Team-BHP - Driving License Re-Test for Senior Aged Drivers ?

Many a times I have seen that the drivers in Mumbai are really aged guys. Although nothing wrong with that but they simply do not follow the traffic rules properly.

I have seen the RTO cops letting them go away with minor signal jumps or lane cuttings but that is very dangerous at times.

Being into Insurance field I have come across a number of accidents involving negligence from the driver who are simply not fit to drive.

The other day I was in a cab and the driver was literally driving a FIAT car with an extremely off-balance chassis and I could feel the brakes were also working only about 5%. In the small 4 kms ride we had almost 2 close shaves. On inquiring about his health he proudly tells me he has vertigo condition occurrences sometimes.

Even my own uncle who is 57 cannot drive the car properly. Back in the day he was a great driver and most of my driving skills were sharpened by him. But now he cannot drive the car as he used to and we don't allow him a car. His left leg does not come off the clutch properly thereby almost propelling the car ahead like a rocket at times. He cannot drive the automatic ones either.

The point I am trying to make is that what if they had a re-test of certain aged drivers at the time of renewal of license, just like they give licenses to new drivers. I inquired at the RTO and one of my colleague RTO officer told me that the rule wasn't there in place. At the time of renewal though these licenses are being renewed aptly without the tests done.

Point noted. But I feel driving tests should be conducted to ALL repeat violators, and not just old guys. The percentage of dangerous driving by people in their late teens and early 20s is far greater and menacing.

I'm surprised that your 57 year old uncle cannot drive properly. Seems to be an exception. My dad drove perfectly till he was 70. My wife's uncle drives a WagonR perfectly even at the age of 83.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vnabhi (Post 3963792)

I'm surprised that your 57 year old uncle cannot drive properly. Seems to be an exception. My dad drove perfectly till he was 70. My wife's uncle drives a WagonR perfectly even at the age of 83.

That's exactly the point I am trying to make. Each individual differs with various health conditions.

In this case your Dad and wife's uncle are fit to drive and should be duly given an extension for driving license.

In my uncle's case he shouldn't. Even though he keeps telling us that most of us have been trained under him.

Both these scenarios the re-tests would be the only way to gauge one's driving capability no matter how experienced the drivers are. The theory as well as practical knowledge for driving does not count after a certain age because of the variable health conditions.

May I add one more point. The senior citizens do no drive much (almost all local commutes), and remember decades of experience supplements their skills. I think all of us tend to become a bit lazy about following the letter of the law. Aslo, remember when these chaps took their licenses land discipline was an unheard of concept.

Incidentally, what are we doing about people driving in the wrong lane (just see the lane hogging on and high end road). This will never be taken up, since they do not want to face a nationwide transporters strike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by commonman (Post 3963819)

This may sound OT.How much is Vertigo a reason to give a re test or cancel the license? Vertigo, can even come to young people because of infection. Kindly enlighten.What should be other health conditions when driving must be avoided.

So you are saying that a guy having vertigo should have the right to drive a car even if it puts others lives at risk ?

You probably did not get the point sir. I meant why would he drive erratically if he cannot have the judgement during vertigo.

Of course after getting treated and getting cured of vertigo one could go for a re-test and get the license renewed. As for the young people they simply should avoid driving during the condition.

How hard it is to understand that after a certain age the eyes and analytical capabilities of an individual in general are not up to the mark thereby putting several other lives in danger. I don't think I need to write the health conditions to drive to analyse here.

Common sense should do it.

While it is hard to come up with precise numbers, it should be mandatory to have everyone retake a driving test after a fixed period. Honestly, is it that much of an inconvenience to take a thirty minute test every five years or so?

Driving skills certainly deteriorate with age, lack of practice or even medical conditions and it is human nature to overestimate our abilities.

Implementing this into our RTO system with all its bureaucracy is a different issue, but the principle of such periodic re-testing is sound.