RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Articles of interest to the AD community, currently in the news.
michael769
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2015 8:36 am

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby michael769 » Fri Mar 04, 2016 8:51 am

Matt1962 wrote:This is probably because the only reason for an 'Assessment' to take place would be because someone already believes the 'Mature Driver' to be unsafe? Hopefully it is not a reflection on driving standards amongst the elderly in general.


I suspect it's more a reflection of the difference between what you get from someone who's had no driver training in decades, and someone who's just finished an AD course.

TripleS
Posts: 227
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2015 5:39 pm
Location: Briggswath

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby TripleS » Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:29 pm

WhoseGeneration wrote:Rubbish young and rubbish middle aged drivers become rubbish older and then old drivers.
Internalising Roadcraft and the AD approach removed my rubbish.


....temporarily. :P

You'll be fine until you learn to produce new and unforeseeen forms of rubbish - and, speaking for myself, that's what's bothering me. Still, I do try to watch myself quite carefully so one hopes that will suffice. Anyhow it's better than nothing, is it not?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

TheInsanity1234
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:03 pm

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby TheInsanity1234 » Sat Mar 05, 2016 6:48 pm

TripleS wrote:
WhoseGeneration wrote:Rubbish young and rubbish middle aged drivers become rubbish older and then old drivers.
Internalising Roadcraft and the AD approach removed my rubbish.


....temporarily. :P

You'll be fine until you learn to produce new and unforeseeen forms of rubbish - and, speaking for myself, that's what's bothering me. Still, I do try to watch myself quite carefully so one hopes that will suffice. Anyhow it's better than nothing, is it not?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

It's far better to be rubbish, and aware of your rubbishness than it is to be rubbish and unaware.

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3558
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby Horse » Sat Mar 05, 2016 8:31 pm

Excellent point. Many people confuse 'good' and 'safe'. Someone can be totally rubbish technique-wise, but as long as they keep within their limits they may be fine. They may leave (or lead) a trail of exasperated and frustrated drivers, but they need to deal with that themselves.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

User avatar
jont-
Posts: 1522
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 7:12 am
Location: Herefordshire

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby jont- » Sun Mar 06, 2016 11:54 am

Horse wrote:Excellent point. Many people confuse 'good' and 'safe'. Someone can be totally rubbish technique-wise, but as long as they keep within their limits they may be fine. They may leave (or lead) a trail of exasperated and frustrated drivers, but they need to deal with that themselves.

I'm less sure about the latter point. The roads are there to allow people to get from A-B. We have a general problem of de-skilling which means many drivers don't/won't overtake, and don't leave return gaps either. The roads are also much busier, so I think we need a new definition of anti-social speed. If you're doing 35 on an NSL road with a long queue behind you (and conditions are good), you're driving at an anti-social speed. Either learn to drive at a reasonable speed, or get off the roads.

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3558
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby Horse » Sun Mar 06, 2016 6:39 pm

Interesting follow up, Jon. Which follows on from an interesting drive back I had this afternoon from visiting mum.

For those who know it, we were heading North from Alton to Basingstoke. Just after the 'waterworks' bend (after the final 'left', before the 'right'), a BMW Z4 caught us up fairly rapidly, followed fairly closely, then eventually overtook. As it happens, we then followed him [assumption] all the way to Blazingsmoke, until he headed into the distance along the ring road. A minute or two later, he overtook us on the final section of dual on the A339 :)

However . . . we were both caught behind some duffer [assumption, for comic effect] in an Audi, who did (variously) 30 in a 40 and 60 in a 50, did 'random' braking, yada yada. Oddly, BMW man didn't overtake in a place where I probably could have in the Ibiza 3-up . . . ::)

I was comfortable just sitting back 100m and letting the fuel consumption read out click ever better. BMW man, though, kept hustling up close behind whichever car he was following (first me, then the Audi) and, as a result, missed two good overtaking possibilities (he finally did go 1/2 mile before a two-lane section . . . ).

I'm not claiming to be 'better than either BMW or Audi, but I accepted that Audi's driving was 'below par' and adjusted accordingly. Mr BMW didn't. Now, if that meant he was getting in any way frustrated (it's an 'if', for the long-winded purposes of answering your question), might that have adversely affected his subsequent decision-making? Audi driver may well have been licking the glue on the edge of his performance envelope - but staying safe relative to hazards ahead - but BMW driver could have been failing to deal with that.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

fungus
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:26 pm
Location: Dorset

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby fungus » Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:52 pm

jont- wrote:
Horse wrote:Excellent point. Many people confuse 'good' and 'safe'. Someone can be totally rubbish technique-wise, but as long as they keep within their limits they may be fine. They may leave (or lead) a trail of exasperated and frustrated drivers, but they need to deal with that themselves.

I'm less sure about the latter point. The roads are there to allow people to get from A-B. We have a general problem of de-skilling which means many drivers don't/won't overtake, and don't leave return gaps either. The roads are also much busier, so I think we need a new definition of anti-social speed. If you're doing 35 on an NSL road with a long queue behind you (and conditions are good), you're driving at an anti-social speed. Either learn to drive at a reasonable speed, or get off the roads.


Test fail on a DVSA test. A candidate should demonstrate the ability to drive up to the speed limit if conditions allow, and not inconveience others.

Nigel.

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3558
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby Horse » Mon Mar 07, 2016 8:17 am

fungus wrote:
jont- wrote:
Horse wrote:Excellent point. Many people confuse 'good' and 'safe'. Someone can be totally rubbish technique-wise, but as long as they keep within their limits they may be fine. They may leave (or lead) a trail of exasperated and frustrated drivers, but they need to deal with that themselves.

I'm less sure about the latter point. The roads are there to allow people to get from A-B. We have a general problem of de-skilling which means many drivers don't/won't overtake, and don't leave return gaps either. The roads are also much busier, so I think we need a new definition of anti-social speed. If you're doing 35 on an NSL road with a long queue behind you (and conditions are good), you're driving at an anti-social speed. Either learn to drive at a reasonable speed, or get off the roads.


Test fail on a DVSA test. A candidate should demonstrate the ability to drive up to the speed limit if conditions allow, and not inconveience others.

Nigel.


Correct, but useless statement :)

So what?
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

User avatar
superplum
Posts: 67
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:39 pm
Location: Above Suffolk

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby superplum » Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:53 pm

jont- wrote: ...so I think we need a new definition of anti-social speed. If you're doing 35 on an NSL road with a long queue behind you (and conditions are good), you're driving at an anti-social speed.


So, what is the current definition of "anti-social" speed and where would it be listed?
:|

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3558
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: RoSPA launches website to keep older drivers safe on the roads

Postby Horse » Mon Mar 07, 2016 8:17 pm

superplum wrote:
jont- wrote: ...so I think we need a new definition of anti-social speed. If you're doing 35 on an NSL road with a long queue behind you (and conditions are good), you're driving at an anti-social speed.


So, what is the current definition of "anti-social" speed and where would it be listed?
:|


:D

Of course, it would have to be a sliding scale, adjusted to the capabilities of the vehicle, with weighting applied for, errr, well, 'weight' etc.

Then should really consider time of day (known 'dips' in human performance), along with the driver's specific mental and physical condition, with no criticsm of someone being proactive if they think they might be at risk of fatigue.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.


Return to “In The News”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests