I hear on the news and then more so today on social media that a 95 year old man alledgedly struck a woman and her children on a pedestrian crossing at Bribie Island.
The social media experts were calling for blood in most instances and the common trend was that the 95 year old should not be driving.
Based on this and the fact that many of us on this forum are closer to 90 than we are to 40 then what age will you be handing in your drivers licence and rely on public or others for transport or get a gopher.
-- Edited by Rob Driver on Tuesday 18th of October 2022 08:25:46 PM
landy said
10:12 PM Oct 18, 2022
When I see the standard of driving displayed by some of the younger drivers on our roads that have presumably just passed a driving test.
I think I should be capable of driving until I am about 120.
Landy
-- Edited by landy on Tuesday 18th of October 2022 10:14:40 PM
Greg 1 said
12:58 AM Oct 19, 2022
Age doesn't come into it. I have a mate in his late 70's who is still racing motor cars, open wheelers in fact, and can still cause the young blokes some pain. If you have ever driven an open wheeler you will know that to drive one quickly requires not only a fair degree of skill but also bodily fitness and mental agility
It is all about fitness and cognitive ability. You could have a 30 year old with early onset dementia who is incapable of driving and a 90 year old that is still an alert and capable driver, plus everything in between.
So to answer the question, it depends entirely on the individual.
-- Edited by Greg 1 on Wednesday 19th of October 2022 01:04:05 AM
86GTS said
06:05 AM Oct 19, 2022
We'll be getting rid of our caravan when I turn 75, 15 years of traveling all over Australia with it is enough for us, particularly as we've been bush camping since the 70's.
We think about 85 would see the end of our driving days, but who knows.
We have good public transport links just a few paces away & a shopping centre 15 minutes walk away.
The lady next door died recently aged 103, she drove until she was 98.
Before she lost her license, when she was driving it looked like the car was driving her & she was hanging onto the steering wheel, which was a bit of a worry.
Mike Harding said
12:27 PM Oct 19, 2022
Never.
dorian said
02:50 PM Oct 19, 2022
If I had a chauffeur, I'd stop driving today.
Craig1 said
02:59 PM Oct 19, 2022
Dorian, stand for Federal Parliament. They get chauffeured all around Canberra.
Wannabe nomad said
05:29 PM Oct 19, 2022
Depends on the individual, and like the advert says the decision may need to be made by a family member; because if you have cognitive decline you might not know it's happening.
Every situation and person is different.
I hope I'll know when it's time, possibly the first time I confuse the accelerator for the break, if I ever do, or when I start crunching the gears (I drive a manual). I do know that I'm finding it harder to drive at night (I'm 68) so I avoid it when ever possible at home and make road trip plans to always get there before dark. I think that recently learning new off road skills and using them has sharpened up my abilities and refreshed the old ones so hopefully I'll be good for another 30yrs. I hope so because I can't afford a chauffeur.
However, I know of retirees where I used to live who use 2 feet to drive automatics and that scares me.
Possum3 said
06:07 PM Oct 19, 2022
Wannabe nomad wrote:
However, I know of retirees where I used to live who use 2 feet to drive automatics and that scares me.
That is how Learner Drivers are now taught by every driving school - Mind you most of the schools I note on the roads do have a proliferation of foreign language on their vehicles. (Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, etc.)
The majority of drivers nowadays cannot operate a vehicle utilising a clutch.
Mike Harding said
06:49 PM Oct 19, 2022
Wannabe nomad wrote:
>>I hope I'll know when it's time, possibly the first time I confuse the accelerator for the break
I've done that a couple of times, but 30 or 40 years past. That is a normal human mistake not a sudden portent of impending senility.
>>However, I know of retirees where I used to live who use 2 feet to drive automatics and that scares me.
We have two feet therefore I would have thought the obvious way to drive a car with two foot-pedals is to allocate one pedal to each foot? It is the way I have been driving automatics for decades. Why would you not?
montie said
07:23 PM Oct 19, 2022
Age is nothing more than a number in current times...and life expectancy is increasing annually.
