Should there be a maximum age to apply for learners drivers license?

[sunhuntin]

after 2 near misses today involving the same driver, ive decided to post a poll. just a simple yes or no. also, if you would be so kind as to post your preferred age. personally, i think the max age should be around 60 years.

i was waiting to cross at a ped crossing while walking to work. she came from my right, and the sun was behind her. thought, yeh, shes gonna stop cos shes slowing down, but ill wait till shes stopped before crossing. good thing, as she sped up as she reached the crossing and then pulled out in front of a car at the roundabout. the car she cut off had right of way. the old woman didnt even seem to notice.
the car was wearing l plates, and the driver looked to be a very nervous 70+ year old, with her equally old husband as teacher. i hate to think that she is driving in a city with many cyclists and pedestrians. if i had got her plate, she would have been reported.

[Jantar]

I would be against any age limit, but I would be in favour of an IQ test and reaction time test.

[cs363]

Voted no, purely because I don't believe you can make a judgement based purely on age. I've seen plenty of alert and spritely aged folks, take racing driver Kenny Smith for instance (67).
That said I can see where you are coming from, maybe there's more of an issue having an aged relative/friend as a teacher?
I had a guy turn straight in front of me today (I was in a large car), missed him by inches - he looked about 30 , a mate of mine gets people pulling out in front of his 40+ ton truck all the time....don't think there's an age limit at either end of the scale for bad drivers

Perhaps at 60 or 70 there should be some sort of testing of the persons faculties to make sure they are up to the job prior to issueing a learners permit?

[klingon]

I would be against any age limit, but I would be in favour of an IQ test and reaction time test.

I agree. Maybe not IQ but some kind of common sense test! It's not just the elderly that are the problem and not just learners either.

I can see the old guy's point. He's not going to be around forever and chances are she's going to outlive him. What a lovely thing to teach her to drive before he departs this world.

BUT incompetent drivers of any age are a hazard and should not be allowed on the road!

I suspect the real problem here is more with the teacher than the learner. parents, friends and partners should not be the primary driving teachers. She should be with a professional teacher who would not take her out on a busy road if she was not capable of handling it.

[RDjase]

What about a graded license?

You could have a Open Road Unlimited license

and a local (20kms from home?) No motor ways ect, and they have L plate(red for local?) or something like that, then old grandma can go to visit the
relatives in the next town and at least you can see they see and expect they might do something silly/dangerous

[Headbanger]

I reckon there should be a punch in the face test.

Haven't yet worked out where it would be implemented, But it would come out of nowhere, and everyone would get one.

Bang....Punch to the face.

[sunhuntin]

good responses. the road in question was luckily not busy [was about 9.15-ish] any earlier and the RAB and surrounding roads would have been clogged with school and work traffic. myself, a guy mowing the RAB and the right of way car were the only other moving objects present at the time. thankfully.

i think a reactions test is a good idea, and should be given for all ages. same with the idea of not allowing parents etc to be the main educator.

jase, thats a good idea. give them some freedom, but keeps them from situations that could be dangerous for them and those around them.

[Grahameeboy]

good responses. the road in question was luckily not busy [was about 9.15-ish] any earlier and the RAB and surrounding roads would have been clogged with school and work traffic. myself, a guy mowing the RAB and the right of way car were the only other moving objects present at the time. thankfully.

i think a reactions test is a good idea, and should be given for all ages. same with the idea of not allowing parents etc to be the main educator.

jase, thats a good idea. give them some freedom, but keeps them from situations that could be dangerous for them and those around them.

It's just drivers regardless of age etc...number of times I have been crossing with Nats in her wheelchair...it was well clear..and some guy just fails to stop on my left luckily....

[MadDuck]

would be in favour of an IQ test.

Would rule out over 90% of KBers

[Ixion]

The days are now long gone when it was rare for women to drive

But when I was young a woman driving was indeed a rare thing.

My mother learned to drive, my father taught her. It was self interest he just wanted someone to steer the cars he towed. But she was very unusual. None of her friends, and none of my other aunts and female relatives drove. It was considered forward and mannish and rather improper.

Partly of course, because cars then were very much harder , physically, to drive. No power nothing, crank handle starters etc.

But, the result, which I still quite frequently see, is that when an elderly man dies (or is incapacitated) his relict is left in a very difficult situation, and can become very isolated.

All women should learn how to drive. No matter what their age.

Whether they drive well is another matter.

[mstriumph]

V)

Perhaps at 60 or 70 there should be some sort of testing of the persons faculties to make sure they are up to the job prior to issueing a learners permit?

pehaps at ANY age there should be some sort of testing of the persons faculties to make sure they are up to the job prior to issuing a learners permit?

mentally and physically-deficient morons come in all shapes/sizes/colours/ages
- just look at the accident stats.

[mstriumph]

........
and a local (20kms from home?) No motor ways ect, and they have L plate(red for local?) or something like that, then old grandma can go to visit the
relatives in the next town and at least you can see they see and expect they might do something silly/dangerous

*wonders why you restricted this to old grandma ....*?? lol


........... and bike riders will prolly live longer if they expect ANY driver to do something silly/dangerous - not just the labelled ones

[cs363]

pehaps at ANY age there should be some sort of testing of the persons faculties to make sure they are up to the job prior to issuing a learners permit?

mentally and physically-deficient morons come in all shapes/sizes/colours/ages
- just look at the accident stats.

You are not wrong there!

[mstriumph]

.................

All women should learn how to drive. No matter what their age.

Whether they drive well is another matter.

good grief .... - have i stumbled into a meeting of the local chapter of 'sexists anonymous' ?

[RDjase]

*wonders why you restricted this to old grandma ....*?? lol


........... and bike riders will prolly live longer if they expect ANY driver to do something silly/dangerous - not just the labelled ones

Or old grandad lol