Appalling standard of driving among old men

The Backwards Man · 22-04-2015 02:17AM

Junkyard Cat wrote: »

That would be just bad form in too many ways to list. There are plenty of entirely competent drivers who are 75+ years old.

Asides from being just wrong an arbitrary cut-off age would be political suicide for any legislator who'd even suggest it, and rightly so.

Indeed there are, but there are plenty of entirely incompetent drivers at that age too and I think this is one situation where tarring everyone with the same brush is a good idea.

hopgog · 22-04-2015 02:20AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Indeed there are, but there are plenty of entirely incompetent drivers at that age too and I think this is one situation where tarring everyone with the same brush is a good idea.

but there are plenty of entirely incompetent female drivers with kids and I think this is one situation where tarring everyone with the same brush is a good idea.

Dozer Dave · 22-04-2015 02:38AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I believe there should be a mandatory cut off age, no arguments, ifs or buts.

Life is institutionalised enough without this idiotic suggestion.

K.Flyer · 22-04-2015 02:45AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I believe there should be a mandatory cut off age, no arguments, ifs or buts.

I would be far more concerned about the drivers who fail their driving test(s) and are allowed back on the road afterwards, usually unaccompanied. ..

jimmycrackcorm · 22-04-2015 02:59AM

I wonder what the accident fatality stats are for these old men drivers compared to those young men in the OPS age group

LadyAthame · 22-04-2015 03:01AM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I wonder what the accident fatality stats are for these old men drivers compared to those young men in the OPS age group

I think the op might have a chip on their shoulder.

Jimminy Mc Fukhead · 22-04-2015 03:02AM

Delicia wrote: »

Well, you see Jimminy (I'll be polite & call you by your first name), I learned to drive back in the good old days. We didn't have computer games then but oh golly gosh Dad said "F*ck it, it's time you drove the car". 'Need for Speed' - got it. 'Grand Theft Auto' - if Dad wasn't looking, got it. Computer games are for players, the rest of us just do it - including the odd bit of parallel parking. As for these imminent self drive cars? I heard that on Tomorrows' World 1974.

some of you prople would want to get a sense of humour.
did your dad tell you about that.

and they already have self drive cars. just not perfected.

the percentage of dickheads on this board is reaching epidemic proportions

LadyAthame · 22-04-2015 03:10AM

Jimminy Mc Fukhead wrote: »

some of you prople would want to get a sense of humour.

There is app you can download for that now. It's not very funny though. These kids today. They can type jokes they can google em ..but they can't tell em!

Dozer Dave · 22-04-2015 03:12AM

Jimminy Mc Fukhead wrote: »

the percentage of dickheads on this board is reaching epidemic proportions

The youth of today are gone to fuck Jimminy, bring back the sally rod.

22-04-2015 07:54AM

Reminds me of this mother in law joke.

My mother in law has been driving for nearly 40 years and has never had a single accident, but she's seen hundreds of crashes!

Connemara Farmer · 22-04-2015 08:26AM

Ally Dick wrote: »

I don't know whether this is a new phenomenon, but it is becoming all too frequent. Old men driving extremely slowly or in an erratic manner around the place. I'm getting sick of it. The traffic levels are getting worse because more people are buying cars again, so at peak time the traffic is mental. Now when it is off peak, it's the old men causing the tailbacks with their slow ineffectual driving !

One day you will be old, no doubt you'll still be perfect then too.

titan18 · 22-04-2015 08:36AM

Don't need to limit it to men, old women can't drive either.

namloc1980 · 22-04-2015 08:36AM

RayM wrote: »

It always seems really stupid that your car has to have a test every two years, but you just need to pass one test (or none at all, if you're a certain age) and you're automatically certified as 'competent' for the next forty years. All drivers, regardless of their age (or gender) should be tested every few years.

For political reasons that'll never happen. By its nature older people would be more likely to fail such a test. They'd scream ageism and victimisation. No politician would dream of upsetting the grey vote like that.

El_Duderino 09 · 22-04-2015 08:37AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I believe there should be a mandatory cut off age, no arguments, ifs or buts. A lot of it is pure pride, driving on long after they are fit because Gerry down the road is still diving away not a bother on him. Seventy five and that's your lot. I drive for a living, like my oul lad and his oul lad before him, and I hope to be off the road long before that age.

Why not make tests mandatory after a certain age. I'm looking at it from a social and positive aging point of view. Getting out and about is really good for old people and they should be encouraged and facilitated. If they can drive safely and can pass a test to prove it, then let them.

I wouldn't have problem with everyone having to do a test every 10 years. Driving isn't a joke and standards are changing all the time. I don't want to end up as one of those old boys driving to 2015 standards in 2045

2Bints1Joe · 22-04-2015 08:41AM

I's be more concerned with people using their mobiles when driving. Id love to be a Garda for a day

22-04-2015 08:43AM

Sheep Lover wrote: »

It's the yummy mummy types with the people carriers and 27 kids crammed into it. That's a hazard on the road now. Although easily spotted with the stupid "baby on board" stickers and the smears of jam and chocolate on the doors.

Also, under no circumstances park beside this person, your car will be a different shape when you come back to it.

Mothers outside a school.

Lethal. Liable to do anything, will stop on pedestrian crossings, won't indicate, focussed solely on getting their kids on the doorstep.

First Up · 22-04-2015 08:46AM

I'll be on the M50 in about a half hour from now. I will expect to see:

-An almost empty inside lane
-Young women in the middle lane staring vacantly ahead
-A host of white vans in the middle lane with drivers on the phone
- A few boy racers lashing along in the outside lane and nipping in and out

I probably won't see many doddery old gents because they tend to be afraid of motorways but wherever they are driving, they are unlikely to be breaking as many laws as those listed above.