Maybe 75 yrs and above should only be allowed an automatic licence, but the notion that a perfectly healthy person should be denied the right to drive because of their age is ridiculous.
Rob Driver said
07:44 PM Oct 19, 2022
Drivers licences requirements for the over 75s does vary a bit from state to state. I think it is a common trend that the majority of us dont want to lose our independence by surrendering our licence. Doctors do have a say in some instances but they may be put under pressure by the licensee or the family. I think it is a complex situation.
I think I will keep driving until the Doc says no or I feel I shouldnt be driving.
Or if prior to that I take the trip out through the silver grille then that is how it will be.
montie said
08:10 PM Oct 19, 2022
If a qualified doctor proclaims you capable of driving a motor vehicle under the relevant regulations then what has your age got to do with it.
You can be 25 and totally incapable of driving a motor vehicle and be a 95 yr old with an accident free record.
I watched a 95 year old last night on TV breaking track records and winning medals, but they can't drive a motor vehicle because of their age?
We need to have a system in place where people are assessed individually instead of the one cap fits all policy.
Ivan 01 said
08:22 PM Oct 19, 2022
You are correct Montie and I dont think anyone on here so far has suggested a specific age.
The OP indicated that all hell broke loose on social media calling out that the driver should not be driving at 95.
None of us know the real circumstances.
Did the lady and her children use the crossing correctly.
Maybe it was a case of the pedestrian not obeying control lights.
If the reason was that the 95 year old had a medical condition that may have interfered with his driving then his licence does need to be reassessed.
Mike Harding said
08:28 PM Oct 19, 2022
People are generally very quick to suggest that other people should lose their driving licences.
Whenarewethere said
09:12 PM Oct 19, 2022
We had a neighbour who was in her 90ies, got T boned coming out of her driveway. Next time we saw her she flew past on her mobility scooter with dog running for its life on a lead more taut than a snatch strap. She rolled the mobility scooter a few times.
landy said
09:58 PM Oct 19, 2022
I always use two feet in an automatic when in a coffined area as it gives you a lot more precise control of the vehicle, as soon as I'm in the open I revert back to one foot. This is something I learnt to do when I was doing a lot of 4 wheel driving and you do not want the car to suddenly jump forward when climbing over an obstacle, or rolling 2 inches to far might drop you in a ditch.
I also think that modern technology and the automatic braking being installed in newer cars is going to go a long way towards reducing accidents caused by confusing the peddles in an automatic.
dorian said
07:56 AM Oct 20, 2022
Maybe one day we'll need a licence to drive these:
Notice that the riders are all younger than us. Only one of them negotiated the kerb correctly. The guy who followed her didn't catch on.
-- Edited by dorian on Thursday 20th of October 2022 07:59:01 AM
Ivan 01 said
07:59 AM Oct 20, 2022
I did an advanced driving course with pro racing drivers and it was suggested and recommended that a driver should use both feet.
The theory was that the reaction time was lessened when the driver used his right foot for for the *go* pedal and the left foot for the *woah* pedal.
This reaction time was actually demonstrated with a test of both methods.
The addition of a clutch pedal confused the issue a bit unless we are really lucky we generally only have to legs that reach the pedals
Wannabe nomad said
08:25 AM Oct 20, 2022
I stand corrected, I only drive an auto when occasionally in a hire car and I figured you were supposed to use one foot so you couldn't by mistake press the accelerator and the break together.
However (excuse my ignorance) if we are really supposed to use both feet driving an automatic why aren't the pedals further apart, giving less opportunities for people to confuse the accelerator for the break, because this seems to happen a lot in shopping centres and the like and it's not just old people doing it.
