Older driver testing 'won't cut toll'

[Hardtopxb]

Some old drivers are a manace on the road.Some middle aged drivers are just as bad.Some young drivers mimic old drivers..its all relative,dont you think?.

[TEaaron]

Maybe you should be issued a O plate for all times while driving once you turn 65 so people can look out for you.

That was neither serious or sarcastic.

[xbcool]

Originally Posted by Smoked

I like the idea of mandatory tests every 5 or so years, allows for a constant maintaining of skill and knowledge of law.

I like your idea

[flappist]

Road Safety has nothing to do with being safe on the road.

Road Safety is doing something that appears to be improving safety on the road while increasing government revenue but most of all not endangering re-election chances.

Young people are disorganised, inexperienced, gullable to some extent, idealistic and used to being told what do do "for their own good".

Old people are organised, experienced, jaded, cynical & pragmatic, understand about the "for your own good" agenda and have the numbers and communications to remove any politician they want to.

Government work on the "divide & conquer" methodology and are quite good at it. Split everyone into small groups and pick them off one at a time.

Old people have seen it all before and don't fall for it.

The government is scared of old people and will NEVER cross them.

That is how a democratic country works, sad really........

[Group C]

i hope i'm right with this (and i'm sure i'll be corrected if wrong), but QLD has the best policy IMO.
every driver over 70 has a yearly licence, that is re-newed on their birthday, and only re-newable after having a full phyiscal at the Docs. don't pass the physical, don't get your licence.

i say this because my late grandfather was car mad (like most of us).
he loved to drive.
anyway, they took his licence at 76 because he was legally BLIND, but he hid it very well. his proiferal(sp?) vision (the part of your sight which sees things to the side of you when looking straight ahead) was gone, so he only had tunnel vision, and poor tunnel vision at that. his blindness was caused by 2(!!) strokes within the previous 12 months that none of us knew about...

basicly, if they hadn't found out how bad his sight was, he WOULD have caused an accident. i hate to think what damage he may have done to someone elses life, even more so now that i'm a father myself, and i worry about my little girl and the actions you see every day by some drivers on our roads.

i think proof that testing of older drivers is needed more regulary when we think of the young girl in Sydney (Sophie??) that has been badly injured TWICE by older drivers not knowing what was going on.
1st time round she was trapped under a car that drove into her daycare centre, which badly burnt her.
2nd time she was run down by a car that drove around another car that had stopped at a pedestrian crossing, and she was crossing with her carer.
poor little bugger...

[MO]

Flappist...you would have to be the ultimate cynic....just to add to previous comments about testing...it should include reaction time in any test.

I would love to be able to drive until the day I die....chances nil...but I will submit to testing on my grounds.

And thats because I'm better than any test they can come up with!!!!!!

[professorsabre]

We make young drivers display "P" plates so give the elderly "E" plates to display so we can give them extra consideration. :

[MO]

Originally Posted by professorsabre

We make young drivers display "P" plates so give the elderly "E" plates to display so we can give them extra consideration. :

So an 'E' plate is going to make it any different to what it is now???

[professorsabre]

It was a joke, hence the laughing face at the end of my sentence.

Anyone would be insane to think that would help or believe I really meant that.

[desGT]

I like the idea of Eye Tests, Reaction Time Tests, Knowlege of Rules tests and anything that weeds out the terrible drivers. Day after day I see them going through red lights, Sitting in the right lane holding up traffic at 20 kmh under the limit, Sitting in between two lanes, Pulling out on oncomming traffic etc etc Some of them have shrunk that much they cannot see over the steering wheel.

Hmm, that about covers all age groups.

Some of the other comments also cover all age groups. Some of you should get your heads out of the sand at look at the big picture. Using mobiles, entering freeways, unable to fathom roundabouts, etc, it is not "old" age limited, it starts at "p"s and continues!!! As a Mid-lifer, I get more hassle from the younger arrogant set than the blue rinse set, the former will grow into and become the latter. No excuse for any of it, not that any government is going to tackle any of the problems.

[SB076]

Originally Posted by pertuan

I havent had that... BUT... I have nearly ran up the rear end of an elderly driver ON the onramp as he/she pulled up to a stop with the indicator on waiting for a gap in the traffic as if they were turning right into a normal road.

I have seen that several times, cant beleive some people can do that ing_sm .

Followed a car on to the freeway today, who braked from 80K, down to about 50k's. How are you supposed to merge with traffic doing 90 - 100k's when you are doing 50???

[SB076]

Originally Posted by Hardtopxb

Some old drivers are a manace on the road.Some middle aged drivers are just as bad.Some young drivers mimic old drivers..its all relative,dont you think?.

