm 72 and drive different cars quite regularly, including our own manual and two automatics.
>> I will be very reluctant to stop driving, but I can imagine it. I bet
>> I'm not the only one who will admit to finding night driving more challenging -
>> the reduced dynamic range of older eyes makes it difficult to see any detail in
>> shadows in the face of oncoming headlamps, especially 'nodding' LEDs/xenons which are a menace.
>>
>> If I have a choice I prefer the Outlander to either the MX-5 or the
>> Mazda 2 at night. Being higher up means I am less dazzled.
>>
One of our neighbours is the same age, he's knocked driving at night on the head now. Rain, poor street lighting and very bright leds means he just isn't confident he said at night.
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>> I bet
>> I'm not the only one who will admit to finding night driving more challenging -
>> the reduced dynamic range of older eyes makes it difficult to see any detail in
>> shadows in the face of oncoming headlamps, especially 'nodding' LEDs/xenons which are a menace.
>>
>>
I'm a year older than you and I've stopped driving at night. Possibly if a developing cataract is removed I might start again, but it won't particularly bother me if I don't.
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>> Let he who casts the first stone.....be
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone (John 8:7)
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>>
>> Let he who is without sin cast the first stone (John 8:7)
>>
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
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>> >> Pity he didn’t have the good sense to know the time had come to
>> stop
>> >> driving.
>> >>
>> Exactly! Rather stupid and irresponsible
Afraid thats part of the aging process, you need someone to take a firm attitude
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A lot of elderly drivers know that they should stop driving but don’t really want to admit it to themselves or to others. Some frank talking by their family is needed. Hopefully new eyesight tests will be the excuse needed for some to admit they shouldn’t be driving.
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A lot of people give up by degrees.
My Mother tootled around home in Leeds but other than going to Scarborough or Keswick she rarely drove further afield.
After moving to the Midlands she rarely went further than a nearby village with Waitrose, and eventually gave up altogether in her early eighties.
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>> A lot of elderly drivers know that they should stop driving but don’t really want
>> to admit it to themselves or to others. Some frank talking by their family is
>> needed. Hopefully new eyesight tests will be the excuse needed for some to admit they
>> shouldn’t be driving.
>>
Wasn't there a pensioner that killed 2/3 other pensioners after ignoring all advice to stop driving? I think it was somewhere in Lancashire that brought all this to the public arena.
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>> Hopefully new eyesight tests will be the excuse needed for some to admit they
>> shouldn’t be driving.
Certainly prompted me to have my cataracts done, and have my eyesight corrected.
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Had my mince pies tested a few days ago…only minimal deterioration in the past two years. Given the all clear to continue driving:-) and despite my age, i’m not unduly bothered by oncoming headlights at night, unlike two friends. They still drive during hours of darkness, but only when necessary.
I’m still more than happy driving on my two annual continental road trips, lack of confidence isn’t an issue, probably too confident.
Very narrow roads through the back streets of villages don’t phase me, nor the manic tunnels of Bilbao & Madrid, but I’m sure the time will come…auto or manual, happy with either.
I only get annoyed trying to find out how to turn off lane deviation and the bongs when exceeding the speed limit in hire cars…120kph up the AP7. Pff…
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Because my brother had glaucoma and it can be hereditary, I am offered examination and consultation every year. I had my cataracts done 12? years ago and asked the surgeon to put in best distance lenses. Vision and driving, no problem.
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".....12? years ago and asked the surgeon to put in best distance lenses. Vision and driving, no problem."
We have the technology and have rebuilt him :)
Back in my Traffic days several elderly drivers came to my notice through either collisions or some bizarre driving. Always administered a sight test in the first instance. It was always a difficult conversation to have whilst being respectful to their advanced years. Recognizing that you no longer have the ability to engage in an activity you have been capable of for many decades and the loss of freedom that your own transport gives must be extremely difficult particularly if it is some young buck who is delivering the options.
It could be made somewhat easier if the family was on board. Whilst prosecution was usually the last option I would fully explain the option and that result of that would likely be a retest. Time to consider that. Every time that occurred the driver elected to surrender their licences to DVLA and that was the end of the matter in low level offences.
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Friendly persuasion
That's the best way to do it
30 years ago, a next door neighbour finally handed back his licence after an accident on M74 - where he was going I have no idea and more worryingly I do not think he did either.
Having our regular chats, about a month later, he told me he had been "declared blind" at the hospital eye clinic.
He was a neighbour a few more years. Although he had a son & daughter visits were few & far between. I read the few pieces of mail to him, read out the bank account and wrote the cheques which he signed.
He sold up and built an extension to the daughter's home in Barnton (posh Edinburgh district) - he lasted only a short time.
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The daughter wasn’t daft….
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The daughter dodged putting in too much effort into looking after her dad.
She marries again, mid 40s, marries a CEO of a smallish Edinburgh based Life Assurer. The CEO drops dead, early 50s, shortly after her father. Sold up and moved to South of Spain = a rich widow for a second time.
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Last time I saw my ophthalmologist I asked him if it was safe to continue driving and he said it was. I am waiting on a date to get my cataracts done and hopefully will still be ok after that. I try to avoid night driving if I possibly can especially on back streets. Big roads are better lit so not so bad. I will not do any night time country driving. I am 79. My wife has pretty well given up driving except on local roads that are not too busy.
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Had an eye test earlier in the year and found that, as is apparently common, my distance vision has improved with age.
I still wear glasses, or occasionally daily contacts, when driving but could probably meet the number plate test without them.
I prefer to have best vision I can driving.
Long ago up specs indoors other than watching telly.
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<< Had an eye test earlier in the year and found that, as is apparently common, my distance vision has improved with age. I still wear glasses, or occasionally daily contacts, when driving but could probably meet the number plate test without them. >>
After my cataracts were done about a year ago I hardly wear glasses at all. In decent light I can read books and the paper, and distance vision is no problem at all. I had a pair made after the op, but the correction on both eyes is very slight - the glasses improve one eye but make the other worse :-(
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The joys of aging. - CGNorwich