Ivan 01 said
08:36 AM Oct 20, 2022
Wannabe nomad wrote:
I stand corrected, I only drive an auto when occasionally in a hire car and I figured you were supposed to use one foot so you couldn't by mistake press the accelerator and the break together.
However (excuse my ignorance) if we are really supposed to use both feet driving an automatic why aren't the pedals further apart, giving less opportunities for people to confuse the accelerator for the break, because this seems to happen a lot in shopping centres and the like and it's not just old people doing it.
From the instructors I had at the driving course it was not suggested that it was a crime to use one foot in an automatic vehicle.
It was only suggested to use two feet as a method of reducing reaction times.
Most of us dont drive under what might be racing conditions when going to the shops.
Phew! I think I need a brake.
Whenarewethere said
08:36 AM Oct 20, 2022
Years ago I had a manual & an auto company car. A few times when I drove the auto & did an emergency stop I slammed the clutch (brake) with my left foot.
On tricky ground I use both feet with the auto so you don't take off. An auto in 1st has truckloads of torque.
DMaxer said
10:10 AM Oct 20, 2022
Reminds me of that Rodney Dangerfield line "when I die I want to go peacefully in my sleep, just like my grandfather, not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car".
Wannabe nomad said
05:24 PM Oct 20, 2022
ha ha
deverall11 said
06:08 PM Oct 20, 2022
Wannabe nomad wrote:
SNIP...
However, I know of retirees where I used to live who use 2 feet to drive automatics and that scares me.
I have driven automatics 2 feet ever since I can remember. Makes absolute sense. Little to no reaction time
to hit the anchors in bumper to bumper traffic.
If you learn to use 2 feet, it is a subconscious decision to apply the brake with your left foot. 0.01% of getting
it wrong. I use to race Go-karts and super karts - right foot throttle, left foot brake. Simple.
Those who think this is wrong have no argument, none whatsoever. My only issue will be when I have to have a driving test,
I hear on the news and then more so today on social media that a 95 year old man alledgedly struck a woman and her children on a pedestrian crossing at Bribie Island.
The social media experts were calling for blood in most instances and the common trend was that the 95 year old should not be driving.
Based on this and the fact that many of us on this forum are closer to 90 than we are to 40 then what age will you be handing in your drivers licence and rely on public or others for transport or get a gopher.
-- Edited by Rob Driver on Tuesday 18th of October 2022 08:25:46 PM
I think I should be capable of driving until I am about 120.
Landy
-- Edited by landy on Tuesday 18th of October 2022 10:14:40 PM
Age doesn't come into it.
I have a mate in his late 70's who is still racing motor cars, open wheelers in fact, and can still cause the young blokes some pain. If you have ever driven an open wheeler you will know that to drive one quickly requires not only a fair degree of skill but also bodily fitness and mental agility
It is all about fitness and cognitive ability.
You could have a 30 year old with early onset dementia who is incapable of driving and a 90 year old that is still an alert and capable driver, plus everything in between.
So to answer the question, it depends entirely on the individual.
-- Edited by Greg 1 on Wednesday 19th of October 2022 01:04:05 AM
We think about 85 would see the end of our driving days, but who knows.
We have good public transport links just a few paces away & a shopping centre 15 minutes walk away.
The lady next door died recently aged 103, she drove until she was 98.
Before she lost her license, when she was driving it looked like the car was driving her & she was hanging onto the steering wheel, which was a bit of a worry.
Never.
Every situation and person is different.
I hope I'll know when it's time, possibly the first time I confuse the accelerator for the break, if I ever do, or when I start crunching the gears (I drive a manual). I do know that I'm finding it harder to drive at night (I'm 68) so I avoid it when ever possible at home and make road trip plans to always get there before dark. I think that recently learning new off road skills and using them has sharpened up my abilities and refreshed the old ones so hopefully I'll be good for another 30yrs. I hope so because I can't afford a chauffeur.
However, I know of retirees where I used to live who use 2 feet to drive automatics and that scares me.
