Driver, 93 ,banned over biker death

[Whealie]

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

Nobody is arguing with that. It's when they get doddery that it becomes a problem.

We are very slow to take away people's licenses. When my wife had a head injury I phoned DVLA and they refused to take her licence away.

As it ws we paid for her to have special lessons when, years later, she felt able to drive again (she did a test first and failed, had special lessons then passed). But there was need to, not even from the insurance company.

There are people out there on the road who shouldn't be, regardless of their age.

Insurers will tell you that people drive over 80 until they have a crash, then they stop.

The trouble in this case was that the crash killed a biker.

[Mabels Old Man]

When I had my by pass BT stopped me driving until I had a doctors letter, DVLa said " has the doctor said you can drive" "yes" says I " that's ok then carry on" No check at all.











I'll know when it's time to stop.............................................. I won't be able to handle the U turns

[Snaphappy]

Medical for all every 5 years and over 60 every year

another one should be introduced those who get caught and convicted of a driving offence should lose their licence and the ban should only dictate how long they must wait till they can resit their test

Bikers have a probation period, so should the other licence categories

I've nothing against ninety year olds driving as long as they are proven by an independent assessor that they are in full control
IMHO

[Lumiya]

I remembered another incident that a biker and pillion got killed by a 73yo U-turning in front of him...and would you believe it thier sentance has just been suspended..

Well guys it looks like bikers are fair game

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/h...re/7982095.stm

[Zenarchy]

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.

Wow! I didn't know that. Always assumed the insurance companies were raking it in.

Here's me talking about it on TV about ten years ago

Blimey - you get about a bit! Was just reading your guardian article the other day, and now see you're on TV.

Can't believe you blacked up and shaved your head for the halifax adverts though!

[alpslapper]

As an absolute minimum:

* compulary retesting for EVERYONE every 3 years.

* insurance - think of a huge figure, then quadruple it until the
driver/rider passes an advanced driver/rider test

* mandatory 10 years in jail with no early release for driving with no
insurance, tax or mot

* the driving test is conducted over a period of 6 months and includes
vehicle maintenance to an intermediate level.

* as part of the test, every new driver/rider must see a mutilated dead
body resulting from a vehicle accident and must accompany the police to
inform the relatives of the persons death.

[Mervinh]

As an absolute minimum:

* compulary retesting for EVERYONE every 3 years.

* insurance - think of a huge figure, then quadruple it until the
driver/rider passes an advanced driver/rider test

* mandatory 10 years in jail with no early release for driving with no
insurance, tax or mot

* the driving test is conducted over a period of 6 months and includes
vehicle maintenance to an intermediate level.

* as part of the test, every new driver/rider must see a mutilated dead
body resulting from a vehicle accident and must accompany the police to
inform the relatives of the persons death.

surely this would be unheard of if the ideas worked so impossible
merv

[alpslapper]

surely this would be unheard of if the ideas worked so impossible
merv

There will always be a percentage that will take their chances - such is human nature. Getting that percentage as low as possible is the trick.

[Aubrey]

It amazes me that in today's age of technological wonder, where my purchase of beans indicates to the generic supermarket that they now need to restock 1 can, order another for the store, and link that purchase with likely associated products which they will analyse to design high revenue special offers, our medical records (key parts like severe heart conditions, epilepsy etc..) cannot be linked to DVLA and either restrict or bar people from driving altogether.

But the deeply suspicious part of me says it simple. Bikers, young drivers and those lucky enough to have fast cars make the government money. We are dangerous road users and its really easy to put legislation through descriminating against us. The doddery (and there are plenty of younger drivers in that catagory, you know the type; seat pushs them forward over the steering wheel, nose pressed against the screen, so intent on what is happening 1m in front of their bonnet they are blind to everything else) however, are statistically safe in themselves. They tend to be so hesitant, irratic or unpredicatable that its everyone else swerving out of their way, or running into the back of them as they slow down without indication, that are the bad drivers. But importantly, they don't generate revenue from speeding or anything else so there's no incentive to examine their driving under the auspices of safety.

Lets be honest, you can't trust bikers who go fast, are normally very aware of what is going on around them, examine their driving regularily, ask mates to give them pointers, take advanced course, liase with the police on "bike safe". To top it all off, bloody bikers are always riding along with no hands on the bars, gesticulating wildly while conducting a meeting or arguement on the phone pressed to their lid!

Here endith the rant!

[StumpyFingers]

It amazes me that in today's age of technological wonder, where my purchase of beans indicates to the generic supermarket that they now need to restock 1 can, order another for the store, and link that purchase with likely associated products which they will analyse to design high revenue special offers, our medical records (key parts like severe heart conditions, epilepsy etc..) cannot be linked to DVLA and either restrict or bar people from driving altogether.

But the deeply suspicious part of me says it simple. Bikers, young drivers and those lucky enough to have fast cars make the government money. We are dangerous road users and its really easy to put legislation through descriminating against us. The doddery (and there are plenty of younger drivers in that catagory, you know the type; seat pushs them forward over the steering wheel, nose pressed against the screen, so intent on what is happening 1m in front of their bonnet they are blind to everything else) however, are statistically safe in themselves. They tend to be so hesitant, irratic or unpredicatable that its everyone else swerving out of their way, or running into the back of them as they slow down without indication, that are the bad drivers. But importantly, they don't generate revenue from speeding or anything else so there's no incentive to examine their driving under the auspices of safety.

Lets be honest, you can't trust bikers who go fast, are normally very aware of what is going on around them, examine their driving regularily, ask mates to give them pointers, take advanced course, liase with the police on "bike safe". To top it all off, bloody bikers are always riding along with no hands on the bars, gesticulating wildly while conducting a meeting or arguement on the phone pressed to their lid!

Here endith the rant!

I think deep breathing exercises are in order, But I agree with you.