SURVEY: What age is too old to drive?

[Moonlover]

9 hours ago, alex8912 said:

10 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

 

I have been driving now since 1971. My reflexes are still good. I dont drive at night if I can avoid it. During the day, I am a far better driver than any non professional under the age of 35. It could be because I am not in a hurry, dont text and drive, dont need to keep changing the music, nor need to drive with my ***k.

 

9 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Then any under 35?  Give us break Mr Perfect in his own mind/bubble. That statement hinges on senility! Why the heck can you NOT drive at night? 

I am 73. I do not normally drive a car, but I ride a motorcycle almost daily. My reflexes are pin sharp, I am very alert and aware and my vision, with contact lenses, is very good.

 

But like the gentlemen above I avoid being on the road at night. It is well established that the eyes are slower to react to changes of light as one ages. So being dazzled by approaching headlights can be very disconcerting and potentially dangerous.

 

Like other commentators here, I do not believe the is a 'cut-off' age for driving. We all vary and our biological age is not always in sync with our calendar age. Knowing ones limits and acknowledging them is probably the best guide. Also inputs from others, though maybe unwelcome, should be taken seriously.

[riclag]

Any age

[alex8912]

1 hour ago, Nyezhov said:

My eyesight is quite fine during the day, educate yourself on night vision loss. Now the nitty gritty is that I have at a minimum 15000 miles a year since 1973, to be fair. And probably more. 45 years x 15000. At a minimum. And some years I was doing 30,000 a year. Can you say the same? I have had one moving violation in the past 35 years, can you say the same? I have had three my fault accidents in 45 years, two of which were before the age of 21. Can you say the same? In point of fact, while you reflexes may be a hair better than mine, I far exceed your abilities behind the wheel experience wise. I know that hurts but that's the way of the world. Tom Brady might not be as fast, young or strong as a 21 year old, but he sure knows what he is doing.

I like Tom Brady and from Boston so I can’t argue anything against him or Gisele. But my driving record is perfect and I get the largest discount possible in Massachusetts and I probably drive better than you. Aren’t you the guy who’s scared of Songkran as well?? ????

[Nyezhov]

14 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

I like Tom Brady and from Boston so I can’t argue anything against him or Gisele. But my driving record is perfect and I get the largest discount possible in Massachusetts and I probably drive better than you. Aren’t you the guy who’s scared of Songkran as well?? ????

Well congrats, let us know how you are doing in 30 more years....

[richard_smith237]

I drive better than you... I have more miles than you, I have more experience than you... Its all rubbish...  our experience varies, different conditions, different countries, different cars... None of this is useful in anyway or form for anything else other than juvenile attempts to measure appendage...  

 

You're probably all better drivers than I am when I have a steaming cold - yet I'm still legally fit to drive... and I'm probably a better driver than you when you have a steaming cold.... 

 

The point I'm trying to make here is that these comparisons and all this d!<k measuring is pointless because you guys doing so are probably pretty decent drivers....  you are not the 'topic'... you are not the dangerous geriatric placing others at risk while blissfully unaware of your deteriorated reactions and lack of awareness on the roads....   

 

It is the 'dangerous geriatric' who we all want to see off the roads... Actually, I'm sure we'd like to see anyone who is dangerous off the roads....  

 

Thus - the point really is...  on average at what age does someone lose their capacity to safely operate a motor vehicle on the roads?...  and should some level of testing be introduced to ensure some are not a danger to others?...

 

It doesn't matter if you have been a great driver for 40 years... you could have a stroke tomorrow or some other medical ailment which makes you a danger, you may be unaware of this danger - hence the suggested need for regular medical check ups...  

 

This has nothing to do with being a better driver than the next person. It has everything to do with ensuring that our physical and mental fitness does not pose a potential risk to other road users - there is no room for ego.

 

 

[Credo]

Although everyone is different, more and better assessments need to be done as people age.   My father received an award from his company for driving 1,000,000 miles without an accident.   That was 40 years worth of driving, but a good record.  To get the award, he had to have had no accidents either at work or outside of work.

 

He was an excellent driver, but his motto really was 'Safety First' and 'Drive Defensively'.   He drove up until he died in his late 80's.   He did stop driving at night because it was harder to see.   

 

I don't think he ever had an accident in his life.   

 

 

[Cryingdick]

The ages are too high. It should be 60 and up with assessment. There also should be a 0% blood alcohol rule. 

[Lacessit]

6 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I like Tom Brady and from Boston so I can’t argue anything against him or Gisele. But my driving record is perfect and I get the largest discount possible in Massachusetts and I probably drive better than you. Aren’t you the guy who’s scared of Songkran as well?? ????

Let's see if your driving record is as perfect after another 40 years. If you  rely only on eyesight and reflexes, it possibly won't be.

It's not about being a better driver. It's about being a safer driver.

