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Post by Red Rackham on Apr 10, 2023 7:30:51 GMT
This isn't about me, although throughout this thread I have consistently said that older drivers are not the problem. A 'refresher' course will do what exactly? Christ this is the sort of crap the government come up with to create jobs. Bentley, I don't know how old you are but you have done a speed awareness course, which suggests you were caught. I've been driving for 44 years and I've never had so much as a parking ticket, that doesn't mean I'm the perfect driver, it means I've never been caught.  Yes it means you haven’t been caught . It means you have been lucky . You haven’t had the opportunity for a refresher course and therefore are not aware of its advantages to you and other road users . Even if you are a lucky, safe and experienced driver , not everyone may be up to your standards or be as lucky. Why OMG why in the wide wide world of sport do you think I need a refresher course, whatever that might be? Here's a tip, have a look at mature drivers insurance premiums compared to young drivers. Trust me, insurance companies know where the risk is. |
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Post by patman post on Apr 10, 2023 13:08:13 GMT
Advanced driving qualification from IAM Road Smart (formerly the Institute of Advanced Motorists) is about £175, but it also offers a mature driver review at about £75. Seems reasonable... A mature drivers review! And at what age is a driver considered to be mature? I think the whole issue of 'mature' drivers is being approached from the wrong angle. Regardless of what age someone passes a driving test then that should be it, forever. I mean, people don't forget how to drive the longer they have a driving licence, quite the reverse. People are at their most inexperienced having just passed a driving test then with age they gain experience. A mature drivers ability to retain a driving licence should be made by a doctor, not a driving instructor. (or QTO)
Who is the Mature Driver Review for?
Our course is for any mature driver who feels that now is the time to have their driving skills reviewed. We often find the course is ideal for:
Grandparents who want to ensure the safety of their family and loved ones when out on the road.
Nervous drivers who are looking for reassurance of their skills or maybe find driving more daunting than they used to.
Drivers 70 and over who are looking for an honest, unbiased review of their driving before renewing their licence with the DVLA.
What to expect
After purchasing your course, you’ll be paired with one of our local experts. You will agree a meeting time and place to suit you, and you can even bring a friend or family member along for support.
During your drive, the assessor will ask you to take a familiar route so that any advice given is tailored to your local area and driving style.
After your review, you’ll receive verbal and written feedback to take away. You can then use this feedback to continue refining your skills after the session.
****
I believe any assessment of a driver's fitness to continue driving should be on both health and ability grounds — therefore, the assessment will be by a medico and/or a driving examiner.
There's already a requirement for drivers to renew their driving licence at age 70, and then every three years after that. Why can't the renewal require a GP fitness test?
GPs are supposed to offer regular five-yearly check-ups for patients aged 40 to 74. This could be extended to a tailored medical test every three years for drivers over 73. It might also lessen the requirement for yearly driving tests for the over 85's — though this could be every three years...
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Post by patman post on Apr 11, 2023 12:43:21 GMT
Yes it means you haven’t been caught . It means you have been lucky . You haven’t had the opportunity for a refresher course and therefore are not aware of its advantages to you and other road users . Even if you are a lucky, safe and experienced driver , not everyone may be up to your standards or be as lucky. Why OMG why in the wide wide world of sport do you think I need a refresher course, whatever that might be? Here's a tip, have a look at mature drivers insurance premiums compared to young drivers. Trust me, insurance companies know where the risk is. Elderly drivers tend to drive less, avoid busy times, and stick to familiar roads — these are cited as the reasons drivers in their seventies are classed among the safest. But this lower classification risk declines as drivers reach their later seventies, and becomes the greatest of all groups after 86...
Unfortunately for older drivers, it’s not quite as simple as the older you get, the cheaper insurance becomes. Especially for those in their 70s and above, the price of car insurance premiums can begin to rise as you get older.
The average premium for motorists between 50 and 64 was £320 in November — a 16 per cent rise on the same month in 2021, data from Compare the Market reveals. Premiums for 65 to 80-year-olds have also gone up 16 per cent to £274 — an average of £39 more than last year.
In 2016, the rate of car drivers involved in reported road collisions per billion vehicle miles travelled begins to increase with age for groups where car drivers are aged over 70 years old. In England, there were 468 car drivers aged 71 to 75 involved in reported road collisions per billion vehicle miles travelled, which is 28 per cent higher than the lowest rate for car drivers which is the 66 to 70 years old age group (367 car drivers per billion vehicle miles travelled). The rate increased markedly from the age group of 81 to 85 and is 2,168 car drivers per billion miles travelled for drivers aged 86 and over which is the highest of any age band.
