[Brydo]

Are you still fit to drive and will you know when your not?

I live across from a fantastic couple who are both mid 80’s.

The husband does most of the driving but I have noticed a big difference in his outward appearance, now being a bit unsure on his feet with a lack of sharpness in his speech..

He puts his car in the garage every night and reverses it out every morning. He used to leave it in his drive then go back and close the garage door however he has started reversing in to the middle of the street gets out, leaves his door open and goes back to close the garage door.

He also doesn’t notice me when he drives past me where as he always gave a wave and a pump of the horn.

So when do you know when its time to give up?

I know I’m not the same driver I was ten years ago, how about you?

Topic

[rox]

Wow brydo said “How would wigwam feel if his aunt had killed someone during this time. He is caught between stopping her driving, and therefore limiting her mobility and agreeing she should continue to drive with reduced capabilities.

A car can kill someone with any driver in it and what then should people with disabilities not be able to drive at all, just in case their disability might kill someone and again that’s not something you have to consider right now is it now. what a thing to say…

But all the same you did not think when you opened this can of worms did you. We are not all normal everyday average people on this site, some of us have issues other than those that effect our mobility.

My partner cannnot drive and is on medication for their illness and not once have i seen them have an episode in all the time i have known them, but still they cannot drive and have never been able to drive because one day they might.

One day someone might have a fit while driving or a heart attack etc etc so again why think i am upset for pointing this out..

Just to try and prove his point right he has to say stuff like that.. that is my issue , i am not upset, i am dumbfounded by his contant attacks on people with disabilities all be it and i hope it’s unknowingly as it’s always is in a very indirect way and that is the issue i have.

I am not upset, i just see it from a different perspective and then comes the passive agressive trait like i said.

brydo said “if you look back over the thread you will find the members being upset are the very same members that regularly get upset on threads.

I will put this thread to bed and comment no more, but if we cant discuss difficult topics, like grown adults, this Forum will be a lesser place for it.”

It seems this is his trick when some do not agree with his view, they are upset and not adults? or anti everything, all for what having a different view to him.. often they the one’s he posts himself of his own views and are not copied and pasted from the web.

Seems like when a problem comes up he is the first to throw his dummy out of the pram as that’s what non adults do right.

I wonder why that is and he has that view. Again maybe that is because of someones disability, how does brydo know that someone ain’t had their nuts blown off with their legs by an ied and he never takes that into account when he posts and often say things like that, that may offend those with conditions that he doe’s not take into account.  Rather than admit where he messed up he’d rather sulk and blame it on others.. It don’t work on me

Then he trys to say the forum will be a lesser place for people not agreeing with his view or approach and the issue’s they may have it.. That is exactly what i expected to happen.. as it’s not the 1st time. lets hope it’s the last..

 

[Donkey Oatie]

All I would say is that we are not allowed to drive until we reach 17 and pass a test, what is the difference on setting an age when we need a review by a third party, as to whether we need a retest or to stop driving. Diminishing ability mostly is a gradual process and many will not see the problem. I Know of one old lady who has had her license revoked but insists that it has only been sent to the DVLA to be “updated” she still drives. I have no problems in reporting her if I see her driving.

[Jo]

I’ve now retired, and noticed a big change in my driving. I’m “only” 55yo and have always enjoyed sporty vehicles and driving (NOT speeding / having used my cars speed limiter or cruise control nearly all the time).

The change in me I’ve noticed since I no longer have to be somewhere at a particular time (no matter how long my journey takes); I’ve become a LOT more relaxed & considerate of other people (pedestrians & drivers).

I’m very sorry for inconveniencing the younger me (or drivers like me) when trying to be a courteous driver!

In other words I feel I’ve become an old fart over night i.e. driving more defensive, considering the needs (and rights!) of others. For example I will stop and let vulnerable pedestrians cross the road safely by “blocking” the road with my car (especially “dangerous areas”). In 2016 I invested in a vehicle with fairly good semi autonomous driving aids. Not to leave safety to the car, I’m fully aware of the obligation to be in full control of the vehicle at all times. BUT since the far majority of accidents happen when the driver is not paying attention or is fatigued I believe it is an additional safety feature which at the moment needs time of getting used to i.e. she can be too eager to break before navigating around an obstacle.

Taking this into consideration I’ve got use to avoiding this (which keeps me alert / paying attention) and even as a young driver I would not have had the speed / reaction time of the car (in an emergency)!

I believe the technology will get a lot better, improving in future. A machine will not get tired, drive when it’s impaired so I’m hopeful for the future.

[ChrisK]

Hi Jo

I know where your coming from with that Jo, I’m retired now and have all the time in the World to get to where I’m going and it really does make a difference.

Unlike my working days when at the start of the days work with 9 hours of hard work in front of me being told just to nip up to London a 100 miles away and pick something up then back to the office 5 hours later with my days work still to do. It’s this sort of pressure I think that causes a lot of accidents.

Although I don’t need to be somewhere quick any more if I’m on long winding country roads with white van man stuck behind me I slowdown and indicate left so they can get by on the short straights because I know that person has a job to do and no time to do it.

 

 

[Author]

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