Onlookers could not believe their eyes as an elderly couple got lost and twice drove their car over Torquay's narrow harbour footbridge.
Police say it was sheer luck the car didn't end up in the drink after the pensioners took their wrong turn. They drove:
OUT of the car park.
OVER the busy old fish quay and paths, then
ON TO the showpiece 50-metre pedestrian bridge.
Bemused witnesses say the couple, who were thought to be visitors, even honked their horn on their return bridge trip to get another elderly couple out of the way.
The incident occurred at midday on Sunday when witnesses say the couple left the Pavilion car park in their green Ford Focus.
The incident was reported to police who say the registered keeper of the car was not local.
As no complaint was made, no further action is likely.
The Action that should be taken is that all drivers over 70 and every two years after that should be required to take an assesment lesson with a local driving school. If the instructor thinks they are OK then fine. If not then they should have a test with a Department of Transport Examinor who would have the final say regarding their continuing to hold a driving licence.
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Tuesday, 13 June 2006
Who Drove a Car Over the Footbridge?
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6 return tickets:
Good point David, But I think the age limit should be 65. Too many times these people say they have never been involved in an accident but drive merrily into the sunset probably having caused hundreds behind them.
Yep, I'd agree that some sort of assesment should be required at a certain age. My ex gran-in-law never even passed a test! Apparently it wasn't required when she learned to drive, and she was in her 80s when she stopped driving. She was actually quite a good driver, but there are always horror stories in the newspapers about elderly drivers who drive the wrong way down motorways completely oblivious to oncoming traffic and police cars behind them.
Too right.
People always moan about the young driver being a menace - and some are, however more "oldies" are as bad if not more so.
As you say, if they are assessed but a Driving Instructor and if required a Driving Examiner and then they still fail, that the end of the road for them.
I wondr what Driving Instructor at http://ukadi.blogspot.com/ has to say?
I'll ask him and let you know.
Personally I would say that the goverment should consider a scheme where anyone who has held a license for say 10 years needs to be assessed.
While it might me true that the elderly can be a bit dangerous, I have seen more younger and 'experienced' drivers doing stupid things. The fact that they got away with it either because of luck or the better driving of aanother driver, doesn't make them any better.
Unfortunately the true fact is that for practical reasons, we probably won't see anything done for a while.
Giving ADI's the power to re-assess individuals will not go down well with the public, not to think of the fact that the system could be abused.
The DSA on the other hand can even cope with driving tests, not to think of having to do re-assessments, and you'd be surprised how many drivers there are over the age of 70.
Talking of age, why 70, not 60, or even 50?
I mean't to say the DSA CAN't cope with driving tests.
Maybe this function will be outsourced to a private company?
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