Driving
- Thread starter MReader
- Start date
Hi there, and welcome to Talking Point 
There's been loads of talk and debate about driving. Thankfully my Dad just accepted it.
If the driving licence has been revoked then the actual licence is worthless, police have the ability to roadside check with DVLA so would then know it was revoked and would then seize the licence and the person would be dealt with for driving without a licence and insurance.
That's the law bit. The fact is that physically there is nothing stopping anyone from getting in a car and driving.
If gentle persuasion does not work then you have to think what on earth are the consequences of the person driving - loss of life, serious injury etc.
I don't know who the person is, if it was my family member I would be 'loosing' the keys to the car and send the licence back my self.
If someone else who I didn't really know then I would like to think I would report it to the police and DVLA that the person was driving.
Hope this is of some help...
There's been loads of talk and debate about driving. Thankfully my Dad just accepted it.
If the driving licence has been revoked then the actual licence is worthless, police have the ability to roadside check with DVLA so would then know it was revoked and would then seize the licence and the person would be dealt with for driving without a licence and insurance.
That's the law bit. The fact is that physically there is nothing stopping anyone from getting in a car and driving.
If gentle persuasion does not work then you have to think what on earth are the consequences of the person driving - loss of life, serious injury etc.
I don't know who the person is, if it was my family member I would be 'loosing' the keys to the car and send the licence back my self.
If someone else who I didn't really know then I would like to think I would report it to the police and DVLA that the person was driving.
Hope this is of some help...
Hi, i told my dad his car had been stolen and because he had no theft insurance we had no money to buy a new one, amazingly, he accepted it and has never driven since. He actually still had a current licence and i sent it back to DVLA myself explaining i thought he was unfit to drive but was told that as long as his DR said he could drive the licence was still current. I just let it expire and didnt apply to renew after the 3 years.
Hello
I dont know the law as to the licence not being returned , im sure others here may know.
Would the person listen to a voice of authority such as a doctor or local police and hand the licence ovet ?
If the car is not needed by others , it could be disabled in some way ie disconnect the battery, remove the plugs or take the keys away
Many others here have had similar problems , hopefully they will be along soon
I dont know the law as to the licence not being returned , im sure others here may know.
Would the person listen to a voice of authority such as a doctor or local police and hand the licence ovet ?
If the car is not needed by others , it could be disabled in some way ie disconnect the battery, remove the plugs or take the keys away
Many others here have had similar problems , hopefully they will be along soon
Initially I had no major problems with my husband - in fact he voluntarily gave up his licence. But he soon forgot that and then wanted to drive . I used the argument that he would not be covered by insurance so even if someone else were to blame we would have to stand the cost. That stopped him for a while.
. I used the argument that he would not be covered by insurance so even if someone else were to blame we would have to stand the cost. That stopped him for a while.Driving licence
My father has dementia and had his licence revoked - we simply told Dad that he was uanble to drive and we have now sold his car, unfortunately Mum was terminally ill too so was unable to drive herslef so no car was not really a problem. Dad has not really asked about his car (he is now in a care home) but does occasionally think he's lost his car keys! I do however have another side to this - my nephew was killed in a car accident in 2002. You do have to think seriously about this as you do not want another family's grief on top of all your problems.
My father has dementia and had his licence revoked - we simply told Dad that he was uanble to drive and we have now sold his car, unfortunately Mum was terminally ill too so was unable to drive herslef so no car was not really a problem. Dad has not really asked about his car (he is now in a care home) but does occasionally think he's lost his car keys! I do however have another side to this - my nephew was killed in a car accident in 2002. You do have to think seriously about this as you do not want another family's grief on top of all your problems.
We had huge problems over this. Dad had always been a law-abiding citizen till he got dementia, but telling him he was not allowed to drive and that he had no insurance didn't deter him at all. We took his keys while he was upstairs and fitted a crook lock. It took ages to get the keys though, because he knew that we wanted him to stop driving, so he kept them in his pocket most of the time.
We started to worry about Dad's driving before he had many other signs of dementia. He had an accident on his way home from a tea dance with his wife, and didn't stop. There was quite a lot of damage to his car, and his story just didn't add up. I couldn't understand why my stepmother hadn't made him stop, and why she didn't tell us about it for weeks. All we knew was that the car was away for repairs. Until that point, Dad had been a bit forgetful, but we hadn't thought much about it. He was very plausible, but from that time we started to question things more. My stepmother was in denial, but the CPN said that was quite common. It was me who went to the doctor about Dad, and it took a while before he took it seriously. I eventually convinced the doctor that we needed a scan, and after that everything fell into place. Dad has Vascular Dementia, and I suspect that he'd had a stroke when he hit the other car.
