Are drivers mental or what ?

Yes old girl, Admittedly two older drivers have had accidents and killed two people, then come the outcry for older people to take tests before getting their licences reissued. Theres not been a demand for younger people to retake tests and as you say, loads of young people have accidents and kill people.

Amidst all the talk of older drivers being tested. I have had a licence for 60 years and am aware that I will not be as sharp  as before. Some years ago I tried to find an official test to prove my road wothiness. There ain't one!  I get a driving assessment with a friendly class1 pollice driver, and when he says I am not fit I shall stop.  Till then I still  tow my van, but restrict my travel to no more than 200 miles in one day.

Discoil, Yes I actually knew that, but the fact is that they normally completely overpower the operation of the brake lights and in poor conditions of driving rain and spray especially at night, following drivers often do not see they brake lights coming on for a few vital milliseconds.

Believe me I have had to deal with the result of that far too many times!

Why argue about such a mute point?

TF

CY, for what it's worth I've driven hire cars that have the rear fog lights on the main lights stick as an individual twist addition(like a ring on a finger)-one twist forward-front fogs, further twist forward rear fog light.

Hers too. Found it yesterday. 

 ..., but the fact is that they normally completely overpower the operation of the brake lights and in poor conditions of driving rain and spray especially at night, following drivers often do not see they brake lights coming on for a few vital milliseconds. ....

I still can't think of a good reason why we even need them. In 'only' 36 yrs of driving I can count the time on one hand - & still have fingers left - when fog has been that bad that I've not been able to see the car's normal tail lights. If a county the size of America doesn't see the need for them .....

MM, I agree,- their misuse causes more accidents than they save!

TF

On a related note, some VAG group cars have very poorly designed rear indicator and brake lights arranged concentrically in the same light assembly. Quite difficult to see indicator light when brake light is also illuminated.

In my opinion the official testing of "older" (what constitutes older, by the way?) drivers will NEVER happen.

Imagine the backlash of the "grey/silver" voters on any government that decided to bring it in.

It would be impossible to administer. The delay in getting a driving test is apparently very long these days. Imagin the chaos if you suddenly required millions of extra tests. The system would go into melt down!

TF

It would be impossible to administer. The delay in getting a driving test is apparently very long these days. Imagin the chaos if you suddenly required millions of extra tests. The system would go into melt down!

TF

Quite correct TF. waiting time for a driving test is between 8 & 10 weeks at the moment (I believe) & that's catering for around 1.5 million tests per annum.

I've no idea how many (lets say) over 70s drivers there are in the country but the number would definitely cause the system to implode.