From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving

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Sun 15 Jun 2025 09:39
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - Orb>>.

Another intersting article today.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/15/my-mo...r

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Sun 15 Jun 2025 09:49
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - RT

When I was much younger, I assumed I'd be driving right to the end but a programme on TV about 15-ish years ago opened my eyes to the potential of issues in old age - so I accepted that I'd have to stop driving at some point, hopefully while I have enough marbles left to make the decision myself - but in the event of me going too far, my son has strict instructions to force me to stop driving if necessary.

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Sun 15 Jun 2025 11:16
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - Terry W

Relying upon either ones own judgement of fitness to drive or a relative "bullying" one to stop is naïve or incomplete.

Personally I know there will be a time when I will be unfit behind the wheel. I am also likely to resent/ignore family bullying, and will likely continue well beyond safe limits. The likely prompt will be a major "event" either car accident or major health issue.

Spain have the right idea - after age 65 licence renewal is every 5 years based on a medical and psychological assessment. In the UK we have a frankly daft process of 3 year renewals post 70 based on self certification of fitness. Very British, very stupid.

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Sun 15 Jun 2025 11:45
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - Xileno

Too much of a politcal hot potato in the UK, with an ageing population any Govt. that makes life hard for OAPs to drive s likely to incur significant wrath at the ballot box. Spain probably gets away with it as it's more common to have multigenerational households, perhaps less need to drive into old age even though many may still want to of course.

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Tue 17 Jun 2025 06:52
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - FoxyJukebox
Very good points. I would find it hard to give up but I think I would keep my car for others to use for my benefit and maybe theirs.
Social exclusion and lack of independence would be my main fear as would hanging around hospitals waiting for taxes to turn up. Shopping wouldn’t be a problem now with deliveries and grocery vans….
And ….how nice to never have to wrestle with a bunged up motorway.
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Tue 17 Jun 2025 09:46
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - Andrew-T

.... significant wrath at the ballot box. ....

That is the root of many of the UK's (and probably other nations') problems. We have had our new Labour govt for about a year, with a huge majority, and their decisions are already based on not losing the next election - which we can assume is about 4 years off ?

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Sun 15 Jun 2025 11:49
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - RT

Personally I know there will be a time when I will be unfit behind the wheel. I am also likely to resent/ignore family bullying, and will likely continue well beyond safe limits. The likely prompt will be a major "event" either car accident or major health issue.

Spain have the right idea - after age 65 licence renewal is every 5 years based on a medical and psychological assessment. In the UK we have a frankly daft process of 3 year renewals post 70 based on self certification of fitness. Very British, very stupid.

You know yourself better than others do - personally I'd accept my son telling me not to drive any more.

5-year renewals is a long time where advancing age is concerned - no better than our 3-yearly self-certification in most respects.

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Sun 15 Jun 2025 12:50
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - gordonbennet

Not read the article.

HGV drivers have to pass a full medical every 5 years between 45 and 65, annually thereafter, its not a bad system at all and could easily be modified for car drivers, preferably without govt intervention because they would almost certainly make a pigs ear of it.

No reason why older car drivers couldn't take the equivalent of an HGV medical privately via a doctor, you don't need to stuff anything up to £150 in your own doctor's mitt (how you get to see him/her otherwise without paying privately is anyones guess), there are many doctors nationwide who offer HGV medicals for around the £50/70 mark, they would most likely be happy to go through the medical without having to complete the reams of paperwork.

Far better to let a trained doctor offer an unbiased view after examination than allow your independence to be judged by someone who isn't qualified and whose own standards of driving competence may well be lower than yours...you might have donkeys years of accident free driving over hundreds of thousands of miles, your children might be wholly incompetent behind the wheel in comparison yet you would let them decide, not for me.

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Sun 15 Jun 2025 15:02
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - Terry W

No reason why older car drivers couldn't take the equivalent of an HGV medical privately via a doctor, you don't need to stuff anything up to £150 in your own doctor's mitt (how you get to see him/her otherwise without paying privately is anyones guess), there are many doctors nationwide who offer HGV medicals for around the £50/70 mark, they would most likely be happy to go through the medical without having to complete the reams of paperwork.

Far better to let a trained doctor offer an unbiased view after examination than allow your independence to be judged by someone who isn't qualified and whose own standards of driving competence may well be lower than yours...you might have donkeys years of accident free driving over hundreds of thousands of miles, your children might be wholly incompetent behind the wheel in comparison yet you would let them decide, not for me

If unfit to drive elderly are really a problem insurance companies could very easily enforce compliance with good sense.

I question the need as I have seen no objective evidence proving both the increased probability and/or severity of accidents caused by the unfit vs the fit elderly. How do they compare with the over confident 17-20 year old.

Simply inflate premiums by (say) £150 and offer a £150 discount to those who provide medical evidence of fitness (signed by a qualified doctor) to get behind the wheel.

Lack of a certificate would not deny insurance - but what insurance company would want to cover the unfit except at a very high premium.

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Mon 16 Jun 2025 21:45
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - tim10597

My step father always said that having had to force his own father to stop driving when he became unsafe, he would himself give up driving when the time came. He passed his advanced driving test and then gave that reason for not giving up driving, even though he was unsafe due to a number of medical conditions. The doctor was frankly no help at all and confirmed his fitness to drive, despite our protestations.

In the end the car, which was actually registered in my mother’s name was bought by my daughter. He never forgave us for that, even though it was in his best interests. My children are under no illusions, if I ever get to that stage and refuse to give up, they are instructed to remove the cars by whatever means necessary. I hope I will have the good sense to know, but you never know what is around the corner.

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Tue 17 Jun 2025 06:16
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - edlithgow

My curmudgeonly intolerance of modern cars has stopped me driving before my deteriorating physical condition became an issue, so perhaps they are superior in that respect.

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Tue 17 Jun 2025 10:54
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - Steveieb

Most decisions to give up driving have been taken by either an optician or a GP when you visit for a what you believe is a routine check.

Covering their indemnity they err on the safe side and advise against driving until told otherwise by a specialist !

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Tue 17 Jun 2025 12:51
From the Guardian - Article on advising on stopping driving - Terry W

Most decisions to give up driving have been taken by either an optician or a GP when you visit for a what you believe is a routine check.

Covering their indemnity they err on the safe side and advise against driving until told otherwise by a specialist !

Doctors and opticians may advise - but unless they report their concerns it is up to the "impaired" to act upon the advice. Some will, I suspect most won't unless the condition diagnosed is obviously significant.

More likely the prompt to give up will be :

  • increasingly frequent insurance claims, increased premiums and/or withdrawal of cover
  • major health issue - possible hospital stay, long recovery period etc which takes the sufferer off the road for several months
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