Yes that pretty much sums it up, unfortunately nearly everyone gets a license in Australia even if you cant drive.

[GEE 87]

what p*sses me off is that elderly driver seem to think everything us p-plate drivers do is wrong.
i pulled up left lane at the lights at about 10:30 at night, and there was an elderly couple in the right lane in a hyundai getz. i chose the left lane , even though i was turning the first right after the lights, because it was free. so i took off, maybe a little faster than usual (i mean V8's accelerate faster than getz normally so i went a tad faster to make sure i didnt cut them off) and then indicated into the right lane, and shortly straight into a filter lane to turn right. and they ****ing flashed their high beams at me, followed me down the street, and flashed the high beam again while pulling into their driveway.

40 years experience my ***.

[Deadman]

Originally Posted by PH47

I drive an hour each way to work and back, 7 days a week.. and I can honestly say about 80% of the bad driving I see is elderly drivers..

Not looking before merging, not giving way at roundabouts, going through red lights, pulling out from parking spots without looking, going out of their lanes, etc.

I'm more than happy for tougher rules to get your license in the first place, but I also think that elderly driver testing is just as important!

Life is a circle.. as we get older we lose coordination, strength, eyesight, reaction, etc.. just as we gained it all when we're younger.. therefore licensing needs to take this into account!

Originally Posted by AU1FORME

I dont want to offend or nothing but that is "TOTAL RUBBISH"

I have to disagree with that. PH47 was spot on.

I do about 50,000km a year or so, and there are idiots and bad drivers of every age out there - no doubt. But elderly drivers are becoming a large part of the problem. They need to crack down on them just as much (if not more) than P platers. They need to be re-tested. If they are fine to drive - great, I welcome them to the roads.

But I have seen to many merge without looking, enter roundabouts incorrectly (obviously some aren't just crash hot on road rules), run lights (at 35km/h in a 60 zone), and many other dangerous problems (including one who was driving the wrong way down a one way street) which (without being a doctor) could probably just be put down to 'old age' (reaction time issues, sight and hearing problems etc etc)

There is no doubt there are bad drivers of all ages. But if P platers are getting targeted - the same should happen for elderly drivers. Then again - it's to easy to get a licence in the country. Some people just shouldn't drive :P But elderly people need to be re-tested on the road. The simple 'eyesight tests and off you go' mentality doesn't cut it.

[Walkinshaw]

Driving rights should be conducted on ability not age.

The logistics are impossable, but manditory 2yr testing for everyone wouldnt be a bad idea.

The other thing that could be looked at is "random" selection to be reassessed. This could also be linked to trafic infringement notices.

Saying this, the only accident I've ever had was the result of an 84yrold pulling out into traffic without looking. I don't think he is driving any more (mabey not walking). 1600kg @ 60 into a drivers door makes a mess.

[Walkinshaw]

Originally Posted by flappist

The government is scared of old people and will NEVER cross them.

That is how a democratic country works, sad really........

O/T

mabey voting should be on a slide rule scale

your vote is worth = 1*(average life span - your age)
Older you get the less your vote is worth

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Walkinshaw

O/T

mabey voting should be on a slide rule scale

your vote is worth = 1*(average life span - your age)
Older you get the less your vote is worth

Ah but then when the ricer dropkick brigade control road safety policy and the speed limit is 300km/h and all traffic lights have 5 yellows before the green the average life span of a P Plater will be about 20 minutes after they get on the road so in the long term it won't make a lot of difference........

[Smoked]

Originally Posted by flappist

Ah but then when the ricer dropkick brigade control road safety policy and the speed limit is 300km/h and all traffic lights have 5 yellows before the green the average life span of a P Plater will be about 20 minutes after they get on the road so in the long term it won't make a lot of difference........

hahahahahahaha

[Papa Smurf]

Strange all this? who was it that sent the Insurance premiums up years ago? YOUNG drivers. Who is it that gets fined for speeding the most? YOUNG drivers.

Recently a YOUNG man? and his mate were KILLED in a wrx box, the driver of THAT car was YOUNG and the couple in the other car were OLDER? What does THIS tell you all? Admittedly older drivers can from time to time be a problem but NO more than Young drivers?
I drive a short distance to work of a day, about 30 klms round trip. The most people I see braking the LAW are YOUNGER drivers in BMW's, wrx's, rolladoors and late model Mercedes. This is around mainly the BANKSTOWN area.

BTW, people who RUN Red lights are MOSTLY YOUNG people? Ask any policeman. Also, all the *fully Sic* drivers I see of a day drive with MOBILE phones hanging off the ears.

