I've just stopped driving after 73 years !

I first learned to drive in the Army in December 1942.
The place was Whitby on the Yorkshire coast and the driving was part of the Driver/Operator's course.

When I left the Army in 1947 I just swapped my Army certificate for a civilian driving licence and so never ever passed an actual British driving test !

What made me actually stop was the fact that I'd recently made an error of judgement when leaving a supermarket car park that resulted in a virtual trashing of my Toyota Yaris and the car was literally a write-off. I took this as a sign from the gods that enough was enough and that my driving days were over.

I shall miss the car, of course, but my family have been very supportive and I have to fight off offers of lifts.

My local mini-cab firm has been used to my many demands over the last two years and now they will get even more business from me. It's also nice to stop paying prohibitive car insurance and it's better for my health if I walk instead of driving to my local shops.

How long have you been driving ?

Ron

 

Hi Ron

Wise decision and glad to see you accept it. a bit more exercise will be good too!
I have not been driving as long as you, only 34 years!

regards

Robert

 

Hi Ron,

My Dad, who is 80 this year has just made a similar decision. The loss of independence can be difficult, but as he told me, I was beginning to make silly errors and I would hate to be responsible for hurting someone.

Best wishes

Steve

 

Good for you Ron, congrats.

I have been driving for 47 years. If by chance I suddenly became wealthy, I would immediately hire a driver.


PUT

 

Owen

As my speed at the time was less than 5 miles per hour fortunately it was only my dignity that suffered !

Thanks for the enquiry anyway.

Ron

 

Glad to hear you're ok Ron, as I say to people on a weekly basis, sometimes when I'm sat in their car behind them while they are having the roof of their car removed by the fire service, "Cars can be replaced, people can't".

I passed my driving test on the 6th June 1988-It really was my D-Day !

 

Well said Andy. So true.

Incidentally, did they subject you to the dreaded Emergency Stop on your test....or instead make you do a deep wade under fire?

 

You have mentioned learning to drive round Whitby before. If you can drive there you can drive anywhere. The hills are steep and the lanes narrow. The fog is thick, so is the snow. There were hills where drivers would stop, turn round and continue up in reverse, this being the lowest gear.

I learnt to drive round there in 1957 but never took a test. The Driving Examiners were taken off to supervise petrol rationing during the Suez Crisis. When the crisis was over there was such a back log that we were given a full licence.

My father, who died seven years ago at 97, never gave up driving although eventually he never went very far or very fast. He never took a driving test either since he had a licence before tests were introduced. You went to the police station, paid five shillings and got a licence.

Driving is not as much fun as it used to be. Who drives out into the country and has a nice quite picnic by a road side these days?

Mike.

 

Passed my Army test - Feb 43 - never had a scratch - so far - and still drive 100 miles round trip most Sundays to church along the busiest highway in Canada - and allow the idiots to go first - it's

safer - but getting tiring so i am thinking of getting a driver - a taxi for that time would cost about $300 - which is a lot weekly…...

cheers

 

Well done Ron and Tom, for driving so long.
I passed my test in 1962 - 6 months pregnant, I think the tester was scared to fail me in case I gave birth on the spot.
Accident free until last week, my little Modus is a write- off too. A lapse of concentration on my part, so I'm thinking of giving up , but we live out in the wilds with no public transport.
Night driving and motorway driving are definitely out now.

 

I passed my test in July 1974-best thing I ever did. My first husband, who died in the 90's, was very ill for some years and I had to drive him to Leeds for kidney dialysis 3 times a week. The upside of my trips to the Leeds General Infirmary was that the chap in charge of the car park at A&E got to know me well and used to save me a parking place whilst I collected my husband from hospital . Now I don't have to travel to work anymore I only use the car for local trips.

I always thought my dad couldn't drive at all, we never had a car and money was tight, because if we ever went on holiday when I was a kid, we used to take the train to Bridlington, or he got a mate to take us in his car. He obviously could drive as now I know he passed courses in May 1942 for 15 cwt trucks and carriers


Lesley

Edit: Just realised that it's nearly 42 years I've been driving, blimey

 

Good to hear you are OK and taken the decision to dump the car.

Our friend of 95 next door still drives. The Pub for a drink on a Friday, one club on a Saturday to play snooker and another club on a Sunday to play dominoes. He also goes to the supermarket if he really has to. None of these trips is more than a three mile return journey.

He has three rules; never drive in the dark, do not drink more than 2 pints, do not exceed 30 MPH.

We all suggest he should stop but like with all us old folk the more people tell you something is a good idea the less attractive it becomes.

Brian

 

A great record!! Congratulations! But a difficult and, probably, wise decision. My father in law had a not dissimilar 'issue', and decided to give up. He now has a mobility scooter which has given him great freedom, and he goes out on his own on some long rides.

Interestingly there was an article in the most recent issue of the Institute of Advanced Motorists' magazine on the subject of older drivers, to which I attach a link here.

http://www.iam.org.uk/media-and-research/media-centre/news-archive/20753-independence-and-mobility-key-for-older-drivers-iam-report-finds

 

I am sure your farther in law is very responsible. However given the way mobility scooters are driven around this area I would prefer most car owners back on the road. Seems we have a batch of retired KamiKazi Pilots living in Bridlington. Between them and the cyclists there is little opportunity for pedestrians to walk safely anywhere.

 

It's a good thing if you can still walk to the shops, Ron. For slightly longer journeys can you make use of the free bus pass concession for Seniors?

 

Hope all ok Ron
Been driving 40 years but still need to pass my driving test though