180 over 70's giving up their driving licences

I have driven, with a clean license for many years and have done 10 years of hospital car driving in a rural area, and then trained and became a driver for the bus up swaledale. Have driven here and abroad and feel competent and fit to drive at the moment. I have done an advanced drivers course, also done an older drivers test, which were being held locally and had one of the quickest reactions of the group. So have no problem with test for drivers. BUT it should be for all drivers. The assumption that all older drivers should not be on the road or are worse drivers than youngers ones is totally false. I do not crawl along and keep to the appropriate speeds, and use my indicators. I see plenty of younger people driving badly and without courtesy to other drivers, no signals being given, and often speeding , as I can confirm as I am driving at 60 mph on the appropriate roads and have cars rushing past me and disappearing quite quickly so they must be really speeding. These days the other difficulty is that whilst you could tell drunk drivers weaving about, you have no idea what drugs people may have taken. So the rules should be for all drivers, not just trying to say that only older people are not driving well.

I live a mile from the nearest bus stop. Without a car I would be very isolated. Taxis don't like coming here. I am intending to take the IAM assessment test. It is nearly 60 years since I passed an advanced driving test.

Carmen54

Was referring to Pinks comments about her Dad

Some of us do it. Not always easy.

I gave up my car when I realised I was finding it difficult to reverse etc because of pain, also my night eye sight wasn't good.
I do have a good bus service but really miss it for short trips to the shops. Thank God for Tesco deliveries !

I have asked both my GP and Ophthalmologist if I was fit to drive and they both agreed I was, so I do. (76)

YorkLady

I think it’s just a statistic. Without being too bleak, how many of this number are due to death and not illness?..
I don’t know anyone in their 70’s who feel this way.
Sorry to be so negative 😳

No, you probably do not. But how many of the over 70s or 80s who you do know should not be driving, but are doing so, ignoring cataracts, slower reactions or other conditions that should ring a warning bell?

I have not yet forgotten how hard it was 25 years ago persuading first my mother and later my father that they were no longer safe drivers.

I’m 66 drive daily would hate to get to the point when I couldn’t drive scarey!

Eatlier thos year I undertook a police driving check. Quite an experience. Had to drive as per route instructed for 30 mins then drive and give commentary (that was the most stressful part) . Back at base asked a few questions basically Hughway Cide. Then taken as a passenger with officer driving and commentating. Amazed at all he spotted. I am 79 abd he tokd me he woujd have no hesitation in getting in car if I was driving. Certificate awarded. Really good but nerve wracking exoerience!made me mire aware

Oldnproud

I imagine that quite a lot of older drivers, who might otherwise have kept driving occasionally, have given up when faced with the medical questions that they face when applying to renew their licence.
As many on Gransnet have already discovered, the DVLA can keep coming back for more info, and then keep you on tenterhooks for many months waiting for their decision on whether or not they are going to approve your renewal.

Mind you, I strongly suspect from threads on the subject of licences that many of the people who say that they keep renewing their licence just so that they have ID must be selective with the truth about their medical conditions on their applications. And if someone has that licence and still has access to a car, you can bet that some of them (though hopefully very very few!) will still be tempted to drive sometimes!

I am 83. I renewed my licence this summer. I filled in the health questionnaire I fill in every time I renew it and my renewed licence came by return of post. No further questions asked.

You need to have health issues that concern them for a further questionnaire to be sent out.

DH had an extra questionnaire this year, but he had advanced heart disease.

The problem with statistics is that you can prove almost whatever you want with them! Who was it who said, "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics"?

I haven't driven for years and no longer have a car, but I would still (touch wood) pass a test for medical fitness to drive and my optician too says I would be ok to drive. I renew my licence for ID purposes. No selectivity with the truth required, Oldnproud!

foxie48

I did a bit of maths and with less than 66k giving up their licences annually against 9.7 million of us being over 70, I reckon that is less than 1.5% of the over 70's giving up driving annually. Seems about right to me and I suspect a high proportion of those are over 80.

In addition to the 9.7 million:

- 14,000 U.K. citizens reach 70 year of age each week.

- I’m guessing but 50% of those are likely to be currently driving

Therefore, losing 180 drivers per week is next to nothing.

petra

It’s in the Express. Must be true 🤷‍♀️

Ha ha ha. Having said that, I haven't driven for 32 years. Hated it.

Alie2Oxon

I haven't given mine up.
In my 80s, I am not driving any more. No car.
But, not having a passport, I need it for ID!

I only keep mine for ID.

I have several friends who have given up their licences - or rather who don't drive now but still have their licences. I still have my licence but haven't driven since I was in my forties. I am now 80 and don't miss it one little bit.

I’m 73 , just renewed mine in the summer. Had an eye test around the same time and optician said was fine to drive. I don’t intend to give my licence up for a while unless things drastically change.

My friend is 88, you would think she was at least 10 years younger ( full of energy) and is one of the safest ( to me ) drivers I know.

We both had to give up driving for a few months after having serious operations but are both fully recovered. We both waited until our surgeons told us we could drive again. Got back on the car and felt I’d never stopped

The DVLA figures drivers over 70 show the:

• Total over 70: Approximately 5.97 million full licence holders.
• Total over 80: Approximately 1.65 million full licence holders.
• Centenarians: There are around 510 licensed drivers aged 100 or older

180 is small fry. Judging from some of the over 70's drivers I have known who have been reluctant to give up their licences, I would think there are quite a few more who should give them up.

David49

Number will increase when eye tests are brought in, medical tests will not have such a large effect because if they are too demanding many disabled drivers will be unable to meet the standard, that will be controversial.

I had some eye problems and attended clinic. Most of the patients were elderly or children. The driving requirement is scarily lenient, and I would not want to drive with many because of their physical mobility rather than eyes.
Lots of hype because I believe most of us are already having eye tests.
It is our reaction time that fails.
Renew your license to use as photo id, or to obtain a national ID card even if you do not drive. Many older folks give up their passport, leaving them with nothing the bank will accept.

Not a chance!

Wish I had renewed my licence as I no longer have any ID and am finding it difficult to prove who I am. No passport either.
Have done surveys for Yougov for years but can no longer do them as I have no ID and therefore do not exist!

No-one, it seems, addresses the problem of convenient ttansport after ceasing to drive.

Grantanow

No-one, it seems, addresses the problem of convenient ttansport after ceasing to drive.

The only solution isto move to a place where convenient transport is available, there is never going to be public transport on demand for everyone, there never has been.

Indeed. We moved into a city centre, transport here is excellent. Too many people just don’t think ahead.

But then by moving you lose your community, local support and the services who know you. We did indeed move townwards because we realised living in our rural area was going to become untenable but it’s not an easy or a cheap move to make. It cost us tens of thousands of pounds to do so - not everyone is fortunate enough to have that cushion.

The thought of moving into a city would fill me with horror now, it was exciting in my late teens, early twenties, but it depends what you become used to and how you are able to adapt as you get older.