Japan is to Dementia test drivers at 70

[Helena]

Seems that Japan has woken up to the problem of drivers with dementia not being fit to drive but failing to report themselves

Apparently only 20% are reported on by friends and relatives

Some are caught by the police

They have discovered that theres double the number of accidents caused by drivers over age 70

Time our DVLA woke up

New Zealand requires all drivers over 75 to have yearly driving tests

Simply do not understand our reluctance to do the same
I still cringe at the thought of what my 90 yr old Mother was doing before the DVLA got involved in March or in the 3 months it took them to rescind her licence

 

[KenC]

Testing drivers

Hi Helena,
I understand what you are saying and I agree totally. I gave up because I felt I did not have total control, and this was before my problem was diagnosed. I simply can not understand why this problem is not reported by a persons GP or Consulatant, because they alone must realise, that people who have driven for many years find it difficult to hand in their driving license. I have heard many people complain, that in their eyes they are safe to drive and no one has the right to stop them. It was my view when I realised that something was going wrong, that if I knocked someone down I would probably kill them, and I did not want that on my mind for the rest of my life. I stopped driving a year before my diagnoses and had had a license since 1968, but even though it was part of my job to drive at times I found the risk too much.
We may think we are safe but are we. Surley someone has to take control of this situation and stop it getting out of hand, because the insurance company's would not like it if they found out that someone on their books was driving even though they had a problem like this.
Regards

kenc

 

[Helena]

The stupid thing is that providing your driving licence is valid the Insurance Companies cant cancel your insurance

Mind you its a miracle my Mother had even insured her car because it did not have tax or MOT !!!
so if she had had an accident she would have violated the policy that way