As evidence of this, I need to go no further than my son. I have never had a front-end collision in my life. He has had four, two write-offs. It's not as if his eyesight and reflexes are deficient. He's a third dan black belt in Muay Thai karate, and they don't hand those out in cereal boxes.

The difference is he relies on the aforementioned attributes. I rely on anticipation and threat assessment.

You seem to discount experience. I am wondering if you have even driven in outback Australia. You boast of driving in 20 countries.

Do you know how to drive at 120 km/hr on a severely corrugated dirt road? Do you know what bulldust is, how to detect and avoid it, and why it is dangerous?

You remind me of how much smarter my father became when I turned thirty, compared to when I was twenty.

 

[superal]

Slightly away from the  theme but age related .

A few years ago I was always seeing my neighbor getting in the back of her sons car when going out .

I was having a chat to her one day and casually asked if she was scared to sit in the front of her sons car as he was a fast driver ? she said no its not that , he wont let me sit in the front because you go and look at his windscreen .  On the windscreen in quite large letters was ,  Sean & Tracy with 2 love hearts either side and he did not want people to think he was going with an old woman .

[ballpoint]

As has been pointed out previously, much depends on the individual.  Some people seem to remain sharp and active into their '90s, while others become blunt and vegetative in their '60s.  However, if you're going to have a law, then it must aim for the lowest age where a significant number of people begin to lose their reactive skills.  Claiming that you are 99 and have just climbed Everest, swum the Pacific and won Mastermind, and can still see whether a fly is male or female at 100m, doesn't make any difference when a large portion of the population, upon turning 70, fail to be able to climb the stairs to the BTS, get from one end of the bath tub to the other, calculate how much change they get for a 90 baht item from a 100 baht note, and spot whether a bar worker is male or female at 100mm (okay, some have difficulty with that one at any age).  The age must be set at the lowest significant level, which is why I voted for 70.

[ballpoint]

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Do you know what bulldust is, how to detect and avoid it...

I thought I did, but then I clicked on this thread.

[alex8912]

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Let's see if your driving record is as perfect after another 40 years. If you  rely only on eyesight and reflexes, it possibly won't be.

It's not about being a better driver. It's about being a safer driver.

As evidence of this, I need to go no further than my son. I have never had a front-end collision in my life. He has had four, two write-offs. It's not as if his eyesight and reflexes are deficient. He's a third dan black belt in Muay Thai karate, and they don't hand those out in cereal boxes.

The difference is he relies on the aforementioned attributes. I rely on anticipation and threat assessment.

You seem to discount experience. I am wondering if you have even driven in outback Australia. You boast of driving in 20 countries.

Do you know how to drive at 120 km/hr on a severely corrugated dirt road? Do you know what bulldust is, how to detect and avoid it, and why it is dangerous?

You remind me of how much smarter my father became when I turned thirty, compared to when I was twenty.

 

Is your son 1/2 Thai? 

[VocalNeal]

One thing older people have going for them is that they are less likely to be distracted by playing with smart phones!!

[Lacessit]

41 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

Is your son 1/2 Thai? 

No. As Australian as I am. However, I can understand why you asked the question.

[Old Croc]

If anyone, over about 80, can pass a competency driving test and relevant medical exam there is no reason they cant keep driving at any age.

I've had advanced driver, pursuit and surveillance driving training so consider my skills a bit above average. However, I voluntarily stopped night driving some years ago because my night vision had deteriorated. Then medical problems with my legs caused me to stop driving altogether a few years ago, and rely on the little lady or friends to ferry me around.

Now, after recent lens replacement surgery, I can see better than I have for decades and am looking for ways to get back behind the wheel.  My lady supports this because we are both sick of my back seat driving where I constantly point out (sometimes stridently!) potential death situations in front or beside us. (If she changes lanes in front of a large vehicle, without signaling or checking mirrors, one more time, I fear the worst!)

She just does not have the awareness of other traffic and their potential to do the unexpected.  Yet, she is of an age too young to be considered a problem in this survey. And she's certainly not alone on Thai roads!

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

If anyone, over about 80, can pass a competency driving test and relevant medical exam there is no reason they cant keep driving at any age.

I've had advanced driver, pursuit and surveillance driving training so consider my skills a bit above average. However, I voluntarily stopped night driving some years ago because my night vision had deteriorated. Then medical problems with my legs caused me to stop driving altogether a few years ago, and rely on the little lady or friends to ferry me around.

Now, after recent lens replacement surgery, I can see better than I have for decades and am looking for ways to get back behind the wheel.  My lady supports this because we are both sick of my back seat driving where I constantly point out (sometimes stridently!) potential death situations in front or beside us. (If she changes lanes in front of a large vehicle, without signaling or checking mirrors, one more time, I fear the worst!)

