4.1    Specific Rules for Drivers and Motorcyclists

There is no
upper age limit that dictates when a person must stop driving.

However,
your driving licence will automatically expire on your 70th birthday. After
this, you will need to renew it (free of charge) every three years. In order to
help people reapply for their licence, the DVSA sends the relevant application
form 90 days before their 70th birthday. Usually, there is no legal requirement
for a driver to resit either their practical or theory test, before they can
receive a new licence. However, some will be asked to undertake an assessment
of driving ability, if warranted by their medical condition. Although it will
vary between individuals, as a rule, when people get older, their driving
patterns change.

For instance

They may
have more time to drive, once they have retired. Experience often works in a
driver's favour, and older adults have usually had more years behind the wheel.
At the same time, they are more likely to suffer from medical conditions that
impair their ability to drive. Vision, hearing and motor skills usually decline
as people get older, and they are more likely to be taking medication that has
the potential to cause side effects that can impair driving ability.

 

Due to the
inevitable impairments that come with aging, older drivers are more likely to have
trouble in certain situations, compared to younger drivers.  These include making left turns, changing
lanes and navigating junctions. The good news is that they are less likely to
be involved in crashes caused by alcohol use, driving over the speed limit and
driving at night. However, the risk o crashes rises with age, especially after
age seventy-five.

 

Fortunately,
the rate of crashes among aged adults 65 and over has gone down in recent
years. Research suggests that this drop is due to a number of factors. These
include an overall improvement in health among this age group; cars have become
safer and roads in general have become less dangerous. Ultimately, it is up to
an individual and their doctor to decide whether they are capable of driving to
an acceptable standard.

Fact

There are
more than 5 million drivers over the age of 70 in the UK.

Source: BBC
News

 

4.3   
Safety Considerations and How to Reduce the Risk of a Collision

Tiredness

The DVSA
stresses that tiredness is a major factor in collisions and advises that you do
not drive, if you are feeling tired. It is better to get a good night's sleep,
before setting out on a long journey. You should also avoid undertaking  journeys between midnight and 6 am because,
at this time, your natural alertness will be low. You should plan your journey,
to ensure that you will get at least 15 minutes' worth of rest for every two
hours of driving.

If you
should start feeling sleepy at any time, stop in a safe place, at the next
available opportunity. You should not stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway.
Caffeine and naps are the best ways to counter sleepiness, but you should
always put your safety and that of others first - it is better to stop and rest
for the night than carry on, despite feeling tired.

Eyesight

The law
specifies that drivers and riders must be able to read a vehicle number plate,
in good daylight, from a distance of 20 metres(or 20.5metres in the case of
an old style number plate).If you need to wear glasses or contact lenses, in
order to do this, the law stipulates that you must wear them at all times
whilst driving. If they feel it necessary, the police have the power to order a
driver to undertake a sight test.

If you are
dazzled by bright sunlight, you must always slow down or stop. During the night
or at other times of poor visibility, do not use tinted glasses, lenses or
visors, if there is any chance that they will impede your vision.

Alcohol

The
Government is also very clear in its stance on alcohol and drug use, in
relation to driving. You must not drink and drive because it will seriously
affect your driving ability. When you are under the influence of alcohol, you
will be less competent in assessing your speed and the speed of other road
users, and you are more likely to take risks. Alcohol gives you a sense of
false confidence, impairs physical and mental co-ordination and slows down your
reaction times. The law sets out specific blood-alcohol levels that must not be
exceeded by any driver or rider.

In England
and Wales, you must not drive with a breath-alcohol level higher than 35
microgrammes/100millilitres of breath or a blood alcohol level of more than 80 milligrammes /100 millilitres of blood.In Scotland, the legal limits are lower.
You must not drive with a breath-alcohol level higher than 22 microgrammes/100
millilitres of breath or a blood-alcohol level of more than 50 milligrammes/100
millilitres of blood.

 You need to
bear in mind that it takes time for alcohol to leave the body, so you may be
unfit to drive in the evening, after drinking at lunchtime, or in the morning,
after drinking the previous evening. According to the NHS, it takes approximately
one hour for a unit of alcohol to leave the human body. However, this depends
on a number of other factors, such as an individual's gender, age, health,
metabolism and even ethnic background.

The best
solution is not to drink at all, when planning to drive because any amount of
alcohol affects your ability to drive safely. If you are going to drink,
arrange another means of transport.

Medication/Drugs

If you are
taking prescription medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist, and, if
you are advised that you may be impaired, do not drive. It is also illegal to
drive, if you have illegal drugs or certain medications in your blood, above
specified limits.Never take illegal drugs, if you intend to drive -if the
effects are unpredictable but can be even more severe than alcohol and can
result in fatal or serious road crashes. Illegal drugs have been specified at
very low levels, so even small amounts could be over the legal limits.

The limits
for certain medication have been specified at higher levels, above the levels
generally found in the blood of patients who have taken normal therapeutic
doses. If you are found to have a concentration of a drug above its specified
limit in your blood because you have been prescribed or legitimately supplied
with a particularly high dose of medication, you can raise a statutory medical
defence, if the case were to go to court, provided that your driving was not impaired
by the medication. However, it is better to consult with your doctor or
pharmacist, whenever you start taking a new medication or start taking an
increased dose.

