Oblivious old people....
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So it was Mikey on the disability scooter...?
He's crazy on the roads, a real menace. :shock:0 -
OnYourRight wrote:Fact is, statistics say old drivers are approximately the least of our dangers on the roads.
I don't believe you.
These figures are taken from a bbc news story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24204489
.. and sure they don't say that older drivers should be a worry for cyclists but it doesn't exactly show their abilities in a good light once they get beyond the 60-69 age bracket.
I wouldn't read too much into these stats - they are suspect on a whole number of levels. Rather it does cast doubt on your statement that old drivers are not a worry - I think they are and it's going to get worse.0 -
rickeverett wrote:
Do we have to hold up a placard with 'sarcasm' written on it, like they do for Sheldon in 'The Big Bang Theory'?0 -
OnYourRight wrote:
Well, you can’t have it both ways.DaxPlusPlus wrote:I wouldn't read too much into these stats - they are suspect on a whole number of levels. Rather it does cast doubt on your statement that old drivers are not a worry
I'm not getting into an argument over stats - it's time I'll never get back. I was just saying that there are issues with older drivers. I've seen it on the road and the graph above suggests something is going on.0 -
DaxPlusPlus wrote:OnYourRight wrote:Fact is, statistics say old drivers are approximately the least of our dangers on the roads.
I don't believe you.
These figures are taken from a bbc news story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24204489
.. and sure they don't say that older drivers should be a worry for cyclists but it doesn't exactly show their abilities in a good light once they get beyond the 60-69 age bracket.
I wouldn't read too much into these stats - they are suspect on a whole number of levels. Rather it does cast doubt on your statement that old drivers are not a worry - I think they are and it's going to get worse.
What these stats also don't show is ALL accidents and accidents PER HEAD.
They also dont show ages of DRIVERS who CAUSE a accident or who are involved in killing a cyclist / padestrian or other road user.
These stats usually go off ages of those involved in a accident. What about per head of population, and distances / types of road these accidents were on???? You also find age groups travel at different times and on different road types. Older people don't tend to so long distances and motorway / A road stuff or drive at busy times. So many factors can alter results.
For me in both driving a car and cycling, the dangerous slower / near miss and avoidable/oblivious stuff is usually older drivers.. The odd misjudgement usually in town and slower roads / complex junctions etc. My example in the OP was a classic case.
The faster, dangerous overtaking and lack of patience stuff is usually other drivers. - again in my experience driving and cycling. These types usually end off much worse.
Dont want this to be a elderly bashing thread, but I was highlighting the more oblivious nature of older peoples mistakes rather than intentional or concious idiot moves you find in younger.0 -
rickeverett wrote:Dont want this to be a elderly bashing thread
Of course - I'm hoping to be real old one day too.0 -
Apology accepted ;-)0
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Edited as already posted - my eyes aren't what they used to be!0
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A high calling...
Looking forward to being oblivious0 -
great case and point today with an old driver. I was approaching a round about on a country road, about 50 ft before the round about and with me already slowing a old boy in a Nissan x trail decided he wanted past me. He squeezed in front of me much to my disbelief and then stayed on the right hand side of the road. I'm not one to get angry and bang on windows so I just let the moment pass.
As the traffic on the roundabout passed we then entered the round about only to have him completely swipe across in front of me and turn left out of the first exit. I could believe he did this but as he did I realised his side mirrors were folded back on themselves too.
There really are some idiots out there.0 -
I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles0
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Only time I have been hit was by an old (75 +) driver. He pulled out of a Petrol station turning right was half way out slowly pulling out, I slammed the brakes on came to a halt, he carried on not even seeing me and cut across me.
True story that, Chris Hemsworth to play me in the film, Burt Reynolds to play the driver.0 -
briantrumpet wrote:At the moment it's left to doctors and opticians to make a proactive decision to say that older people aren't fit to drive, and I think few of them are willing to be the person who takes away the independence that car driving gives.