She just does not have the awareness of other traffic and their potential to do the unexpected.  Yet, she is of an age too young to be considered a problem in this survey. And she's certainly not alone on Thai roads!

I think I have been persuasive enough with my GF to get her to drive defensively. She is probably better than 95% of Thai drivers, and with me in the passenger seat has driven safely from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. She is a component of my plans to give up driving when the time comes.

I've found gentle harping and reinforcement explanation work best with my GF. Stridency just shuts her down.

[Old Croc]

11 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I think I have been persuasive enough with my GF to get her to drive defensively. She is probably better than 95% of Thai drivers, and with me in the passenger seat has driven safely from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. She is a component of my plans to give up driving when the time comes.

I've found gentle harping and reinforcement explanation work best with my GF. Stridency just shuts her down.

I did say "sometimes" stridently. Usually reserved when sighting imminent death situations.

I've tried persuasion, commonsense education, calmly pointing out what to look for and how far ahead to look, planning ahead, the use of side mirrors, etc. 

Improvement has come, but slowly. You're fortunate. 

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, ballpoint said:

As has been pointed out previously, much depends on the individual.  Some people seem to remain sharp and active into their '90s, while others become blunt and vegetative in their '60s.  However, if you're going to have a law, then it must aim for the lowest age where a significant number of people begin to lose their reactive skills.  Claiming that you are 99 and have just climbed Everest, swum the Pacific and won Mastermind, and can still see whether a fly is male or female at 100m, doesn't make any difference when a large portion of the population, upon turning 70, fail to be able to climb the stairs to the BTS, get from one end of the bath tub to the other, calculate how much change they get for a 90 baht item from a 100 baht note, and spot whether a bar worker is male or female at 100mm (okay, some have difficulty with that one at any age).  The age must be set at the lowest significant level, which is why I voted for 70.

I have difficulty with the concept of getting into a complete stranger's personal space at that distance myself.

Reactive skills are important; however, if one drives with a defensive mindset they are less significant, because the spatial system a defensive driver creates diminishes the need for them.

[Lacessit]

15 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

The old Ford's with 3 on the Tree in winter.....yep, no disks, TPS systems, auto trannies, winter wipers...hell I've had rigs in Alaska without heat. I've started trucks by heating them with a weed burner first. He doesn't even know what tire chains are. Or high lifts.

 

Wonder how many times our young friend has driven from Toronto to Anchorage up the Alaska Highway in winter. Hell, I did the Alaska Highway 3 years ago. At my age.

No wonder you've come to Thailand. You need a lot of time to thaw.

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

No wonder you've come to Thailand. You need a lot of time to thaw.

-85F with windchill in Winnipeg, -47F in Watson Lake (no wind), -55F in Kluane (no wind) baby!

 

So cold in Winnipeg that the paint on my truck cracked.....

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

-85F with windchill in Winnipeg, -47F in Watson Lake (no wind), -55F in Kluane (no wind) baby!

 

So cold in Winnipeg that the paint on my truck cracked.....

I'm surprised you can still exhibit remnants of sanity. What's that expression? " Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey?"

And I thought I was hard done by in Melbourne, with windchill dragging the thermometer down from +11 degrees C to +3 degrees C.

Sorry if the temperature units are confusing; however, you do need to catch up with the metric system.

[Nyezhov]

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Sorry if the temperature units are confusing; however, you do need to catch up with the metric system.

-65C, -44C, -48C.

 

In other words, cold. Like almost Oymyakon cold

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

-65C, -44C, -48C.

 

In other words, cold. Like almost Oymyakon cold

So you're as  happy as a pig in mud with a Thai lass to warm you up.

[Nyezhov]

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

So you're as  happy as a pig in mud with a Thai lass to warm you up.

No lasses yet...faulty ticker under repair

[Lacessit]

6 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

No lasses yet...faulty ticker under repair

This is the same guy who was commenting on the hospital nurses? You are allowed to indulge in moderation, you know. Effort on your part is not necessary, as I've found out quite a few delightful times with my GF. Oh shit, I'm way off topic. Mea maxima culpa. You do lead me astray.

[Nyezhov]

20 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Mea maxima culpa. You do lead me astray.

Why do you blame me for your wandering mind Breaker?

[steve73]

Perhaps over 90 you should be restricted to just a scooter/motorcycle, since less likely to cause damage or injury to others, and those with poor eyesight &/or reflexes will soon get sorted out... 

(only partly joking..)

[balo]

You can't put people in age categories , some 90 year old brains works better than a 70 year old.   So only the doctor and annual health check-ups can confirm if you are fit enough to drive.   That goes for younger people as  well . 

 

 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Nyezhov said:

Why do you blame me for your wandering mind Breaker?

Because you are a baad influence.

[Scott]

Although there some interesting posts, please stay on topic.   This thread is about what age is too old to drive, not how old is too old to have sex.