When is time to hang up the driving gloves for the final time - metaphorically speaking?

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niemeyjt · #1 Post by **niemeyjt** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 1:40 pm

I heard a crash outside and looked out to see an elderly gentleman get out of a car he had just driven into the back of the car parked in front of him. The owner of the other car came out of their house (the noise was loud) and the necessary paperwork was completed.

The elderly gentleman then got ready to move off. Massive revving of the engine (good if you are a clutch salesman) and he managed to get out of the parking spot and in doing so hit a Porsche.

The elderly gentleman was weak on his legs, very unstable even with his stick, and barely able to walk - I guess that explained the revving. He seemed to be shaky - but that could be the shock of course.

I wonder, hoping we live that long to get to his state, when do you know it is time to stop driving? Or is it only after the Police get called to a prang and take matters into hand (like Prince Philip)?

MAD87 · #2 Post by **MAD87** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 1:54 pm

I'll be stopping at the end of this year and giving my car to my older son. I no longer get any enjoyment from driving and since 3 of my children live within 20 minutes of here and online shopping/delivery is available, I can hang up my gloves at last.

Liz · #3 Post by **Liz** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 2:01 pm

It is a tricky decision for many.
Mad, you are lucky, so many in rural areas have no family nearby.
Fixit hasn't trusted himself to drive for a year now, fingers crossed this is temporary..... every new eye clinic appt brings hope but until they can sort out the right correction for his complicated vertical and horizontal double vision he is severely handicapped.

L Austin France · #4 Post by **L Austin France** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 2:53 pm

My wife was queing in her car to enter a Vide Grenier when the car in front's reversing lights came on & the car shot backwards into her. To compound the error the car then moved forwards with it's towing hitch ripping of her cars' bumper.
The elderly driver was unaware of the havoc he's caused & denied any liability saying my wife must have driven into his car.
He continued to refuse to acknowledge responsibility,reluctantly filling in & signing the Constat but writing that it was my wife's fault.
All witnesses disappeared & it was left to us to sort out the problem.
Fortunately the incident was captured on our dash cam & when I visited his house the next day to show him the video he refused to talk to me & sent out his wife, who was also in the car, to tell me to go away.
All was sorted in our favour once the ins. co. had a copy of the video but I often wondered whether he gave up driving through his own volition, which I doubt, or was forced to do so by his ins. co. refusing to reinsure him due to him lying on the constat.

MAD87 · #5 Post by **MAD87** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:03 pm

Liz wrote: ↑Thu Aug 25, 2022 2:01 pm It is a tricky decision for many.
Mad, you are lucky, so many in rural areas have no family nearby.
Fixit hasn't trusted himself to drive for a year now, fingers crossed this is temporary..... every new eye clinic appt brings hope but until they can sort out the right correction for his complicated vertical and horizontal double vision he is severely handicapped.

Here's hoping his eye problems are sorted out soon! I sympathize - I've lived with the threat of blindness since I was 35 and OH doesn't drive.
We're now in a village with all amenities for wrinklies so I have no excuse and the children are nudging me gently in the no-driving direction (so it seems to me).

Quiksilver · #6 Post by **Quiksilver** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:55 pm

Our elderly neighbour was persuaded to give up at 86, as she was dinging the garage opening a bit frequently going in and out. A tiny lady, it was disconcerting to see a big Renault apparently driving itself along the country roads at a steady 40kmph, until you spotted the tuft of grey curls just above the lower windscreen and two hands clenched on the steering wheel

She carried on mowing on her ride-on for quite a while after that, though.

Blaze · #7 Post by **Blaze** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 5:05 pm

We know an 80 year old, an alcoholic, who's been done several times for drink driving. He wrote off his own car not so long ago and has just written off his wife's by driving into a stationary Mercedes. The damage to the Merc was so considerable, he must have hit it at quite a speed. This time the police were involved - he was breathalysed and the book is being thrown at him. His insurance is invalidated, he will have to find the means to pay the Merc's owner, court fees and fine. He's likely to be banned for life this time. In the meantime, he and his wife are living in a rented flat while their lotissement house is being built. His younger wife is not happy ....

Bayleaf · #8 Post by **Bayleaf** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 5:12 pm

In the UK, don't you have to be medically checked every so often after a certain age to keep your driving licence? Does that exist in France?

I remember years ago, we'd turned off the main road to go up a side road. An elderly gent was on the grass between the main road and the little side road we were on. He started reversing towards us, and I was saying (as OH was driving), "He's coming straight back towards us - he's not going to stop". OH in his wisdom, said "Of course he'll stop". Well, he didn't, and he reversed straight into the front, near side of our car. Thankfully it wasn't at any speed, but there was enough damage. The old boy was profusely sorry, and was happily filling out the insurance forms, when he then stated he can't turn his head to look back (ever heard of mirrors?!)

A.N.Other · #9 Post by **A.N.Other** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 7:22 pm

Bayleaf wrote: ↑Thu Aug 25, 2022 5:12 pm In the UK, don't you have to be medically checked every so often after a certain age to keep your driving licence? Does that exist in France?

The photocard licences have a duration of 15 years but many, quite possibly millions, will still be using old paper licences which had no expiry date at all and therefore will not be subject to medicals or health checks of any sort.

manonthemoon2 · #10 Post by **manonthemoon2** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 9:27 pm

An elderly lady reversed into me the other day in the supermarket car park. I was stationery waiting for her to turn right.

She obviously mis judged the turn so started to reverse, bang.

She didn't want to fill out the constat, she said she would pay for the damage.

However I insisted, we filled the form and drew a picture. She admitted it was her fault. I asked her to write that on the form, I've never seen a driving licence like hers before, goodness knows how old it is, and it had no date of expiry.

I'm waiting for a devis from our garage, I think she will be shocked because even though it's only a scratch and a dented number plate, the garage said the entire front has to be resprayed.

Update: devis says 396,85€.
Not sure she will still want to pay for it.

Added a photo where you can just about see the scratch

France in Focus

France in Focus