I used to have nightmares about him driving. The CPN made him a laminated notice that she put on the inside of his front door, reminding him that the doctor had said he was not allowed to drive, but he just kept hiding it! We let down the tyres, but he drove anyway. If we hadn't fitted the crook lock and taken his keys, we wouldn't have been able to make sure he didn't drive. I'd persuaded a friend who is in the police to come over to his house wearing her uniform, and tell him what would happen if he was caught driving, but he took no notice. He said the doctor had no right to tell him he couldn't drive, and then he denied ever having had an accident! After we'd disabled his car, we tried to persuade him to sell it and use the money for taxis, but he refused. We've only just sold it now. Shortly after we stopped him from driving, he had a bigger stroke, and pneumonia, and was taken into hospital. He moved from there to a nursing home, so he is safe now. He still tells me he has been out in his car when I go to visit, or asks me if I need a lift back!
It's very hard because it is the last bit of independence a person has, but it could cost an innocent person their life, so we have to take the hard decisions. My children have told me I will be giving up driving by the time I'm 70, and using my bus pass, so that nobody has to have the awkward conversation. I don't like to tell them that there are no rules that say you are safe until then!
I hope you can get this sorted. We found that there was no point in appealing to reason, because Dad just forgot the inconvenient bits, and then said we were trying to trick him out of his independence. It was very upsetting. Just remember you are doing the right thing: by the person with dementia, and by anyone in their path.
Love, Sue
We started to worry about Dad's driving before he had many other signs of dementia. He had an accident on his way home from a tea dance with his wife, and didn't stop. There was quite a lot of damage to his car, and his story just didn't add up. I couldn't understand why my stepmother hadn't made him stop, and why she didn't tell us about it for weeks. All we knew was that the car was away for repairs. Until that point, Dad had been a bit forgetful, but we hadn't thought much about it. He was very plausible, but from that time we started to question things more. My stepmother was in denial, but the CPN said that was quite common. It was me who went to the doctor about Dad, and it took a while before he took it seriously. I eventually convinced the doctor that we needed a scan, and after that everything fell into place. Dad has Vascular Dementia, and I suspect that he'd had a stroke when he hit the other car.
I used to have nightmares about him driving. The CPN made him a laminated notice that she put on the inside of his front door, reminding him that the doctor had said he was not allowed to drive, but he just kept hiding it! We let down the tyres, but he drove anyway. If we hadn't fitted the crook lock and taken his keys, we wouldn't have been able to make sure he didn't drive. I'd persuaded a friend who is in the police to come over to his house wearing her uniform, and tell him what would happen if he was caught driving, but he took no notice. He said the doctor had no right to tell him he couldn't drive, and then he denied ever having had an accident! After we'd disabled his car, we tried to persuade him to sell it and use the money for taxis, but he refused. We've only just sold it now. Shortly after we stopped him from driving, he had a bigger stroke, and pneumonia, and was taken into hospital. He moved from there to a nursing home, so he is safe now. He still tells me he has been out in his car when I go to visit, or asks me if I need a lift back!
It's very hard because it is the last bit of independence a person has, but it could cost an innocent person their life, so we have to take the hard decisions. My children have told me I will be giving up driving by the time I'm 70, and using my bus pass, so that nobody has to have the awkward conversation. I don't like to tell them that there are no rules that say you are safe until then!
I hope you can get this sorted. We found that there was no point in appealing to reason, because Dad just forgot the inconvenient bits, and then said we were trying to trick him out of his independence. It was very upsetting. Just remember you are doing the right thing: by the person with dementia, and by anyone in their path.
Love, Sue
Just remember you are doing the right thing: by the person with dementia, and by anyone in their path. Love, Sue
What utter nonsense Sue I have been driving almost 12 years with dementia no problems or accidents, ok there are people with dementia who shouldn’t drive But there are also people without dementia who should drive either stop victimizing the dementia suffer all the time
Tony
What utter nonsense Sue I have been driving almost 12 years with dementia no problems or accidents, ok there are people with dementia who shouldn’t drive But there are also people without dementia who should drive either stop victimizing the dementia suffer all the time
Tony
I think there is a definite case for bringing in retesting - but with dementia it's a bit like an MOT - it's valid on the day but doesn't guarantee roadworthiness - as no two days are the same someone could sail through their test on a good day.
I drive, I am aware if I have a bad day I can't drive. I have always been a good driver and passengers are Ok with me - I ask them what they think of my driving, I hope that if they say to me my driving is bad then I will listen but if I don't listen I hope someone cares enough about me and the general public to take my keys away from me - I would want them to do that.