Sorry If I have OFFENDED any YOUNG people but, I get sick of the bashing OLD people
Syndrome. BTW, I am 53

[MO]

Originally Posted by flappist

Ah but then when the ricer dropkick brigade control road safety policy and the speed limit is 300km/h and all traffic lights have 5 yellows before the green the average life span of a P Plater will be about 20 minutes after they get on the road so in the long term it won't make a lot of difference........

Flappist ..wrong... it would free up the roads for us old farts with skills and intelligence to do it our way!!!!

[nobbystang]

Gotta agree with Papa Smurf, and disagree with PH47 to an extent. The hour driving I used to do through Sydneys South East I would say the worst two kind of drivers i saw on the Road were the idiots on phones and the parents dropping off kids to school, particularly of an afternoon, when they were generally on the phone as well. Elderly drivers do cause issues but they are in the same category of the young drivers who can't be told. Young people think they know everything and older people have been around long enough to prove them wrong.

On seperate sort of issue, can someone tell me, on Triple J today i heard a comment in reference to what Germans go through to get their license, actually was Dr Karl from memory, saying it costs them several thousand and is quite involved to get there license. What do they do diferent to us, and is it any better??

[MO]

Originally Posted by nobbystang

Gotta agree with Papa Smurf, and disagree with PH47 to an extent. The hour driving I used to do through Sydneys South East I would say the worst two kind of drivers i saw on the Road were the idiots on phones and the parents dropping off kids to school, particularly of an afternoon, when they were generally on the phone as well. Elderly drivers do cause issues but they are in the same category of the young drivers who can't be told. Young people think they know everything and older people have been around long enough to prove them wrong.

On seperate sort of issue, can someone tell me, on Triple J today i heard a comment in reference to what Germans go through to get their license, actually was Dr Karl from memory, saying it costs them several thousand and is quite involved to get there license. What do they do diferent to us, and is it any better??

As far as I'm aware the Germans take several years of learner activity and a whole lot more before you even get set loose on the roads alone.

Maybe we should adopt their procedure over here.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

As far as I'm aware the Germans take several years of learner activity and a whole lot more before you even get set loose on the roads alone.

Maybe we should adopt their procedure over here.

P plate schweinhund, ve haff vays off making you drife by zee rules......

[Mutley]

To add some facts to this debate, does anyone have the statistics related to agegroups Vs fatalities? This may show the true extent of the problem?

[Pedro]

[QUOTE=coyote]Very valid point, In fact I would like to see mandantory retesting every 5 years regardless of age. Just consider this when some folk went for their licence there were No roundabouts I hate to think of the rule changes that have been made since I got for my licence in 82
QUOTE]

Wouldn't it be a simple idea to include a list of current rule changes each year in the envelope with your registration?
No ... obviously too complicated for the imagination of the public servants.

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by Mutley

To add some facts to this debate, does anyone have the statistics related to agegroups Vs fatalities? This may show the true extent of the problem?

You will not find any.
A government run organisation will not display statistics showing how bad the people are that voted for them

I am in the insurence game and my opinion is based on the claims lodged. Most of the time the older people have no idea. Aften they accuse the other vehicle of speeding. (compared to the 40kph they were doing)
We will all grow old and our driving skills will diminish. We can stay arrogant and state they don't, but then you are only a fool, fooling yourself.
Remember P platers are still learners and are bound to make mistakes.

[gozza]

i hate to say this but i see alot of little asian women and young asian men doing silly things from two angles

a) theres the iggnorance some display with regards to being a pedestrian....i have a bunch of asians living somewhere near me and they walk across main roads like there in a zen garden
b)just the other night a young asian male proceeded to do a U turn from the kerb right in front of me....i had to lock on the brakes.....he didn't even look

im probly geralising here but honest to goodness i see alot of it

[nobbystang]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

You will not find any.
A government run organisation will not display statistics showing how bad the people are that voted for them

2 seconds on TAC's website and here is the stats??

http://www.tacsafety.com.au/jsp/stat...ID=12&navID=17

unfortunately it doesn't break down into at fault driver, etc.

if you get escited by stats, there's also this 55 page document

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/...da_ss_2005.pdf

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by nobbystang

2 seconds on TAC's website and here is the stats??

http://www.tacsafety.com.au/jsp/stat...ID=12&navID=17

unfortunately it doesn't break down into at fault driver, etc.

Yeah I know this, but I think you missed my point... Oh well.

[nobbystang]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Yeah I know this, but I think you missed my point... Oh well.

What is your point then??