Passed 75 year old drivers annual test today

TCJBOLDIE

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My yearly medical and eye test was done today and passed with flying colours.
My Doctor is a car nut and has a bright orange Lamborghini key pad with a Muira mouse and he asked me to read the eye chart so I always cut to the chase and read the bottom line to save time and he laughs and says I am showing off :)

My license if up for renewal on my birthday next month so off to the transport office to renew it so took a gamble and renewed it for the maximum of 5 years so am hoping to get full value for my $165 .00 fee and use it all up to the next time I will have to front up again :)

Was wondering if any other countries have compulsory medical and eye tests required for 75 and older drivers like we have here.??

PS I have to carry paperwork with my license in case Mr Plod wants to check if he pulls me over.
 
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Why not?..... Quote from the BBC article: "In key locations such as high-speed junctions, high-speed roundabouts and slip roads onto motorways and dual carriageways - locations where drivers are required to look around quickly and make quick decisions - some drivers over the age of 70 struggle."
 
I don't think it should just be for older drivers; I think everyone should retest and renew every 5-10 years. This would increase driver ability (at least once in a while), generate employment as more testers (and maybe instructors) would be needed, and generate more taxable income for the government. All for the motorist cost of, what, £30 every 5-10 years?

At least at my first thoughts it would like that. Of course it is possible that a more in depth analysis may reveal different results.
 
Why not?..... Quote from the BBC article: "In key locations such as high-speed junctions, high-speed roundabouts and slip roads onto motorways and dual carriageways - locations where drivers are required to look around quickly and make quick decisions - some drivers over the age of 70 struggle."

Picking one statement from an article doesn't make your argument valid :) I can do the same:

"There's a stat that young drivers under the age of 24 have twice as many crashes as you'd expect, given the numbers on the road, and older drivers have half as many as you'd expect, given the number on the road,"
 
That’s what’s wrong with us in this tiny little country, we’re all bureaucrats at heart, like how we take 10 pages of EU directive and turn it into 100 pages of Britlaw. Why don’t we have tests for motability scooters? I saw a woman in one of those buggy things, enveloped in a clear plastic rainproof cover, as she crashed into an electrical junction box near the traffic lights in the town main street. If that had been a pedestrian pity help them.

While we’re at it let’s include cyclists and horse riders as well, they’ve all got rules and I’ll bet not one in 20 know them. Why stop there, let’s have tests for pedestrians before they’re allowed to walk down the street. The Highway Code has rules for them as well – 35 of them!

The driving test in America, at least when I was there was simplicity itself, took about 20 minutes tops. I passed it twice. That included answering a question about which had more alcohol, a mug of beer or a shot of spirits. I had no idea what size a mug of beer was or a shot so I just guessed it was the beer and got it right. The difference with America is that the system is designed to let you pass, they need their workforce and adult population to be mobile rather than restricting everybody with multiple assessments and tests like we do.
 
The USA is a big country but the annual road death rate is around 35,000 out of a population of 320m = approx 1 death for every 9,100 people. In the UK, 1,700 out of a population of 64m = 1 death for every 37,600 people. I reckon that we are doing pretty well.
 
"The difference with America is that the system is designed to let you pass" I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Fair comment, I’m not trying to defend or promote America but it’s about their “Can Do” attitude. Think Panama canal, they went ahead and did it after both Britain and France had failed. Think building the interstate freeways and spending their way out of recession. Think putting a man on the moon. Think building the worlds biggest jumbo jet and building the world’s largest aircraft manufacturing facilities. Think developing the internet and building E-commerce …. The list goes on.
 
The USA is a big country but the annual road death rate is around 35,000 out of a population of 320m = approx 1 death for every 9,100 people. In the UK, 1,700 out of a population of 64m = 1 death for every 37,600 people. I reckon that we are doing pretty well.

Yes, on the stats wyou quote I can't argue but I lived there for almost 15 years and drove at least 10,000 miles a year in many different states. I saw some crazy driving and had one or two near misses like when a guy with a Ford 150 pickup truck towing a boat trailer nearly side swiped me into the centre divider on the I10 Eastbound towards Phoenix or the first time I experienced the Texas Sweep where a pickup in the far L/H lane put on his indicator and proceeded to sweep across the 4 other lanes to take an exit.

But I had good experiences too, we were northbound on the I405 going to LAX airport in the HOV lane going round a long sweeping left hander when I suddenly saw an old Datsun stalled in the road ahead of me. There were 4 lanes of almost solid traffic to the right of me but the guy in the next lane saw and read the situation and immediately accelerated hard leaving me a gap that I could pull into otherwise the Datsun was toast (probably along with my Jeep).
 
Well I seem to have provoked some discussion on the subject :)

I guess that here the authorities (who want to keep their jobs as their first priority) have to appear to be doing something about road safety and they balk at compulsory retesting OR additional training at any age so they leave it up to the Drs to make the decision and inform the authorities if they consider to the older driver is not fit to drive.

I am very active for my age and go to a gym 2/3 times a week and swim as well and lift weights and work 10-12 hours part time each week to keep body and mind active to help delay becoming decrepit/doddery and help my fitness BUT I have seen a few unsteady older drivers getting into cars so slowly that I question their Dr's motive in approving them to drive.
 
Well, all the unsocial driving around my way is caused by young men crazed on testosterone. Which just goes to prove my idea that boys should be buried at 13 and dug up at 30.
 
I hate to say it, BUT, where I live the abundance of young chaps who own cars that they believe defy the laws of physics, feel they are an undiscovered talent for F1 just waiting to be discovered. Seen a few doddering old dears behind the wheel and I tend to give them a wide berth wherever possible. If encountered on the motorway, I give the car a quick squirt and skip around them and be on my way; I much prefer to be in front and not behind such patrons of the road. At the end of the day, rich or poor young or old, there are bad drivers everywhere.
I can only hope and pray that they remain indoors until after I have reached my destination, then they can come out and play ;)
 
There are lies,dam lies and statistics and they can be manipulated to get the answer you are looking for/suits your particular point of view.

Take the young vs old drivers numbers and I would bet that the young drivers would have covered many many more miles than the older drivers which would put them at risk more often than their older counterparts .

The numbers would be more accurate if the accident/death rates were calculated on miles driven IMO
 

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