this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023
916 points (99.4% liked)

Europe

8484 readers
1 users here now

News/Interesting Stories/Beautiful Pictures from Europe ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ

(Current banner: Thunder mountain, Germany, ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช ) Feel free to post submissions for banner pictures

Rules

(This list is obviously incomplete, but it will get expanded when necessary)

  1. Be nice to each other (e.g. No direct insults against each other);
  2. No racism, antisemitism, dehumanisation of minorities or glorification of National Socialism allowed;
  3. No posts linking to mis-information funded by foreign states or billionaires.

Also check out !yurop@lemm.ee

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

The European Union wants elderly people (70+) to undergo medical tests from now on to prove that they are still capable of driving a car every five years. However, the proposal has been met with a lot of criticism.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] doctron@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Is there evidence that elder people cause more accidents than younger? I only find opposite data, e.g. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37292951

[โ€“] Lapislazuli@feddit.de 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

There is a difference why these accidents happen. Young people cause accidents because they are more often risky drivers. Older people more often cause accidents because their cognitive abilities decrease with age.

With driving tests you can reduce the number of accidents for the latter but not the former.

[โ€“] RGB3x3@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

For sure older drivers must indirectly cause accidents too. They pull out too slowly in front of people, they don't move with the flow of traffic which causes slowdowns, and they swerve into other lanes without turn signals. None of these may cause accidents with them, but can cause other people to end up in accidents because of the unpredictability.

I fully support more frequent tests for people whose cognition is declining.

I actually also support more frequent tests for everybody because there are a lot of people who should NOT be allowed to drive just because they're so bad and/or dangerous. Driving is a privilege, not a right, which comes with very serious consequences when done poorly.

[โ€“] addie@feddit.uk 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Not sure I agree with both parts of your premise, there. Young drivers can pass their tests, and then on the first day that they have their license, go out in some Lamborghini supercar unsupervised on the motorway, finances allowing. It encourages a 'I have this bit of plastic, I'm as good as anyone' mentality; together with the general impetuosity of youth, you get the risky, accident-causing behaviour.

Compare that to a motorbike license - pass driving theory and CBT, and then a practical test, and you get the bog-standard licence to ride a chicken-chaser moped. You can then work your way up the licences, with minimum age requirements and time for holding each, until you have access to the big bikes, finances allowing. Make car drivers do the same, that'll cut down on the risky behaviour and the scale of the accidents that they could cause.

Admittedly, about the shittiest car that you can buy now will still do a hundred miles an hour, so you'd need some artificial limitations on power and which roads you can use..

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1056066/how-to-get-a-motorcycle-licence.pdf