Elderly drivers

Eddzz!!

Eddzz!!

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Eddy
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Got stuck behind one today on my lunch hour. Plodding along in his Honda Jazz at around 15mph in a 40. I made it back to the office just in the nick of time! What's the general consensus? Are they a danger to the roads? I never felt as though him driving slowly was dangerous, but it sure was annoying...
 
they aren't as dangerous as young drivers driving like complete bellends, but they can be a hazard especially on a fast road - usually though they've got a big f*** off queue behind them so they are reasonably easy to spot
 
Eddzz!! said:
Got stuck behind one today on my lunch hour. Plodding along in his Honda Jazz at around 15mph in a 40. I made it back to the office just in the nick of time! What's the general consensus? Are they a danger to the roads? I never felt as though him driving slowly was dangerous, but it sure was annoying...
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Did you not learn to overtaking when preparing to take your test? I
 
The more usual approach of this sort of driver is to drive at 40mph everywhere, whether a NSL or through a built up area, so normally you wouldn't notice anything unusual in a 40mph limit!
 
probably learnt not to overtake where is isn't safe to do so
 
big soft moose said:
they aren't as dangerous as young drivers driving like complete bellends, but they can be a hazard especially on a fast road - usually though they've got a big flippitybop off queue behind them so they are reasonably easy to spot
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It wasn't a safe location to be overtaking.

The other day on a NSL I was coming around a fast corner at about 60mph. Through the grassy verge I could see a car. You'd have never thought he'd just pull out into the road, but he did. Never slammed my breaks on so hard... Sure enough the bloke behind the wheel was a relic.
 
It becomes dangerous when the person following gets irate/frustrated/etc & decides to overtake when usually they wouldn't & takes risks that way.

Yes, the person overtaking should KNOW when it's safe to overtake but sometimes that frustration overwhelms the common sense......

I could say there'd be no issues if everyone drove to the speed limits & road conditions but that don't work either because some people are more confident/faster drivers at night/when raining/etc
 
Eddzz!! said:
The other day on a NSL I was coming around a fast corner at about 60mph. Through the grassy verge I could see a car. You'd have never thought he'd just pull out into the road, but he did. Never slammed my breaks on so hard... Sure enough the bloke behind the wheel was a relic.
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shouldn't have been driving so fast on a blind corner approaching a junction then should you ;)
 
Scone hunting, coffin dodgers are a bloody pest on the roads. The end!!
 
Eddzz!! said:
I could see him and he could see me. I was driving the speed limit.
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the speed limit is a maximum , not a recommended speed - 60mph is too fast approaching a junction
 
BRASH said:
Scone hunting, coffin dodgers are a bloody pest on the roads. The end!!
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This..... old codgers who don't keep up to the road speed are not complying with the highway code.
Get fed up of hearing about young drivers being a danger, yes theres a few but (IMO) not any worse than a car full of women (or men/or mixed) gossiping or old dodderers who are oblivious of anything or anyone around them!

i'll maybe exclude Honda jazz drivers as when manufactured Honda only allowed two speeds....zero and 45mph
 
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Martyn D said:
This..... old codgers who don't keep up to the road speed are not complying with the highway code.
Get fed up of hearing about young drivers being a danger, yes theres a few but (IMO) not any worse than a car full of women (or men/or mixed) gossiping or old dodderers who are oblivious of anything or anyone around them!

i'll maybe exclude Honda jazz drivers as when manufactured Honda only allowed to speeds....zero and 45mph
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:agree: Totally.
 
It's not an age thing, it's a driving skills/awareness issue that is not confined to any particular age - however it's popular with some to disrespect the elderly, just because they are old ... sad world!
 
gramps said:
It's not an age thing, it's a driving skills/awareness issue that is not confined to any particular age - however it's popular with some to disrespect the elderly, just because they are old ... sad world!
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Nonsense. They're not being disrespected because they are old but criticized because they (some not all) are crap, slow drivers. It is an age thing with regards to the subject of this thread (the clue's in the title;)). Now if you have a bus pass Gramps, I suggest you make good use of it:D:D:D;);)
 
gramps said:
It's not an age thing, it's a driving skills/awareness issue that is not confined to any particular age - however it's popular with some to disrespect the elderly, just because they are old ... sad world!
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Nothing to do with disrespect on my behalf...just based on what i see while doing 500-800 miles every week, though i will agree that women doing their make-up while driving is generally younger to middle aged.
It could be said that its a sad world to disrespect the young, just because they are young.
 
BRASH said:
Nonsense. They're not being disrespected because they are old but criticized because they (some not all) are crap, slow drivers. It is an age thing with regards to the subject of this thread (the clue's in the title;)). Now if you have a bus pass Gramps, I suggest you make good use of it:D:D:D;);)
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Like I said ...
 
I suppose at 78 coming up 79 I might be thought an elderly driver.
Though so far, I have never had an accident or an insurance claim. I have had one fine for speeding over 40 years ago.
I drive to the conditions at near the speed limits when appropriate.
I do not hold up traffic or get "Honked at" and are rarely overtaken.

When the time comes that I feel uncomfortable driving I will stop. I could cover my normal weekly journeys in a taxi, for less cost than running a car.
But I still value the convenience of driving.

If I get stuck behind a driver of any age, I wait till it is safe and then overtake. My car is powerful enough to overtake swiftly and safely when ever needed.
 
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You drive for the conditions, not necessarily to the speed limit.
There are too many idiots on the road who think they are wonderful drivers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I call them donors.
I wonder why insurance for young drivers is so high?
 
kendo1 said:
You drive for the conditions, not necessarily to the speed limit.
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Only floor in that, is some people have a better ability to drive to the conditions than others.
 
kendo1 said:
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I wonder why insurance for young drivers is so high?
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Because statistically young drivers are more likely to cause accidents, and often when they do, due to excess speed, showing off to their mates etc, it is a "biggie." As in not killed a mate, (simple payout) but left needing permenant term of life care, which costs a fortune. Despite there being shedloads of evidence to point out that males are significantly more likely to do this than females, thanks to some Eurocrat in Brussels we (as in insurance companies) are no longer to consider gender when assessing risk and underwriting a premium. Now for the $64,000 question. Generally, Did boys price come down to meet girls price, or did girls price go up to match the boys?
 
I've seen drivers going less than the speed limit. It's a sunny, dry day. Clear conditions, perfect for 70mph on the motorway. What do I encounter? An elderly chap doing 50mph in the middle lane.

onomatopoeia said:
The more usual approach of this sort of driver is to drive at 40mph everywhere, whether a NSL or through a built up area, so normally you wouldn't notice anything unusual in a 40mph limit!
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This drives me nuts. I am certain that 99% of the driving population have no idea what a white circle with a black diagonal line means (national speed limit), nor what it means (60mph on single carriageway, 70mph on dual carriageway). There's a route to work that involves a 40mph, then NSL, then 30mph. It surprises me of the number of people who drive at 40mph throughout that stretch. Worse, I'm the one who gets flashed at for overtaking in the NSL.


LeeRatters said:
It becomes dangerous when the person following gets irate/frustrated/etc & decides to overtake when usually they wouldn't & takes risks that way. Yes, the person overtaking should KNOW when it's safe to overtake but sometimes that frustration overwhelms the common sense......
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I've been there. I've taken risks when ordinarily any rational person (including me) wouldn't.
 
I drive everywhere at 40 mph, just to perpetuate the 4x4 drivers myth.
 
kendo1 said:
You drive for the conditions, not necessarily to the speed limit.
There are too many idiots on the road who think they are wonderful drivers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I call them donors.
I wonder why insurance for young drivers is so high?
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Insurance companies pay attention to who costs them most money. It is massively the under 25 group which is why that group have to pay a fortune for insurance and it is why older drivers do not. No big mystery there.
 
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I'm quite well aware as to the reasons for the disparity.
I just wish that the affected age group would realise why...
 
kendo1 said:
I'm quite well aware as to the reasons for the disparity.
I just wish that the affected age group would realise why...
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well, if aware , why ask??????????
 