The Backwards Man · 22-04-2015 09:13AM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Why not make tests mandatory after a certain age. I'm looking at it from a social and positive aging point of view. Getting out and about is really good for old people and they should be encouraged and facilitated. If they can drive safely and can pass a test to prove it, then let them.

I wouldn't have problem with everyone having to do a test every 10 years. Driving isn't a joke and standards are changing all the time. I don't want to end up as one of those old boys driving to 2015 standards in 2045

It's a money racket, Joe.

I'd be all for that regardless of age, be costly though.

Dublinflyer · 22-04-2015 09:25AM

It's the people who claim they feel safe driving at 100 mph+ that worry me. If I was to be in a accident I would prefer to be hit be someone who was just not paying attention but driving at a normal speed than some Muppet that thinks that he can read the road but has zero time to react as he was doing a speed that is far in excess of the legal limit. From time to time we all make mistakes and do something silly while driving, sometimes we may not even know we have done it as some other driver has reacted and prevented something nasty from happening. I have an advance driving licence, got it for the cheaper insurance, and when I was doing the lessons it's amazing to see how much more the instructor see's and have other peoples mistakes and your own pointed out. I always thought I was a good driver until I did this and realized I was not as good as I thought.

17larsson · 22-04-2015 09:25AM

Old people are generally fine at driving. It is just that they are very slow. If everyone else wasn't in such a rush there would be no problem

K.Flyer · 22-04-2015 09:28AM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

[...]
I wouldn't have problem with everyone having to do a test every 10 years. Driving isn't a joke and standards are changing all the time. I don't want to end up as one of those old boys driving to 2015 standards in 2045

This I completely agree with. (I was flamed on boards years ago for suggesting it as well.)
Rules and methods change. Some people will take the trouble to keep themselves somewhat updated. But others are just happy as long as they can get from A to B and can stop and start the car.
The problem with the suggestion is as always the Irish way of doing things means that the powers that be will find a way to badly run re - assessment tests and it would decend into a fiasco as usual. Just look at how long it takes to turn around a driving licence replacement.
Great idea in principle though.

The Dark Side · 22-04-2015 09:32AM

17larsson wrote: »

Old people are generally fine at driving. It is just that they are very slow.

So they're not fine at driving.

thunderdog · 22-04-2015 09:34AM

Take note, these old men will always be wearing a hat of some description....anytime I came across a slow erratic car I think to myself "yep, thats gotta be an old man in a hat"....

hopgog · 22-04-2015 09:44AM

thunderdog wrote: »

Take note, these old men will always be wearing a hat of some description....anytime I came across a slow erratic car I think to myself "yep, thats gotta be an old man in a hat"....

I usally think yep, that's gotta be some ditzy mom with kids

Pinch Flat · 22-04-2015 09:44AM

17larsson wrote: »

If everyone else wasn't in such a rush there would be no problem

The 'always in a rush' I can never get. Yeah sure if people are trying to get to work or a meeting, but these things should be built into your travel times - particular if you live where this happens a lot for some reason. If it's a weekend, what's the rush?

On the very rare occassion I've been behind an elderly person who isn't making as quick a progress as they could, just hang back and wait an opportunity to overtake safely. The roads have changed a lot, so just acknowledge that.

Would people behave the same if they came across an old person on a path in front of them? Bit of respect.

P. Breathnach · 22-04-2015 10:12AM

thunderdog wrote: »

Take note, these old men will always be wearing a hat of some description....anytime I came across a slow erratic car I think to myself "yep, thats gotta be an old man in a hat"....

I don't wear a hat, so I must be a good driver.

Streetwalker · 22-04-2015 10:18AM

Audi drivers are by far the biggest danger to everyone on the road. Self entitled twats that think because they bought a fancy car they can drive like fools.

anto9 · 22-04-2015 10:30AM

I would not single out old men .I would single out youngish men in BMW s.Nearly always impasient and driving too fast for the given road conditions .
P.S,i bet Gay Byrne is one of those ,dead slow drivers ,that is a hazard to others .

LorMal · 22-04-2015 10:43AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I believe there should be a mandatory cut off age, no arguments, ifs or buts. A lot of it is pure pride, driving on long after they are fit because Gerry down the road is still diving away not a bother on him. Seventy five and that's your lot. I drive for a living, like my oul lad and his oul lad before him, and I hope to be off the road long before that age.

I think Gay people should not be allowed to drive. Nor should Black people, Single people, the Unemployed. people from Cork, Muslims and Dwarfs.

Why should we confine casual discrimination to Ageism. Get them off the road - no arguments, ifs, or buts!!

(Backwards Man, my father is 76. Like you, he drives for a living. He is a superb driver and has never crashed or even scraped his car in 55 years driving. He drives carefully but not overly slowly at all)

p.s. Jackie Stewart is 75. Want to tell him he's too old to drive? No ifs or buts?

my3cents · 22-04-2015 10:46AM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Why not make tests mandatory after a certain age. I'm looking at it from a social and positive aging point of view. Getting out and about is really good for old people and they should be encouraged and facilitated. If they can drive safely and can pass a test to prove it, then let them.

I wouldn't have problem with everyone having to do a test every 10 years. Driving isn't a joke and standards are changing all the time. I don't want to end up as one of those old boys driving to 2015 standards in 2045

Lets make tests mandatory before you can drive unaccompanied and see how well that works first.

Appalling standard of driving among old men

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