Old people should be forced to retake their driving test

[Asht_200]

http://www.maldonandburnhamstandard....al_Chelmsford/

THIS is the moment a 73-year-old man had to be rescued from his car after it crashed into the River Can in Chelmsford city centre.

At about 11.25am today, a Lexus reversed through railings near Barrack Square Bridge opposite Stonebridge Walk and went into the water.

The driver tried to frantically escape through the sunroof as his car started sinking but became tangled by his seatbelt.

Passers-by dived into the water to save the man while police, firefighters and paramedics also rushed to the scene to help cut him free.

He had seconds to be rescued as water gushed into the submerged vehicle.

Assistant Divisional Officer Doug Sylvester from Chelmsford fire station said: "Firefighters used specialist equipment to smash the sunroof and then cut the seatbelt to free the man.

"A ladder was used to bring him to safety, he was very cold after his ordeal but not seriously injured."

Paramedics took the driver and four other people who all jumped in to help rescue him to hospital to be treated for possible hypothermia.

A bit of back story to this. The man was disabled and had been asked to move his car by workmen out of a loading bay near Marks & Spencer

Instead of moving the car went full tilt through metal railings and a brick wall ending up in the canal.

Also: Nice to see Essex Fire Service biging themselves up by claiming they rescued the bloke, when it was passers by and the workmen who jumped in to rescue him. As you can tell from the video

But that aside, why is it always old people who end up in situations like these

[Asht_200]

Incidentally you'd have been screwed if you wanted a copper at the time, because I think the entire Essex force turned up to watch

[R3K1355]

I saw this yesterday, they said the cause wasn't established then - has it been now??

In his defence it 'could' have been his disability system going haywire.

[R3K1355]

However, I do agree old people should be made to resit their test.

I think everyone should resit it every 10 years.

[Asht_200]

Good to see Lexus Electrics work under water. As it goes under you can see the indicators still going

[Yakko]

There's something about his demeanour, maybe his nonchalant (almost French) hand waving that's really annoying, considering a bunch of people have jumped into a cold canal to help.

Kudos to the Lexus, stayed afloat a lot longer than I'd have guessed, especially considering the sunroof is open (and therefore the interior air pocket is seriously compromised).

[Mark]

How did they smash an open sunroof

[Johnny]

How did they smash an open sunroof

Perhaps they had one of those new woman firemen

[Asht_200]

How did they smash an open sunroof

Exactly.

[Yakko]

How did they smash an open sunroof

'Tis mindless vandalism.

[beefy]

I had to do a moose test at around 60 mph the other day, about 10 inches away from a serious crash, due to some tit (Assuming family, had kids in the back) pulling right across a dual carrageway at night, SOMEHOW NOT SEEING THE LOUD RED CAR HEADING TOWARDS THEM!

Every 10 years I think... Keep most f**kwits off the roads. Honestly, considering the route I use that time at night is mostly lorrys, they would have been killed. So many f***ing idiots around these days. Licenses are too easy to obtain.

[sideways14a]

Every ten for folk up to 60, then every 5 till 70 and 3 there on in till they croak.

If folk dont like it...tough... get your license taken away because your not up to scratch... tough..

[Johnny]

I don't think retests are going to help that much .... How many times has this guy accidentally accelerated through a barrier ... Probably none ... So driving at 30mph and doing a parallel park every 10years isn't going to help .... A simple Medical would be easier for everyone and get rid of the same amount of old people.

But it's not going to stop accidents like this, or people parking their audis in other peoples houses.

[kingj]

To those aying licenses are too easy to obtain, I believe that is a big part of the problem, they are NOT as easy to obtain now as they were 50 odd years ago when the current generation of elderly drivers passed! My grandad said he literally sat in the front of a car and had to explain which was the steering wheel, gearknob and brakes, and then drive to the end of the road without crashing. He was then issued a license and left to his own devices

[Steve_20085]

To those aying licenses are too easy to obtain, I believe that is a big part of the problem, they are NOT as easy to obtain now as they were 50 odd years ago when the current generation of elderly drivers passed! My grandad said he literally sat in the front of a car and had to explain which was the steering wheel, gearknob and brakes, and then drive to the end of the road without crashing. He was then issued a license and left to his own devices

I can beat that. My grandad applied for his driving licence at the post office and it got sent out to him. No test at all!
im all for having to retake your test after 65.
Only problem I have with the every 10 years is what if you fail? Where I live the current test is always about an 8 week wait, and that's just new deivers taking it.
I drive a lot for a living, what if I got an examiner on a bad day or failed for a silly reason. How long would it be until I could retake it? 10,12,15 weeks?

[R3K1355]

Just setup a system where you get a 6 month grace period if you fail, that way you can get two or three tests in there before your licence expires.

With the extra revenue going into the system with the increased tests you can employ more examiners and give some people a job.

[Prior]

It happened right outside my girlfriends work. My guess it it was an auto and he put it in the wrong gear. Happens all the time with elderly drivers in the mobility cars, just not quite as spectacular.

[Asht_200]

It happened right outside my girlfriends work. My guess it it was an auto and he put it in the wrong gear. Happens all the time with elderly drivers in the mobility cars, just not quite as spectacular.

She had some great Lunch time entertainment then

[skyshack]

I don't think there should be a repeat of the standard test.

That test is for BASIC skills. There is an expectation that your driving skills will improve over and above basic with more experience. That's why so many have accidents in the first year of driving and insurance reflects that.

All new drivers should have a plate affixed to their cars and be limited to same speeds as trucks, 56 on M-way / DC and 45 on A roads.

There should be a 2nd test after 1 year. At that test they can be stripped of the licence to drive on the P plate and put back to provisional if they have regressed below BASIC standard or given a full licence.

Then there should be an observed driving test every 10 years. This should include a request while on an A road to go back past somewhere they have already been, there should be a side street within 250m. Anyone doing a 3 point right there on the A road (urban or otherwise) gets banned for life. That would be every Taxi in town. A 180 that doesn't involve wheelspin or handbrake would be OK but tester should ensure the road is too narrow for that.

[Asht_200]

Then there should be an observed driving test every 10 years. This should include a request while on an A road to go back past somewhere they have already been, there should be a side street within 250m. Anyone doing a 3 point right there on the A road (urban or otherwise) gets banned for life. That would be every Taxi in town. A 180 that doesn't involve wheelspin or handbrake would be OK but tester should ensure the road is too narrow for that.

Are J turns acceptable?