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Post by bancroft on Apr 11, 2023 12:52:19 GMT
I would think 80 years for health reasons alone is probably a good time to be tested.
Many oldies have underlying conditions maybe not diagnosed.
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Post by dodgydave on Apr 11, 2023 13:00:07 GMT
Who is going to do these refresher courses / retests? We are talking about millions of people here.
I'm a truck driver, so I have to sit through 7 hours of meaningless training every year, and my company loses a fortune (3,000 drivers off the road for a day every year, plus £250 to cover them with an agency driver).
This idea would be another tax against motorists. A pointless cash cow for the government and training providers, while the real problem, people still driving when they are medically unfit, would continue.
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Post by Toreador on Apr 11, 2023 13:03:20 GMT
I would think 80 years for health reasons alone is probably a good time to be tested. Many oldies have underlying conditions maybe not diagnosed. Many younger drivers are taking drugs. |
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Post by patman post on Apr 11, 2023 13:23:18 GMT
Who is going to do these refresher courses / retests? We are talking about millions of people here. I'm a truck driver, so I have to sit through 7 hours of meaningless training every year, and my company loses a fortune (3,000 drivers off the road for a day every year, plus £250 to cover them with an agency driver). This idea would be another tax against motorists. A pointless cash cow for the government and training providers, while the real problem, people still driving when they are medically unfit, would continue. I don't think the call is for elderly drivers to take a full driving test every year. The concerns appear to be eyesight, head-mobility, reaction times, spacial awareness, knowledge of highway code for over 85's.
GPs can keep a check on the physical aspects, and they could be required to sign a certificate ever licence renewal application (perhaps after 70).
General driving competence of over 85's could be judged at a terminal or in a short driving test (30min?) every two years, for which an IAM Road Smart review could substitute. This would require about 500,000 assessments per year...
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Post by bancroft on Apr 11, 2023 13:37:55 GMT
Who is going to do these refresher courses / retests? We are talking about millions of people here. I'm a truck driver, so I have to sit through 7 hours of meaningless training every year, and my company loses a fortune (3,000 drivers off the road for a day every year, plus £250 to cover them with an agency driver). This idea would be another tax against motorists. A pointless cash cow for the government and training providers, while the real problem, people still driving when they are medically unfit, would continue. Surely you don't get octogenarian truck drivers? |
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Post by Red Rackham on Apr 12, 2023 11:33:50 GMT
Who is going to do these refresher courses / retests? We are talking about millions of people here. I'm a truck driver, so I have to sit through 7 hours of meaningless training every year, and my company loses a fortune (3,000 drivers off the road for a day every year, plus £250 to cover them with an agency driver). This idea would be another tax against motorists. A pointless cash cow for the government and training providers, while the real problem, people still driving when they are medically unfit, would continue. I don't think the call is for elderly drivers to take a full driving test every year. The concerns appear to be eyesight, head-mobility, reaction times, spacial awareness, knowledge of highway code for over 85's.
GPs can keep a check on the physical aspects, and they could be required to sign a certificate ever licence renewal application (perhaps after 70).
General driving competence of over 85's could be judged at a terminal or in a short driving test (30min?) every two years, for which an IAM Road Smart review could substitute. This would require about 500,000 assessments per year...
Which is why it should be the decision of a doctor, not a driving instructor. |
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Post by patman post on Apr 12, 2023 11:49:50 GMT
I don't think the call is for elderly drivers to take a full driving test every year. The concerns appear to be eyesight, head-mobility, reaction times, spacial awareness, knowledge of highway code for over 85's.
GPs can keep a check on the physical aspects, and they could be required to sign a certificate ever licence renewal application (perhaps after 70).
General driving competence of over 85's could be judged at a terminal or in a short driving test (30min?) every two years, for which an IAM Road Smart review could substitute. This would require about 500,000 assessments per year...
Which is why it should be the decision of a doctor, not a driving instructor. Agreed, not a driving instructor, but a qualified driving assessor/examiner. The medics can do the health bit, but unless they’re also qualified to judge driving and vehicle handling, they should stuck to assessing the health and physical fitness… |
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Post by Red Rackham on Apr 12, 2023 11:59:24 GMT
Which is why it should be the decision of a doctor, not a driving instructor. . The medics can do the health bit, but unless they’re also qualified to judge driving and vehicle handling, they should stuck to assessing the health and physical fitness… Well tbh, in the days when I was doing driving tests they were called QTO's. (Qualified testing officers) |
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