I did have experience of the same with a friend who knew she was unsafe, I contacted her CPN - who said she's got capacity we can't do anything about it. I lectured her very sternly at the time as I knew taking her keys would exacerbate everything - she used the bus for a while. She did improve and is driving again, she has never been a good driver and everyone knows it - but do you think anyone will do anything? Her condition long term wont improve but mental health team have signed her off as she is 'better' for now. If they continued with her when she was well, encouraging her to explore other transport options, of which there are several in our area she would be prepared for when the time comes when there is no other option. She has had many 'bumps' over the years and I'm surprised the insurance companies haven't picked up on it. No doubt they'll jump on the bandwagon soon enough.
I drive, I am aware if I have a bad day I can't drive. I have always been a good driver and passengers are Ok with me - I ask them what they think of my driving, I hope that if they say to me my driving is bad then I will listen but if I don't listen I hope someone cares enough about me and the general public to take my keys away from me - I would want them to do that.
I did have experience of the same with a friend who knew she was unsafe, I contacted her CPN - who said she's got capacity we can't do anything about it. I lectured her very sternly at the time as I knew taking her keys would exacerbate everything - she used the bus for a while. She did improve and is driving again, she has never been a good driver and everyone knows it - but do you think anyone will do anything? Her condition long term wont improve but mental health team have signed her off as she is 'better' for now. If they continued with her when she was well, encouraging her to explore other transport options, of which there are several in our area she would be prepared for when the time comes when there is no other option. She has had many 'bumps' over the years and I'm surprised the insurance companies haven't picked up on it. No doubt they'll jump on the bandwagon soon enough.
its not only the dementia suffers read article from the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The shocking scale of drug-driving among the young was exposed yesterday.
One in ten has got behind the wheel while high on heroin, cannabis, Ecstasy or amphetamines, according to the first research of its kind.
Road safety campaigners said it revealed that driving under the influence of drugs is now more common among young people than drink-driving.
The study was prompted by concern at the huge six-fold rise in the number of road crash victims now found to have illicit drugs in their bloodstreams.
Experts believe one 'spliff' of marijuana has roughly the same effect as the amount of alcohol needed to take a motorist just above the current drink-drive limit.
Yet youngsters admitted they routinely 'drove to the shops and friends' after smoking a joint or happily accepted a lift from a driver who had. Many regular users insisted drugs did not impair their judgment.
Last night there were renewed calls for the law to be strengthened and campaigners demanded an education programme to ram home the dangers.
Robert Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: 'Young people have learned the lesson about not drinking and driving, but we don't want them to start thinking "I don't drink so I will take drugs instead".'
Researchers surveyed 1,000 drivers aged 17 to 39. Nine per cent of them admitted taking to the wheel after abusing drugs - half of them in the last 12 months.
Three-quarters had smoked cannabis, a third had taken stimulants such as amphetamines and Ecstasy and more than 10 per cent opiates including heroin.
Men were significantly more likely to drive after taking drugs as were motorists in the 20 to 24 age range.
The study was commissioned by the Scottish Executive and analysed by academics at Glasgow University.
In addition there were separate in depth-interviews with specific groups including 'clubbers' and regular drug users.
Forty-one per cent of 88 dance music fans interviewed admitted driving within 12 hours of taking illegal drugs and a staggering 83 per cent said they had accepted a lift from someone they knew had taken drugs.
Some of the users claimed that taking drugs improved their driving but others admitted a range of effects.
Cannabis users said they sometimes did not feel not fully in control of the car and too tired to drive safely - Government research has proved the drug is a road safety hazard.
Those who had taken Ecstasy reported feelings of paranoia as well as blurred vision and impaired concentration. LSD provoked feelings of anxiety and caused distractions and hallucinations.
Amphetamines gave users an urge to drive more quickly and also made them paranoid. Cocaine gave some the illusion of travelling at high speed.
Dr Joanne Neale, of the university's Centre for Drug Misuse Research, said clubbers believed drug- driving was 'acceptable' and 'unproblematic'.
'Driving under the inflence of cannabis was very much a part of everyday life,' she said. 'People would smoke cannabis and then drive to the shops.
'But while they may have been a bit anxious about getting in a car with someone who had taken Ecstasy they were not sure how to say no, whereas with alcohol it's now the norm to get out of the car.'
Most of those interviewed were not aware they could be banned from driving if they were caught. However prosecutions are relatively rare.
Not only must police present evidence that drugs have been taken - normally through a blood or urine sample - they must also show that a person's ability to drive has been hampered.
