Didn't see, or didn't look?

[Scuba_Steve]

Why stop at people over 80 having to re-sit their licenses?

I know plenty of people in their 50s, 60s, 30s, 20s etc who could do with brushing up on their skills...

Maybe all driving licenses should have a 5/10 year expiry. I for one would support that.

Look at your licence, it (like all others) will expire every 10yrs. The Govt wants to keep your ID up-todate.




The Govt won't make any active moves against the elderly for 2 main reasons; 1 they vote, 2 they have time, lots & lots of time. Time that can be used to complain & alot of them like to utilize said time for such activities

[avgas]

Yellow line. Wished it had been a logging truck instead of a bike.
Killing off the wrong people. Wrong side of the road when there is a yellow line. Should have been a logging truck.

[Angel_of_Metal]

Pilots have to take the equivalent of a full driving test every 9 months, so I don't see why drivers over the age of 70 shouldn't either. Being able to drive, just like being able to own a gun, is a priviledge, not a right. Both of which can kill if used irresponsibly or incorrectly. Just because someone is medically fit to do something, doesn't mean that they are any good, or even safe at doing so.

Very much agreed about the aging population posing a greater risk and playing an ever increasing role in accidents (esp fatal ones) these days.

The fact that I got nearly taken out the other day by an elderly gentleman on the motorway has absolutely nothing to do with my thoughts above... Just a good lesson on why early spotting of forming sticky situations can save ya I guess!

[scumdog]

Look at your licence, it (like all others) will expire every 10yrs. The Govt wants to keep your ID up-todate.

The Govt won't make any active moves against the elderly for 2 main reasons; 1 they vote, 2 they have time, lots & lots of time. Time that can be used to complain & alot of them like to utilize said time for such activities

I thought all the heros ride/drove without any licence.??
"Only a fool need a licence"

[bigreddog]

When someone is dawdling around holding everybody up or pulling very slowly across oncoming traffic and there is an accident then speed IS a factor...
RIP CB750 rider

[awayatc]

so you all seem to know what really happened then.............?

just because there is a bandwagon around doesn't mean you got to jump on it.......

[scumdog]

They don't move their feet on and off the pedals properly.

And one day their right foot slips off the brake pedal onto the gas pedal - and the car suddenly 'takes off' until they hit something.

And in a lot of cases when that first lunge forward happens they slam their foot down even harder onto what they still think is the brake pedal - and the car goes mental until it crashes.

And often afterwards they will swear the whole time they were pushing on the brake pedal as hard as they could "but the car wouldn't stop, it just took off on me"

And just today::::

A man who crashed his BMW into a parked car yesterday appeared to have hit the accelerator instead of the brake, Blenheim police said.

The crash happened at the busy Boyce and Nelson streets intersection about 4pm. The driver was turning right out of Boyce St when he hit a parked car and shunted it into a parked scooter.

The impact caused both cars to spin and face in the opposite direction.

Constable Ian Mills, of Blenheim, said tyre marks on the kerb and footpath showed the man was still accelerating after hitting the parked car.

That resulted in him driving through a nearby brick wall, Mr Mills said.

There was no injury...

(Well this time!)

[MD]

so you all seem to know what really happened then.............?

just because there is a bandwagon around doesn't mean you got to jump on it.......

We stand corrected. That's a relief to know a 50 y.o. riding a motorcycle did not die yesterday in Opunake after hitting head on a car that was on the wrong side of double yellow lines driven by an 8o y.o.

Edit- in sober light of day I take that back. Awayatac is right. The full facts aren't known. it could have been sun strike or the bike doing warp factor 3 or an animal on the road the car was going around or who knows what. My folks are 77 and 80 and still drive OK.

[Tarded]

Yeah that happened but I think the point is some of the story is just that. There may be more involved. Thats why fatals get a specialist investigation team.

Ive seen 3 oldies 'have a turn' and hit things over the years. I was one of those hit - in a car thankfully.

One time was at a testing station. The oldie lurched forward and hit a car over the pit. Wrong pedal syndrome. One very pale Indian inspector was the result - and some minor panel damage.

I remember on the box here a few years ago a drunk was involved in fatal with 2 girls.

usual things said about it but it was shown the girls hit him. If sober he may have avoided it - we dont know.

Yes obviously drink driving is stupid but not all is as it seems all the time.

[Scuba_Steve]

Since we like blanket laws so much I say just ban all automatics, unless you have a valid reason for needing one... but then if you have a valid reason for needing one I have to question your driving ability, so maybee just ban all automatics.

Problem semi solved! That should get most of the useless drivers off the road.

[onearmedbandit]

As to the brake vs Accelerator thing I believe the manufacturers are the most guilty. I have had several experiences of this. If you press both the accelerator wins, safety logic says the brake should win but find a clear road and try it.

Really? In the literally thousands of cars I've driven only cars with large amounts of power have displayed this trait.

[davereid]

Look at your licence, it (like all others) will expire every 10yrs. The Govt wants to keep your ID up-todate.

Mines a lifetime one, still got years to go. Papers getting a bit thin, buts its definitely not expired.

[oneofsix]

Really? In the literally thousands of cars I've driven only cars with large amounts of power have displayed this trait.

If you call as small as 1.6l large and typical of 2l but why would any car be allowed to show this trait?

[avgas]

If you call as small as 1.6l large and typical of 2l but why would any car be allowed to show this trait?

Its actually how they are made. I have driven a car with similar brake to accelerator and every time you feathers the brakes at low speed you near smash you nose on the steering wheel. Therefore most manufacturers still maintain a "real" element to the brake so that unless you stomp the thing there is a linear feel to having the brakes apply. Accelerator is delayed by the engine only. Stomp modern brakes and ABS takes over.
Most modern smart braking systems change the balance of the braking so that you have better control of the vehicle, and in most situations the brakes and accelerators are running parallel systems. I have heard of someone building a linked system - but was to pursued - basically when you touched the brake the brake computer would tell EFI to start slowing engine (e.g. do the opposite of whatever the accelerator is doing).
But effectively accelerator and brake are doing 2 separate tasks in a car, I think that should remain to be that way - people should get smarter. I do know what you mean though - size 12 boots a daihatsus are a bad mix for me.
Also certain kinds of nerve damage can cause you to think that left is right and right is left.
But neither is a good excuse for a crash here.