That is how Learner Drivers are now taught by every driving school - Mind you most of the schools I note on the roads do have a proliferation of foreign language on their vehicles. (Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, etc.)
The majority of drivers nowadays cannot operate a vehicle utilising a clutch.
Maybe 75 yrs and above should only be allowed an automatic licence, but the notion that a perfectly healthy person should be denied the right to drive because of their age is ridiculous.
Drivers licences requirements for the over 75s does vary a bit from state to state.
I think it is a common trend that the majority of us dont want to lose our independence by surrendering our licence.
Doctors do have a say in some instances but they may be put under pressure by the licensee or the family.
I think it is a complex situation.
Here are the current regulations on the subject.
https://www.seniors.com.au/car-insurance/discover/driving-licence-regulations-for-seniors
Or if prior to that I take the trip out through the silver grille then that is how it will be.
You can be 25 and totally incapable of driving a motor vehicle and be a 95 yr old with an accident free record.
I watched a 95 year old last night on TV breaking track records and winning medals, but they can't drive a motor vehicle because of their age?
We need to have a system in place where people are assessed individually instead of the one cap fits all policy.
The OP indicated that all hell broke loose on social media calling out that the driver should not be driving at 95.
None of us know the real circumstances.
Did the lady and her children use the crossing correctly.
Maybe it was a case of the pedestrian not obeying control lights.
If the reason was that the 95 year old had a medical condition that may have interfered with his driving then his licence does need to be reassessed.
People are generally very quick to suggest that other people should lose their driving licences.
We had a neighbour who was in her 90ies, got T boned coming out of her driveway. Next time we saw her she flew past on her mobility scooter with dog running for its life on a lead more taut than a snatch strap. She rolled the mobility scooter a few times.
I also think that modern technology and the automatic braking being installed in newer cars is going to go a long way towards reducing accidents caused by confusing the peddles in an automatic.
Maybe one day we'll need a licence to drive these:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/darwin-escooter-incidents-study-health-system-impact-costs/101554326
Notice that the riders are all younger than us. Only one of them negotiated the kerb correctly. The guy who followed her didn't catch on.
-- Edited by dorian on Thursday 20th of October 2022 07:59:01 AM
I did an advanced driving course with pro racing drivers and it was suggested and recommended that a driver should use both feet.
The theory was that the reaction time was lessened when the driver used his right foot for for the *go* pedal and the left foot for the *woah* pedal.
This reaction time was actually demonstrated with a test of both methods.
The addition of a clutch pedal confused the issue a bit unless we are really lucky we generally only have to legs that reach the pedals
However (excuse my ignorance) if we are really supposed to use both feet driving an automatic why aren't the pedals further apart, giving less opportunities for people to confuse the accelerator for the break, because this seems to happen a lot in shopping centres and the like and it's not just old people doing it.
From the instructors I had at the driving course it was not suggested that it was a crime to use one foot in an automatic vehicle.
It was only suggested to use two feet as a method of reducing reaction times.
Most of us dont drive under what might be racing conditions when going to the shops.
Phew! I think I need a brake.
Years ago I had a manual & an auto company car. A few times when I drove the auto & did an emergency stop I slammed the clutch (brake) with my left foot.
On tricky ground I use both feet with the auto so you don't take off. An auto in 1st has truckloads of torque.
Reminds me of that Rodney Dangerfield line "when I die I want to go peacefully in my sleep, just like my grandfather, not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car".
I have driven automatics 2 feet ever since I can remember. Makes absolute sense. Little to no reaction time
to hit the anchors in bumper to bumper traffic.
If you learn to use 2 feet, it is a subconscious decision to apply the brake with your left foot. 0.01% of getting
it wrong. I use to race Go-karts and super karts - right foot throttle, left foot brake. Simple.
Those who think this is wrong have no argument, none whatsoever. My only issue will be when I have to have a driving test,
re-learn how to brake right foot.