Activity 1:
Driving and Prescription Drugs

Estimated
time: 5+ minutes

It is illegal
to drive under the influence of drugs or medicine that have the potential to
impair your driving ability. Imagine that you have been diagnosed with a
long-term condition and have been advised by your doctor that you will need to
take daily medication for an indefinite period of time. What questions, if any,
would you ask the doctor, before you next get behind the wheel?

4.4   
Pre-journey Checks

You should
follow particular procedures and make standard checks, before setting off on
your journey.

Your vehicle
must be roadworthy. You should make sure that you know in advance how you
intend to get to your destination and that you have allowed enough time to get
there, without having to exceed the speed limit.

You also
need to make sure that you have enough fuel, before setting out on your
journey. This is particularly important, if you are planning to drive on a
motorway. It is very dangerous to lose power, whilst driving in fast traffic.
If necessary, make sure that you know the location of one or more petrol
stations at which you can stop en route to your location.

It is
important that you can operate the vehicle controls correctly, at all times, so
make sure that your clothing and footwear are appropriate for driving.

For example

High-heeled
shoes should not be worn when driving a car.If you are driving a vehicle that
is unfamiliar to you, make sure that you know exactly how to operate the
controls, before setting off.

Make sure
that you are comfortable in your seat and can move freely, as required. Ensure
that the seat and mirrors are properly adjusted, so that you can see clearly
and feel comfortable, at all times. Pay attention to the head restraints
because they will only offer you proper protection during a collision, if they
are correctly adjusted. Poorly-fitting restraints can also cause stress,
injury  and tension to your head and
neck.

Finally, you
must switch off your phone and remove any other sources of distraction. It is
illegal to use your phone whilst driving or using a motorcycle, unless you have
hands-free access. The law still applies, if you have stopped at traffic
lights, are queuing in traffic or are supervising a learner driver.

4.5   
Towing Another Vehicle and Carrying Heavy Loads

 As a driver,
you may sometimes want or need to tow a trailer or other vehicle.

By law, you
are not allowed to tow more than the weight stipulated by your licence. Those
who have passed their driving tests after 1 January 1997 are restricted with
regards to the trailer weight that they can tow.

Specifically,
if you passed your car driving test on or after this date, you can drive a car
or van up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM), whilst towing a trailer of
up to 750kg MAM, and tow a trailer over 750kg MAM, as long as the combined MAM
of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg. If you want or need
to tow anything heavier, you will need to pass the car and trailer driving
test.

Regardless
of the vehicle's actual weight, you should not overload it. You should always
consult the manufacturer's handbook, and never tow a weight greater than that
specified therein. All loads must be secure, and nothing must stick out in such
a way that it poses an actual or potential hazard. It is illegal to tow a load
in a dangerous manner. Make sure any heavy or sharp objects and any animals are
safely secured. If there is a collision, they might hit someone inside the
vehicle and cause serious injury.

You should
properly distribute the weight in your caravan or trailer, with heavy items
mainly over the axle(s), and ensure a downward load on the tow ball. The
manufacturer's recommended weight and tow ball load should not be exceeded.
This should avoid the possibility of swerving or driving in a jerky manner, and
going out of control. If this does happen, ease off the accelerator, and gently
reduce speed, in order to regain control.

Bear in mind
that carrying a load or pulling a trailer may require you to adjust your
headlights. In the event of a breakdown, be aware that towing a vehicle on a tow
rope is potentially dangerous. You should consider professional recovery, as
opposed to attempting to move the vehicle yourself.

If seat
belts are fitted in a car, van or other goods vehicle, the law specifies that
they must be worn. By law, adults and children aged 14 must use seat belts or
child restraints, where fitted, when seated in minibuses, buses and coaches. Exemptions
are allowed for the holders of medical exemption certificates and those making
deliveries or collections in goods vehicles, when travelling less than 50
metres (approx. 162 feet). There are specific seat belt requirements that apply
to passengers of various ages.

Activity 2:
What Do You Know About Child Safety?

Estimated
time: 5+ minutes

Before you
read the information in the table below, consider how much you already know
about the safety requirements in regards to carrying children in a car, van or
goods vehicle.

Drivers who
are carrying children in cars, vans and other goods vehicles should also ensure
the following:

* Children
get into the vehicle through the door nearest the kerb

* Child
restraints are properly fitted as per the manufacturer's instructions

 * Children should not sit behind the rear seats
in an estate car or hatchback, unless a special child       seat has been fitted

 * Child safety door locks, where fitted, are
used, when children are in the vehicle

 Children must be supervised and kept under
control, at all times. An unrestrained or noisy child can be highly distracting
to the driver and therefore very dangerous. If a child is distracting you, pull
over at the next available opportunity, and resolve the problem, before continuing.
Remember that children often need more toilet and rest breaks than adult
passengers, so account for this, when planning your journey.