Currently tests for drug-driving are voluntary and motorists are able to refuse to co-operate without committing an offence.
Daily Mail
The shocking scale of drug-driving among the young was exposed yesterday.
One in ten has got behind the wheel while high on heroin, cannabis, Ecstasy or amphetamines, according to the first research of its kind.
Road safety campaigners said it revealed that driving under the influence of drugs is now more common among young people than drink-driving.
The study was prompted by concern at the huge six-fold rise in the number of road crash victims now found to have illicit drugs in their bloodstreams.
Experts believe one 'spliff' of marijuana has roughly the same effect as the amount of alcohol needed to take a motorist just above the current drink-drive limit.
Yet youngsters admitted they routinely 'drove to the shops and friends' after smoking a joint or happily accepted a lift from a driver who had. Many regular users insisted drugs did not impair their judgment.
Last night there were renewed calls for the law to be strengthened and campaigners demanded an education programme to ram home the dangers.
Robert Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: 'Young people have learned the lesson about not drinking and driving, but we don't want them to start thinking "I don't drink so I will take drugs instead".'
Researchers surveyed 1,000 drivers aged 17 to 39. Nine per cent of them admitted taking to the wheel after abusing drugs - half of them in the last 12 months.
Three-quarters had smoked cannabis, a third had taken stimulants such as amphetamines and Ecstasy and more than 10 per cent opiates including heroin.
Men were significantly more likely to drive after taking drugs as were motorists in the 20 to 24 age range.
The study was commissioned by the Scottish Executive and analysed by academics at Glasgow University.
In addition there were separate in depth-interviews with specific groups including 'clubbers' and regular drug users.
Forty-one per cent of 88 dance music fans interviewed admitted driving within 12 hours of taking illegal drugs and a staggering 83 per cent said they had accepted a lift from someone they knew had taken drugs.
Some of the users claimed that taking drugs improved their driving but others admitted a range of effects.
Cannabis users said they sometimes did not feel not fully in control of the car and too tired to drive safely - Government research has proved the drug is a road safety hazard.
Those who had taken Ecstasy reported feelings of paranoia as well as blurred vision and impaired concentration. LSD provoked feelings of anxiety and caused distractions and hallucinations.
Amphetamines gave users an urge to drive more quickly and also made them paranoid. Cocaine gave some the illusion of travelling at high speed.
Dr Joanne Neale, of the university's Centre for Drug Misuse Research, said clubbers believed drug- driving was 'acceptable' and 'unproblematic'.
'Driving under the inflence of cannabis was very much a part of everyday life,' she said. 'People would smoke cannabis and then drive to the shops.
'But while they may have been a bit anxious about getting in a car with someone who had taken Ecstasy they were not sure how to say no, whereas with alcohol it's now the norm to get out of the car.'
Most of those interviewed were not aware they could be banned from driving if they were caught. However prosecutions are relatively rare.
Not only must police present evidence that drugs have been taken - normally through a blood or urine sample - they must also show that a person's ability to drive has been hampered.
Currently tests for drug-driving are voluntary and motorists are able to refuse to co-operate without committing an offence.
Hello sue, i agree, SOME dementia sufferers are not aware or are in denial of their condition and no amount of reasoning will persuade them to give up. In my dads case, i told him the car had been stolen and took the keys off him, long before his diagnosis because I recognised that he was unfit to drive. He of course didnt agree and argued that he'd been driving for over 50 years so therefore he knows whether he can drive or not. YES he could still drive, but not safely and it would have only been a matter of time before an accident would have happened. I think re-testing after diagnosis is a good idea, both the driving and written theory test, then there would be less doubt in the persons ability to continue driving.
We could go on with the driving debate for an eternity, yes there are thousands who should not be on the road for loads of different reasons - BUT - all the answers on here are to help the person who posted, their question was how to stop someone with dementia driving who's licence had been REVOKED - this is not a question of whether dementia sufferers should drive, that of course is down to the effect the condition has at the time. If anyone with a mental/medical condition is in doubt a driving assessment can be taken at a centre.
You should by law inform the DVLA of any condition that may effect your driving, be it physical or mental. If it all goes wrong and this has not been done then again - no insurance
Lets try to stick to helping the original poster
You should by law inform the DVLA of any condition that may effect your driving, be it physical or mental. If it all goes wrong and this has not been done then again - no insurance
Lets try to stick to helping the original poster
Hi,
I know I offend you on this matter Tony, but I was talking about my Dad, not you. Dad had already had an accident and had had his licence revoked, just like the original poster. I certainly wasn't saying that all people with dementia should be banned from driving. It's just that my Dad and others in his situation have lost the judgement to know they aren't safe to drive. My Dad would have been mortified to know he was putting other people at risk, yet when he hit another car and drove off, he couldn't see he'd done anything wrong.
