[noodlesUK]

Older people in the UK already have free bus passes and various other substantial concessions regarding public transport. Cars are dangerous, and if you can't see clearly, you're obviously not fit to drive. It's true that there will be negative impacts on people who will fail the eye tests, and we should be compassionate, but ultimately those people aren't safe behind the wheel, and put other peoples lives at risk, not just their own.

The practical details of implementing this are important - is the eye test done at an ordinary optician/optometrist's shop? How are the results going to be submitted to DVLA, etc.? What protections will be in place to prevent people from shopping around for a dodgy optician (as people often do with cars and MOTs)?

I think this is a reasonable and practical step in the right direction. I accept that given the shortage of driving examiners it would be impossible to require re-testing of existing drivers in the foreseeable future, but as the article says, people already get eye tests frequently and often for free, so this is something that can be done without too much additional infrastructure.

A personal anecdote: my grandfather is in his 90s and is not at all fit to drive due to cataracts and various other issues, but he still does "short journeys" because it's convenient and he feels that it's necessary. The UK has plenty of public transport options and places where people can live with amenities close by (though this is not at all universal). Most British towns and cities are very different from their US counterparts in this respect. My grandfather moved house relatively recently --in full knowledge that the house he chose would benefit from car ownership, and in full knowledge about his age. The only thing that will stop him and others like him from putting people in danger is taking away his licence. He has been told by doctors, opticians and family members that he's not safe to drive, but in the absence of any enforcement he persists. I hope that this policy comes in before he or someone else gets hurt.

[andyjohnson0]

You can anonymously report your concerns to the DVLA at [1]. Select "driver's medical". I had to do this with an elderly family member who refused to stop driving despite being manifestly physically and cognitively incapable. Its a difficult call but you may be saving someone's life.

[1] https://contact.dvla.gov.uk/driver/capture-transaction-type

[jonners00]

About 10 years ago I quietly parked my Aunt's car in her garage so the driver's side door was about 6 inches away from the garage wall and got out of the passenger door. Although she insisted she was cognitively okay to drive, turned out she wasn't cognitively okay to work out how to get back into her car.

[noodlesUK]

Thank you for this. I was mistakenly under the impression that it was not possible to raise these concerns with DVLA anonymously.

Do you know what the process that follows this looks like? Are they just asked to self-certify again? Are they told that someone has reported them (even if they aren't told who it was)?

[dfxm12]

What happens after this? Even if they lose their license, what happens to their vehicles? I ask in the context that many people drive without licenses.

[Brendan1234]

Registration of car is MW71DHM white Tesla. This lady is driving with her arm in a cast and a dog in the backseat unrestrained Number 23 OX29BL postcode

[GJR]

+1. My brother and I had to do this for my Dad. We felt awful but it was necessary.

[graemep]

> Older people in the UK already have free bus passes and various other substantial concessions regarding public transport.

Which is fine if you live somewhere where there is public transport.

[jodrellblank]

The only solution to people driving is viable alternatives to driving.

Under the previous Conservative government, half of UK bus routes ( ~8,000 ) were cancelled[1]. HS2 high speed train route phase 2 the extensions from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds - which would move freight as well as people, freeing up space on local train lines for better passenger transport - was cancelled[2]. Phase 1 of it was due to be opened in 2026-2033 timeframe but was bungled now has no planned opening time, and Reform are calling to scrap that, too. Local council budgets were reduced[3] under the austerity measures, including one consequence of 40% less transport spending. The West Coast mainline was sold from VirginRail to Italy's TrenItalia in 2019[4] (Deutsche Bahn, French SNCF and Dutch Nederlandse Spoorwegen own most of the other UK railways) although this government is bringing Rail them back into public ownership.

And Reform are promising to remove bike lanes, and scrap Low Traffic Neighbourhoods to let cars use residental roads as through-roads again[5][6].

The UK doesn't have it as bad as the USA - but that's not for lack of trying to make car the only way to move.

[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/map-bus-route...

[2] https://www.railfuture.org.uk/article1904-HS2-Phase-2-cancel...

[3] https://ifs.org.uk/news/core-funding-english-councils-still-...

[4] https://www.forbes.com/sites/davekeating/2019/08/15/almost-a...

[5] https://road.cc/content/news/reform-council-conduct-review-s...

[6] https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/lifestyle/reform-councils-...

[bell-cot]

True, though maybe that's covered by OP's "The practical details of implementing this are important...".

Then there's the fine detail of affording to live somewhere with public transport. :(

[tonyedgecombe]

You have to be pretty remote to have no public transport in the UK.

[globular-toast]

> Older people in the UK already have free bus passes and various other substantial concessions regarding public transport.

My parents live somewhere that has two buses a week. They could get to the nearest city, then come back two hours later. If they miss the return bus they'd have to wait until next week.

A lot of these things sound great until you actually look at the reality.

[jacquesm]

One of my elderly uncles was in this position, but he was a bit more responsible about it than your grandfather. His way to solve it was like this: he sold his car at a discount to someone else in the same building on the condition that when he needs transport they'll drive him. It works out well, he only uses it when he absolutely has to and the rest of the time he either walks or has stuff delivered. It was a painful decision for him but in the end it worked out well (and I'm the backup driver but I'm about 100 km away from where he lives so it would always take me at least an hour to get there).

[II2II]

> My grandfather moved house relatively recently -- in full knowledge that the house he chose would benefit from car ownership, and in full knowledge about his age.

On the other hand, my grandfather was the exact opposite. He recognized that he would have to move from the country to the city in order to live in a place with adequate public transportation and easier access to medical care. Which he did, and he lived in his own home until he passed away. Likewise, in my university days, I rented a floor in an elderly woman's house. It allowed her to remain independent in a community where she had social connections (e.g. friends and church), health care was easy to access, and everything she needed was within walking distance. To many, renting part of their house out would be unthinkable, but the alternative would be living in a place where everyone is car dependent.

Unfortunately, some people aren't planning with their current or future needs in mind. Or they are unwilling to make compromises in order to address those needs.

[Fire-Dragon-DoL]

The opposite is also true,traditional optometrists seems to do everything possible to try and find a reason for me to wear glasses (i don't, I see fine). They always want to upsell me glasses.

[deanc]

> Older people in the UK already have free bus passes and various other substantial concessions regarding public transport. Cars are dangerous, and if you can't see clearly, you're obviously not fit to drive. It's true that there will be negative impacts on people who will fail the eye tests, and we should be compassionate, but ultimately those people aren't safe behind the wheel, and put other peoples lives at risk, not just their own.

This is an absurd take. I grew up in a town of ~60,000 people in the UK. The public transport, was, and _still_ is terrible. To get to the nearby shopping center which was the only place with bowling and a movie theatre, and any shops that weren't charity shops involved 2 trains and a bus taking about an hour and a half. A drive would be 20 minutes and a negotiation with my parents to give me a lift.

Nowadays my mother is in her 70s and lives in this same town, and drives into the countryside every day to take her mental health walks. Without this, she probably wouldn't be here today. Taking her car away from her would be giving her a death sentence to rot at home on a council estate that she hates living in.

> The UK has plenty of public transport options and places where people can live with amenities close by

I mean this simply isn't true. You must live in London or a bubble.

[newdee]

But if she’s unfit to drive, should she still be allowed to drive?