Older Drivers - Call for Evidence by the DVLA

[LarryH57]

Dear Members,

As you may be aware at age 70 in the UK you have to renew your Drivers License with the DVLA

The Secretary of State for Transport is looking to change the law, and reading between the lines it may be a synical way of getting older drivers off the road with a medical and tests etc, instead of relying on self declaration. In my IMHO people aged 70 (and possibly still working) are a different ball game to a driver aged 90 years or even 100 years old.  The insurance industry is of the opinion that new drivers aged under 25 years are the highest risk and not older drivers who typically drive locally, especially in rural areas rather than on motorways. Of course I want drivers to be safe and capable but I dont think a change in the law is needed so I have said so in this survey. Its worth doing as I believe it could seriously disrupt the lives of people who dont live in Islington! Is it a way to achieve Net Zero Carbon?

Interestingly the survey asks about what is done in other coutries, so for any EU based members, please post details of what they do where you are located.

DVLA Survey below ends in October 2023

https://online1.snapsurveys.com/s3dxzw  (new link added in place of the original)

Kind regards

Larry

Edited August 25, 2023 by LarryH57

[Rangie]

Link responds that the Online survey not available i'm afraid?

Alec.

[wally dugan]

At the age of 70 l chose to retain my class one and every year l go through a medical  a eye test  and a visit to a consultant now at 75 l have just gone through the whole thing again. Yes l do feel at times the DVLA do make it hard but l am happy that some one else say's lam fit to drive  just how many drivers over seventy are on the road who do not meet the basic eye test

[attleej]

I think that it is a good idea to keep an HGV licence going for as long as possible because it is a good claim to be able make.  "I must be OK as I still have an HGV licence".  We are not very likely to just drop dead.  (fingers crossed!)

 

John

[paul connor]

As far as I am aware the EU rule (Germany) is for a medical every 5 years from 45, then from 65 yearly to retain your C, C+E, D, D+E or C1 license. I personally think a medical to operate anything of such scale is a good idea and I am also subjected to this to retain my CPC and associated licenses.  

I am not sure anyone would declare themselves unfit for license so an external body, in my opinion, to check is but a good thing and can only improve safety.

I am not saying this in an ageist stance, but from safety. I have known quite a few people to deteriorate fast within a 5 year period to not have their D class renewed, although they suggested otherwise. It is human nature to assume confidence in ones ability and seldom do people surrender a privilege such as a driving license. 

[LarryH57]

The DVLA Link is now fixed so have a go in English or Welsh!

[andym]

I'm another one who retains their HGV licence, so at 67 I have an annual licence renewal with medical anyway.

Andy

[LarryH57]

For the non HGV drivers, I think the current system is perfectly OK. There is no evidence that the over 70s drivers are not being open and honest with themselves, let alone the DVLA,  if they have a condition that stops them driving.

I'm not yet 70, but even so, I did not drive last year after breaking my arm, until it was fixed. 

The trouble is like so many things, change is seen to be doing something when it isn't needed. Remember all the fuss there was over Homeowner Reports that sellers had to give to the buyer - ultimately the idea was dumped.

I think 'fiddling with the law' is the start of a descreat campaign by the government to get us off the road. Its OK to work till you drop age 67, 68 or older before you get a state pension,  but in the interim we will make life difficult for you if you live in a 'one bus a day' rural area

[matchlesswdg3]

A motorcycling magazine recently ran an analysis on accidents for motorcyclists by age group - which really gives a very accented take on statistics as they are a vulnerable group of course.  In essence, older riders had fewer accidents BUT older riders suffered more severe accidents, in terms of injury.  Which is pretty much as you would expect - older riders are safer, but bodies more fragile.  So should the old be penalised for having more fragile bodies?  I am sure you could knock that back as being completely ageist!

[LarryH57]

Yes Ferg, my point exactly.

My great grandfather died at the age of 62 in 1923 of old age and he looked like a very very old man in photos but I guess he had a hard life. Now a 70 year old is considered not so old as then, so the DVLA need to be told if they are intent on changing the law should start looking at the over 90s age group, some of which I know, who still drive but only locally, and relatively slowly.

[10FM68]

9 hours ago, LarryH57 said:

 

I think 'fiddling with the law' is the start of a discreet campaign by the government to get us off the road. 

I think there is a hope that, before long, none of us will be actually driving our own vehicles - they want the proletariat to use public transport or a bicycle!  It's already started in Wales where the new 20mph speed limits being introduced next month across the principality is certainly claimed to be to encourage more people out of cars and to walk or cycle more!  My village gets three lanes subject to the new restriction - clearly selected from a map, not from a view of the ground - one of them is a cul de sac of a few hundred yards up a very steep and narrow hill where the only thing which could possibly achieve 20mph would be a pushbike coming down!  Certainly there'll be no risk of cars breaking that limit!

[matchlesswdg3]

"they want the proletariat to use public transport or a bicycle! "  Totally agree; there is no way that the "de-carbonisation" in UK is going to allow folk to use private transport as they do now; Government are making no real effort to provide the infrastructure needed to swap everyone over and all the private sector is interest in is making a fast buck out of it all (using the model provided by the water companies).  

[Pete Ashby]

I'm not going to ride the push bike I don't possess 40 miles round trip to go to Tesco,............ perhaps I'll buy that Diamond T 

Pete