Author Topic: Dangerous Drivers who Kill MAY receive a life sentence ?  (Read 4823 times)

Penygadair

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Re: Dangerous Drivers who Kill MAY receive a life sentence ?
« Reply #15 on: 15:44:41, 22/12/16 »
I don't really think that it depends on the age of the driver but more on their mental alertness. I know of a lady of 60 who I simply would not get into a car with, yet another lady of 90 I would be happy to be driven by anywhere and in any traffic conditions.




tonyk

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Re: Dangerous Drivers who Kill MAY receive a life sentence ?
« Reply #16 on: 19:46:06, 22/12/16 »
 There are pros and cons when it comes to older drivers.

 Pros:

 1.They rarely have big egos or a massive chip on their shoulder.

 2.They don't know who Lewis Hamilton is.

 3.They are more likely to have more respect for the speed limit.

 4.They are unlikely to be showing off to a girlfriend/boyfriend.

 5.They are unlikely to have ICE in their car.

 6.They are unlikely to use a mobile phone when they are driving.

 6.They are unlikely to be driving a car that has had thousands spent on increasing BHP and forgotten about the brakes and suspension due to running out of funds.

 7.Their vehicle is likely to have all the correct documentation in place.

 Cons:

 1.People over 65 often develop age related cateracts.Its still legal,without informing the DVLA, to drive with cateracts in one eye but it plays hell with vision at night.I had this problem in my late fifties and gave up driving until the eye was sorted out.Its just not worth the risk.

 2.Reactions do diminish,especially in people with health problems and those over 75.

 3.Wanting to remain "independant" can reach absurd heights and leave people in denial.I had to deal with this problem with my father and eventually threatened to sell his car if he didn't give up driving.He was 88 at the time,had good reactions for his age,but his eyesight just wasn't up to safe driving despite still being within the limit.Eye tests don't take account of how your eyes are affected by sunlight and car headlamps.

 4.Some older drivers do get confused when they are taken out of their immediate environment.Where the younger driver will see it as a challenge the older driver sees it as something to be feared.

 Being driven home by a young lad on mobile who is trying impress me with his driving "skills" or an old driver who can't see at cyclist from 50 meters away? My choice would be the bus.
 

 

alewife

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Re: Dangerous Drivers who Kill MAY receive a life sentence ?
« Reply #17 on: 19:51:58, 22/12/16 »
I do know an elderly gent (in Snowdonia actually) who has serious issues with his eyesight, but the gp, who is almost as old, just signs to say he's fit to drive. Hopefully, he knows the area and the roads are quiet enough that he won't kill anyone else if he has an accident. His grandson despairs but what can he do? I recognise that youngsters statistically are a problem and often kill others when they kill themselves (we had a young lad die on the road very close to our house recently, very sad) but certainly many of the elderly should be medically prohibited from driving:I think a proper medical check by an independent doctor would help, or even a retest.
Alewife


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MikeW

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Re: Dangerous Drivers who Kill MAY receive a life sentence ?
« Reply #18 on: 20:44:16, 22/12/16 »
The elderly drivers who negotiate the 60mph country lanes at 25mph, dithering and pottering in the middle of the road then speed up to 40 when they reach the wider, better lit and marked roads of the towns and villages where the speed limit is 30 are amongst those who concern me the most on the roads.

Mumf

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Re: Dangerous Drivers who Kill MAY receive a life sentence ?
« Reply #19 on: 21:27:49, 22/12/16 »
There are pros and cons when it comes to older drivers.

 Pros:

 1.They rarely have big egos or a massive chip on their shoulder.

 2.They don't know who Lewis Hamilton is.

 3.They are more likely to have more respect for the speed limit.

 4.They are unlikely to be showing off to a girlfriend/boyfriend.

 5.They are unlikely to have ICE in their car.

 6.They are unlikely to use a mobile phone when they are driving.

 6.They are unlikely to be driving a car that has had thousands spent on increasing BHP and forgotten about the brakes and suspension due to running out of funds.

 7.Their vehicle is likely to have all the correct documentation in place.

 Cons:

 1.People over 65 often develop age related cateracts.Its still legal,without informing the DVLA, to drive with cateracts in one eye but it plays hell with vision at night.I had this problem in my late fifties and gave up driving until the eye was sorted out.Its just not worth the risk.

 2.Reactions do diminish,especially in people with health problems and those over 75.

 3.Wanting to remain "independant" can reach absurd heights and leave people in denial.I had to deal with this problem with my father and eventually threatened to sell his car if he didn't give up driving.He was 88 at the time,had good reactions for his age,but his eyesight just wasn't up to safe driving despite still being within the limit.Eye tests don't take account of how your eyes are affected by sunlight and car headlamps.

 4.Some older drivers do get confused when they are taken out of their immediate environment.Where the younger driver will see it as a challenge the older driver sees it as something to be feared.

 Being driven home by a young lad on mobile who is trying impress me with his driving "skills" or an old driver who can't see at cyclist from 50 meters away? My choice would be the bus.








Excellent post . , !


The other important point to mention is that when stats are quoted in relation to the incidence of accidents for particular age groups , many seem to forget that drivers over let's say 65 drive far fewer miles than those under 30 . If they did , then you would get a far truer picture of risk assessment and safety .
How many 80 year olds commute to Manchester or Liverpool every day on motorways at 70 mph and then park in a multi storey car park ? How many would want to  :-\ :-\ I hear you cry ....
A dog will love you for what you are ...and not for the clothes you wear .

PeakRambler

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Re: Dangerous Drivers who Kill MAY receive a life sentence ?
« Reply #20 on: 10:23:56, 24/12/16 »
I'm probably the worst, or possibly one of the best to respond to this thread, having being victim to a speeding driver, who not only sped, but failed to stop at a red light and went on not even stopping or reporting the accident.

I'm still trying to walk after almost two years, and still enduring pain and a constantly swollen lower right leg and ankle.

Its hard to comprehend the full implications careless driving can invoke, not just on the victim, their family, work, friends and much much more.

I've been laid up two years, that is two years where my wife has been my carer, my son has been my taxi driver, my work, for I'm still on long term sick, my friends who I can't socialise or walk with, and more.

So whos affected?
1 Wife
2 Son
3 Work (a team of fifty plus colleagues and immediate management)
4 Friends (unquantifiable number)

That in my book, says a minimum of EIGHT YEARS affected, using statistics.

OK, I may be OTT and will accept constructive arguments against that figure, but its something to think about.

The driver who did this to me, only had a six month ban!

I have my thoughts, and I guess many of you will calculate close to what I think the driver should have had, as a driving ban, not imprisonment.


Why not imprisonment?


No, I'm not going soft, but would imprisonment really help my case, and society?

I doubt it, the driver could be released worse than when they went in, costing society more in the long term.

A minimum of two years ban would be a good start for me, possibly upto eight years ban..... But then, would that driver drive illegally?

However, if a life is taken, then I'm afraid a life need to be repaid by life imprisonment.

I apologise if I seem out of turn, but I'm sure many of you will appreciate where I'm coming from.

DevonDave

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Re: Dangerous Drivers who Kill MAY receive a life sentence ?
« Reply #21 on: 10:54:26, 24/12/16 »
A sad day in Plymouth today.  An accident occurred in the City Centre at about 7 o'clock this morning, resulting in an 18 year old girl being left in a critical condition with life changing injuries.  The driver of the car was found to be over the drink-drive limit.  I hope they throw the book at him.

 

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