Also take into account just because you may know a road well, the person in front of you may not, so is erring on the side of caution. Yes it can be a pain in the arse but I would also say that the op hadn't left enough time for his journey if he only just got back in time. I see this all the time at 5am I will get people overtaking at 80 and 90 through the New Forest on national speed limit roads like the A35 and even doing 60 or 70 on roads with animals on. If you have to drive that fast you have left home to late.
 
omens said:
I've seen drivers going less than the speed limit. It's a sunny, dry day. Clear conditions, perfect for 70mph on the motorway. What do I encounter? An elderly chap doing 50mph in the middle lane.


This drives me nuts. I am certain that 99% of the driving population have no idea what a white circle with a black diagonal line means (national speed limit), nor what it means (60mph on single carriageway, 70mph on dual carriageway). There's a route to work that involves a 40mph, then NSL, then 30mph. It surprises me of the number of people who drive at 40mph throughout that stretch. Worse, I'm the one who gets flashed at for overtaking in the NSL.

I've been there. I've taken risks when ordinarily any rational person (including me) wouldn't.
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On a nice sunny dry day there is nothing nicer than going out for a drive to see the scenery, stop for a meal or take photographs.... and find places new. This is far better achieved at a reasonable speed, certainly no where near speed limits. This is true at any age.
On country lanes I will pull over to let other road users by. If they hoot, ride up behind me or flash, then tough on them. they can either follow or wait for a safe overtaking place or wait till I turn off that road.

There is never a good reason to take risks.
 
have you not thought perhaps the old boys car was faulty and he was taking it to a garage for repair .i would far rather be stuck behind a careful driver than some of the arrogant ones that seem to be on the road these days ,i.e if the obstruction is on there side of the road technically you have right of way ,very few seem to adhere to that these days .
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
On a nice sunny dry day there is nothing nicer than going out for a drive to see the scenery, stop for a meal or take photographs.... and find places new. This is far better achieved at a reasonable speed, certainly no where near speed limits. This is true at any age.
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I accept on country lanes that you may need to drive slower but do you really think it's a good idea to drive in the middle of a motorway at a speed that causes disruption to other drivers? People have been fined for driving to slow, and now they're cracking down on poor driving habits.

I've got no issues with people wanting to go for a "sunday drive" but you do need to make sure you're not causing obstruction/disruption to other road users.
 
There was a similar question elsewhere relating to the proposal for frequent re-tests of elderly drivers. I believe there should be frequent re-tests for all drivers. It might serve as a reminder of how we should be using the roads. I'm convinced that the majority of dodgy driving we witness is down to people not recognising potential risks. If they are reminded of those risks, it might make them better road users.
 
Steve Smith said:
Definitely. Every five years would be about right.


Steve.
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Not sure that would work.. The roads would be full of people taking tests. Nor would there be anything like enough testers.

There are 38millin licence holders in the UK, with a test every 5 years that would be an extra 7 1/2 million more tests a year even if they passed first time.
It might be better to test those that had an insurance claim for an accident, caused an offence, or who had a caution from the police.


I think you would find is was more young than old retaking their test.
If they failed I would put them back to the L plate stage until the could pass.
 
kendo1 said:
You drive for the conditions, not necessarily to the speed limit.
There are too many idiots on the road who think they are wonderful drivers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I call them donors.
I wonder why insurance for young drivers is so high?
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The conditions were empty NSL road. He was joining my route of travel from a T-junction. It was my space that he was pulling dangerously into, not the other way around. I was driving at 60mph and he decided it was safe to pull out in front of me. That's somehow my fault? :cuckoo: If there had been a driver who was perhaps 'less aware' in my position, there could have well been a serious collision. Notice I say collision and not 'accident'. I feel that word suggests no one is to blame when clearly there would have been :shrug:
 
Bad drivers come in all shapes, sizes and ages. I would like to send an email to the company with a logo similar to the one I have drafted below, in order to complain about one of their employees. It was dark, so it's all I could make out and was on the A47 between Uppingham and Leicester, so guessing it might be East Midlands E.......

If anyone recognises the logo, let me know :)

a8g3.jpg
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
The roads would be full of people taking tests. Nor would there be anything like enough testers.
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That's true!

Perhaps we could use the American system. As far as I can tell, I think they renew their licences on a regular basis (could be five year intervals) and might be subjected to a random road test. I think a sight test is included as well.


Steve.
 
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