Driver, 93 ,banned over biker death

[Whealie]

We've been through the retest argument many times on this forum... My original views on that still stands..

I'm all for a system that at least checks on vision, reaction and knowledge of the highway code being done on a regular basis for all drivers.. That would keep a lot of oldies and also young idiots off the road by proving they're not fit for driving..

Will never happen due to cost.

Take this incident. What did it cost the government? Nothing. The NHS get called and bill the whole cost to the old fella's car insurer.

The government relies on insurers to pay and therefore to refuse to insure when they think there is a risk of paying out too much. Oh and then the government introduces age discrimination laws that make refusing old people cover very difficult.

[Baggy]

I think all drivers and riders should be re-tested every five years...

Agree, and after commiting a driving offence ?

Might as well up the ante

ps: just seen Whealie's post... you're right of course, the cost would be too great for the government to bear, and there would be too great a backlash if drivers/riders had to pay. So how do you make it more expensive to not carry out retesting...

[Whealie]

So how do you make it more expensive to not carry out retesting...

Don't know. Insurers make heavy loses on motor insurance to try andwin you into buying other products

The latest Association of British Insurers' figures are:
NET WRITTEN PREMIUM OUTGO UNDERWRITING RESULT
TOTAL of which:
CLAIMS INCURRED COMMISSION & EXPENSES CHANGE IN PROVISIONS
TOTAL
2003 9,531 9,527 7,378 2,071 78 (5)
2004 10,154 10,226 7,811 2,235 180 (72)
2005 10,397 10,588 8,245 2,170 174 (191)
2006 10,277 10,481 8,003 2,253 226 (204)
2007 10,527 10,795 8,163 2,410 222 (267)
DOMESTIC
2003 6,849 7,001 5,471 1,500 29 (152)
2004 7,370 7,557 5,768 1,638 151 (187)
2005 7,563 7,795 6,211 1,604 (21) (232)
2006 7,491 7,939 6,179 1,653 107 (448 )
2007 7,813 8,210 6,245 1,749 216 (398 )

They made a bit of profit on business driver but those final figures in brackets are the losses the industry made every year in the table. And the losses are growing each year

Basically none of us pay the full price of the risks we actually pose.

[Whealie]

That table did not render well

Basically insurers in 2007 collected £7.8bn in motor premiums but paid out £8.2bn in claims, commission and costs (£6.2m in claims alone), making a loss of £398m.

This is not a new phenomenon. Here's me talking about it on TV about ten years ago

[Lumiya]

I'm sorry but you must have posted the wrong video...all I got was a Mr.Bean look alike talking twaddle about car insurance

[doglegdon]

all I got was a Mr.Bean look alike talking twaddle about car insurance

Ouch!

[Whealie]

Ouch!

I won't stand for being insulted - that's why I sit down at my computer.

[StumpyFingers]

Do not give up the day job.

[Sifoeman]

Whilst I have sympathy with some of the comments I cannot agree that "age" should be a barrier. I am 63 this year, ride a Honda XR650L (in The Gambia, West Africa) on and off road, my father drives in the UK and is in his 80s. Does this make us any less safe than those of youger years?

I have seen younger drivers and motorcyclists in the UK that I would not ride with - they had no driving skills.

Who would you sooner be the passenger of, an old guy who can handle the machinery or some youngster who can go fast in a straight line.

Give me an experienced operator evry time

[StumpyFingers]

I think the main consensus is that the elderly should have a medical at regular intervals to ensure they are safe.
To maintain the PCV licence one must have a medical every year once over 65, why not a car driver, The licence does actually expire at the age of 70.