Walsall locals have had their say after a recent survey uncovered that some Brits think drivers should have their licence automatically revoked at the age of 50 because they're too 'old' to drive.
Category
š
NewsTranscript
00:00If you could just say anything to the people that are basically saying that you shouldn't be allowed to drive in X amount of years, what would you say to them?
00:08Mind your own business.
00:13I live in Cannock, my name's Vic Guy, and I'm 65.
00:16Describe that strongly because you're going to take away people's independence, which is very important to people.
00:22Independence is more important than a lot of things to people.
00:25And let's face it, as you get older, 90% of the people, they start to slow down, they start to get more sensible.
00:31Not everybody, but a lot of people start to slow down and get more sensible.
00:35So I think, you know, I don't think there should be an age limit.
00:38It depends on your competence, your health, and whether or not your eyesight's good enough.
00:43Would you be in favour, just generally speaking, of additional tests as people get older to measure that balance?
00:50I would, again, I would say 60, I think, is too young.
00:55People are supposed to be living longer, aren't they?
00:58So I think 60's too young. I mean, I still work, and I'm just driving.
01:01I drive for work.
01:02Tell me to take another test.
01:04To drive for work would put real pressure on me, you know what I mean, and other people who drive for work.
01:10Most people don't retire till 66, so they'll need to drive at least till 66.
01:15So I would say, if you're going to retest, then you've got to be looking at late 70's, 80's, especially in this day and age.
01:22But obviously, I mean, you've still got all the, you know, the eyesight tests and every bunch of things you have to go through.
01:27And I've no doubt, if you go to your doctor and there's something not right with you, your doctor will tell you to, you know, pack in,
01:34or they'll send a letter to DVLA saying that you need to stop.
01:37My reaction to them would be, do they want to support me?
01:41Do they want to pay my bills?
01:43Do they want to do everything that I do for myself?
01:46Because otherwise, well, obviously, you've got nothing else, have you?
01:50The bus services aren't up to it.
01:52The train services aren't up to it, you know.
01:56Do you want to sit next to the bike on the bus who's shouting?
01:59You don't, do you?
02:00You know what I mean?
02:01And it just takes real independence.
02:03You know, I can come out to shopping today.
02:05I can buy all my stuff I need, put it in the back of my car and go home.
02:09Otherwise, I've got to pay for a taxi or I've got to wait for a bus.
02:13I've got to carry all the heavy bags on the bus.
02:15And as you get older, you can't do that sort of physical thing.
02:18I mean, to be fair, I think, if anything, restrictions maybe should be put on younger drivers when they first start.
02:24A bit like the motorbikes, you know, where, like you say, when you first pass your tests, you can have a one-litre car for a year,
02:31a two-litre car the year after, you know.
02:34Perhaps that would be more safe.
02:36My name is Simona. I'm from Romania.
02:38I'm 42 years old and I'm a stay-at-home mum and a student.
02:45I'm nearly to that age and I'm still trying to get my driver's licence, so I don't agree with that.
02:52I think it's just too soon not to drive.
02:55Of course, if it's a health problem that will put others at risk, of course, yeah, it can be anytime.
03:04You can be, I don't know, 20 and not be allowed to drive.
03:11But I think there are people that are quite able to drive over 60.
03:17But roughly speaking, what kind of age would you say might be getting a bit too old?
03:22Or is that, is there not an age?
03:24I don't know. Sometimes I'm seeing people in traffic that probably are around 90s.
03:31And I will be a bit afraid, first of all, for them, because you never know what happens.
03:39A stroke, I don't know, whatever, and then you put everybody else at risk.
03:44But I cannot really say a limit.
03:48It's just, I think, common sense as well.
03:51If you wake up in the morning and feel like you're not too well and not able to do that, you should...
03:58Would you be in favour of, for example, let's say at age 70, people are asked to do a retest to judge if they're still as competent as they were?
04:07Definitely.
04:08Definitely for a retest. So not in favour of the cap of 50, but would be in favour of a retest at age 70?
04:1565, 70.
04:1765, 70.
04:18My name is Ty, I'm from Warsaw and I'm 21 years old.
04:21My reaction to 50, I wouldn't say 50 is too old.
04:25No?
04:26I would say the oldest would be about, me personally, about 60.
04:3160?
04:32Because that's when they get their mobility skills.
04:34I would say give them the chance to retest, 100%.
04:36Chance to retest at 60.
04:37Because then it's going off of their capability.
04:40My name is Anna, I'm 40 years old, I'm living in Warsaw.
04:46To be fair, not really, 50, it's still OK, I think.
04:51Yeah, and I think 65.