Opticians can only advise a patient that they are outwith legal driving limits privately. If they mentioned it to anyone else (DVLA, Police, GPs) they would be breaking the law. I don't know if the same applies to GPs?0 -
nweststeyn wrote:briantrumpet wrote:At the moment it's left to doctors and opticians to make a proactive decision to say that older people aren't fit to drive, and I think few of them are willing to be the person who takes away the independence that car driving gives.
Opticians can only advise a patient that they are outwith legal driving limits privately. If they mentioned it to anyone else (DVLA, Police, GPs) they would be breaking the law. I don't know if the same applies to GPs?
One of the few areas where doctors can legally break confidentiality is when a person who is unfit to do so continues to drive despite advice to the contrary.0 -
It's not just oblivious old people that are the problem.
there are so many people that really shouldn't be on the road.
when people reach 65 they should have to take their test again, some of them dither so much that maybe they should be tested sooner than 65. some of them haven't got a clue.
women in huge 4x4's are just as bad too. they are worse when they have kids in the back or front.
I had an incident a few years ago with a woman in a 4x4 as I was approaching a roundabout, I indicated (even though there was nothing behind and to the side of me) and moved in to the right hand lane. from no where a woman in a huge range rover came flying past me on my left side, if I hadn't shifted to the right when I saw her out of the corner of my eye I would have been on the floor. when I pulled along side her, she had her phone in one hand and a hair brush in the other and was steering with her knee. in not too many nice words I pointed out that she nearly hit me, she shouldn't be using her phone and brushing her hair while driving, and asked what the hell she thought she was doing. she eventually put her phone and hair brush down, looked right at me and asked if I minded not swearing at her, she had two young children in the back and didn't want them to hear someone swearing. so I pointed out that she was so worried about her children hearing a few swear words, but she wasn't too bothered about putting the lives of her children, herself and other road users at risk by driving without her hands on the wheel. some people just don't have a clue do they.
it does make me wonder why you don't have to take your test every few years, or at least sit with a driving instructor to determine whether or not you need to take your test again. if you consider other such health and safety tests, they have to be taken every 3 years or so because laws might have changed, or to make sure you are still competent. so why doesn't the same apply to driving. your car has to go for an MOT once a year to make sure it is still safe to be on the road, so why don't drivers.0 -
Because the government that dared to introduce such laws would not win the next term in office. Simple.0
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I would definitely back all drivers having to be re-tested every 10 years; people get into bad habits and it would make the road a safer place for everyone.0
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downhill paul wrote:It's not just oblivious old people that are the problem.
there are so many people that really shouldn't be on the road.
.....
she had her phone in one hand and a hair brush in the other and was steering with her knee
.....
it does make me wonder why you don't have to take your test every few years, or at least sit with a driving instructor to determine whether or not you need to take your test again.
Unfortunately, the sort of person that is a bad driver through deliberate actions is the sort of person who would pass a driving test as they would ensure they don't behave badly whilst being tested.
It's like speed cameras - they only catch out those who don't know (or don't care) they're there.
To catch these people, what you'd need is a method to randomly assess a driver without their knowledge - our only method at the moment is the police force, but they can't be everywhere or see everything.
You could place a camera in the car to record drivers actions - but that would require huge resources & be and invasion of privacy.
In principle, I don't disagree with the idea of retests or even just brush-up courses - I'm sure we all pick up bad habits, but don't for one minute think that that will be the answer to everything...0 -
briantrumpet wrote:
I'm reminded of the time an old bloke slowly started to cut the corner at a T-junction ... as I waited patiently at the T. He spotted me when I was leaning against his window, and after I'd thrown the bike onto the ground to my left to avoid getting run over at about 5mph. Guess what? - he hadn't seen me.Kajjal wrote:I tend to give most older drivers / people a wider berth when out on the bike. The amount of illness's and life crisis they may be affected by means they are often distracted which is understandable. That is no reason to drive dangerously though.
It's pretty obvious that he didn't see you. If he saw you he wouldn't have done it. You've never had a close call or accident because you didn't see something? :roll: That's why accidents happen, people don't see something.0
