Should elderly drivers be banned?

[Catman]

By elderly I mean drivers over 65.

It feels everytime I'm on the road I see an elderly person driving without any confidence. They are driving in the bike lane or driving well below the speed limit and are peering over the steering wheel like they can't see the road ahead.

Today when I was coming home from Uni, I saw an old lady enter a roundabout only to stop and was about to give way to a car giving way to her. There was a bloke behind her and how he managed to avoid ramming up the back of her car I'll never know.

So should we ban them or if banning is a little drastic, should they be re-tested every year or so?

 

[mantis]

Banning is too harsh, but they should be tested every year at no cost to them though as that wouldn't be fair, I think they should also have to have yearly medicals to check for heart problems, eyesight etc, that is if they don't already do that.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

About a month ago I saw an old lady go against traffic on a 3-lane highway. Lucky for her the truck going towards her stopped and helped her out (coulda been real messy).

But no, they shouldn't be banned. It should be done on a case by case basis. Everyone is different. Same applies to teenagers, not all of us are wreckless drivers.

 

[Bucks]

yes

 

[Santos L Helper]

Yes, Hang them!

oops, I thought you said, 'killed'.........my mistake.

 

[GoEagles]

I think over here in WA, once you turn 85, you have to sit a yearly drivers/medical test to make sure you are still capable of driving. One bloke who used to live in my street was still driving at 92 - quite a good achievement!

 

[topdon]

Should young drivers (under 25) be banned from our roads? No i hear you say! Well ... they are more of a threat on the roads!

 

[Portia]

I think everyone should be tested every couple of years.

 

[Hawthorn_2002]

Originally posted by Catman
By elderly I mean drivers over 65.

It feels everytime I'm on the road I see an elderly person driving without any confidence. They are driving in the bike lane or driving well below the speed limit and are peering over the steering wheel like they can't see the road ahead.

Today when I was coming home from Uni, I saw an old lady enter a roundabout only to stop and was about to give way to a car giving way to her. There was a bloke behind her and how he managed to avoid ramming up the back of her car I'll never know.

So should we ban them or if banning is a little drastic, should they be re-tested every year or so?

ban em

i say i say
bannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

if there too slow there slowing the wrold fint

 

[WA]

Originally posted by GoEagles
I think over here in WA, once you turn 85, you have to sit a yearly drivers/medical test to make sure you are still capable of driving. One bloke who used to live in my street was still driving at 92 - quite a good achievement!

My Gran is 87 & has been tested for the last couple of years and passed with flying colours. The examiner said to her "If only most of the rest of the population were as capable driver's as you".

It definitely should be a case to case basis. Why take away a person's independence unecessarily?

 

[GoEagles]

WA - totally agree. Everyone should be judged seperately on their merits. Some old people can be dangerous behind the wheel, one wonders if its any different to a 'mum in her 30s with kids in the back hooning on the freeway doing 110km in a 80km limit' I've seen it happen!

 

[The Power Guy]

Originally posted by GoEagles
I think over here in WA, once you turn 85, you have to sit a yearly drivers/medical test to make sure you are still capable of driving. One bloke who used to live in my street was still driving at 92 - quite a good achievement!

the same applies in NSW.. once you hit 85 you have to pass the licence test again.

 

[BomberGal]

You can't really be that general...they have as much right to drive as the next person....as long as the individual person is worthy of the license!!

 

[Curly5]

Re: Re: Should elderly drivers be banned?

Originally posted by Hawthorn_2002


ban em

i say i say
bannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

if there too slow there slowing the wrold fint

I say ban bad spellers from driving, they probably can't read the signs..

What is your point again? In English this time. A wrold fint? Any clues?

65 is far too young, after 80 on a case by case situation would be sensible.

 

[Goldenblue]

No, they should not be banned from driving. Tested after 75 is a good choice for them, but banning them is wrong. Stats prove the 17-25 YO group are the worst drivers in the land, and we dont talk about banning them.

 

[The Power Guy]

As was stated before, in NSW and WA, after 85, old people are required to pass a driving test every year to keep their licence.

 

[NICK THE PIE MAN]

Im not sure whether it is the same in other places but up here I often find that the main culprits of shocking driving errors are asian drivers.

Most of them seem to have no idea on the road from my experiecnes.

 

[lioness]

Originally posted by WA


My Gran is 87 & has been tested for the last couple of years and passed with flying colours. The examiner said to her "If only most of the rest of the population were as capable driver's as you".

It definitely should be a case to case basis. Why take away a person's independence unecessarily?

I totally agree. Not ALL elderly drivers are bad drivers, some just don't know when to give up though.....like my grandfather.

Being too general is a dangerous thing, my brother is one of the best drivers I've even been in a car with, yet young males in his age group (18-21) are said to be some of the worst drivers on the road, which admittedly is the case a lot of the time, but not in EVERY case.

I think after the age of 80, elderly drivers should be tested either yearly or every two years, at no cost to them.

 

[The Power Guy]

Originally posted by NICK THE PIE MAN
Im not sure whether it is the same in other places but up here I often find that the main culprits of shocking driving errors are asian drivers.

Most of them seem to have no idea on the road from my experiecnes.

I think you'd be the same driving in their country. It's just a matter of confidence, and not knowing the roads or the road rules incredibly well would be enough to make me unconfident

 

[TheFoxhat]

no This should be a poll

 

[eastaugh36]

There are more P Platers who should not be driving. It is these scumbags that should be the road casualties, not innocent people

 

[RoosLuver]

They should be tested every year after when they turn 65

 

[clucas91]

Asian drivers are bad because when member of upper-class Asian families come to Australia, they dont know HOW to drive. In Asia, people are driven around by employed "Drivers" and never drive for themselves. I have lived in this culture and their traffic situations are VERY different to over here.

 

[iceman]

I dont think they should be banned, however, having a yearly driving test would be a good idea

Personally, as Porthos said, i think everyone should have a driving test every couple of years as theres always changes to road laws (this could also help root out bad drivers).

I only read in the paper yesterday that 'L' platers here in WA are allowed on the freeway.... when the hell did they introduce that rule?? Another thing to consider is that ive only had my licence for about 4 years now and im always hearing about new road rules that have been introduced.

 

[JAGZ]

No.

Speed and drink are worse than Old Age!