There are lots of people who should be stopped from driving, and I suspect people with dementia would make up a very small part of that. I'm glad that you are still safe to drive, but that doesn't mean that it's ok for anyone who has been banned from driving to carry on.
Sorry, I'm going on a bit now, but stopping my Dad from driving was the hardest thing I've had to do. It certainly wasn't something that was done lightly, and I'm sorry you feel that I speak utter nonsense. I don't seek to victimise anyone, but I do feel strongly that allowing someone who has already caused an accident to go out and risk doing it again, would have been completely irresponsible. So I answered the original post with how I tried to prevent any future accidents, not least because I couldn't have lived with myself if I hadn't.
Sue
I know I offend you on this matter Tony, but I was talking about my Dad, not you. Dad had already had an accident and had had his licence revoked, just like the original poster. I certainly wasn't saying that all people with dementia should be banned from driving. It's just that my Dad and others in his situation have lost the judgement to know they aren't safe to drive. My Dad would have been mortified to know he was putting other people at risk, yet when he hit another car and drove off, he couldn't see he'd done anything wrong.
There are lots of people who should be stopped from driving, and I suspect people with dementia would make up a very small part of that. I'm glad that you are still safe to drive, but that doesn't mean that it's ok for anyone who has been banned from driving to carry on.
Sorry, I'm going on a bit now, but stopping my Dad from driving was the hardest thing I've had to do. It certainly wasn't something that was done lightly, and I'm sorry you feel that I speak utter nonsense. I don't seek to victimise anyone, but I do feel strongly that allowing someone who has already caused an accident to go out and risk doing it again, would have been completely irresponsible. So I answered the original post with how I tried to prevent any future accidents, not least because I couldn't have lived with myself if I hadn't.
Sue
Hi Sue Thanks for reply I’m not offended, and I do understand there is a time when a person is no longer capable of driving for me I actually joined talking point in March 2005 just to reply to a thread then on driving six years later I’m still answering similar threads on behalf of the person with dementia but most important I’m still driving sorry Sue for calling your reply nonsense.
Tony
Tony
I knew my husband was not safe to drive, he had already had one or two mishaps, reversing into another vehicle, driving across a roundabout.
We `loaned` the car to our son so we were car-less [I don`t drive] but this enabled him to keep his licence, which was one of his treasured possessions, and let him think he was still a driver.
We even went to showrooms to look at new cars he might have wanted to buy but the prices put him off.
We `loaned` the car to our son so we were car-less [I don`t drive] but this enabled him to keep his licence, which was one of his treasured possessions, and let him think he was still a driver.
We even went to showrooms to look at new cars he might have wanted to buy but the prices put him off.
Driving with dementia
Hi
I find this thread really interesting and helpful but I have a slightly different problem. I suspect my dad is actually getting frightened to drive judging by the comments he makes but my mother is in complete denial of his problem and makes him take her long distances and drive at night.
My problem is I can't seem to get through to my mother that she should be taking over the driving. My dad has, on occasions, asked me to drive and said he's too old etc. He sometimes says he knows he's getting worse with his dementia but my mother will not accept that he is anything other than forgetful.
I've had several conversations with her about why he shouldn't be driving and for a while she'll ask me to do it instead but I have to work and have no siblings so she eventually slips back into making my dad take her.
I'm really worried he's going to have an accident as he's beginning to find it hard judging distances and even where he needs to turn off etc. My dad has always been a brilliant driver and could find his way to anywhere just by quickly looking at the map and now the most he can manage is small journeys around our local town.
Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted.
Regards
Karen
Hi
I find this thread really interesting and helpful but I have a slightly different problem. I suspect my dad is actually getting frightened to drive judging by the comments he makes but my mother is in complete denial of his problem and makes him take her long distances and drive at night.
My problem is I can't seem to get through to my mother that she should be taking over the driving. My dad has, on occasions, asked me to drive and said he's too old etc. He sometimes says he knows he's getting worse with his dementia but my mother will not accept that he is anything other than forgetful.
I've had several conversations with her about why he shouldn't be driving and for a while she'll ask me to do it instead but I have to work and have no siblings so she eventually slips back into making my dad take her.
I'm really worried he's going to have an accident as he's beginning to find it hard judging distances and even where he needs to turn off etc. My dad has always been a brilliant driver and could find his way to anywhere just by quickly looking at the map and now the most he can manage is small journeys around our local town.
Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted.
Regards
Karen
