Does age dull driving skills?

4:22pm Monday 14th April 2008

I WOULD like to ask the question - Are people too old to drive?' This is after suffering from a type of road rage from a very elderly gentleman whilst driving home.

I had pulled off the Bromsgrove Highway and was approaching the island that leads down to Morton Stanley Park.

I checked to my right when approaching the roundabout and observed no traffic coming so continued to negotiate the roundabout ahead only to see that in front of me - pulling out onto the roundabout from the next entrance to my left - was an indecisive gentleman driving his car.

He had seen me but, as he had half-entered the roundabout, decided to carry on, thus causing me to brake suddenly, coming to a complete halt on the roundabout whilst sounding my horn.

A hazard in itself as it was raining and there is always a lot of oil on the approach to that roundabout which easily induces a skid if braking at a high velocity.

At this moment he stopped his car, also blocking my exit and blocking the roundabout, as I was in the centre of it. He got out of his car and approached mine telling me that I didn't know the Highway Code as I should give way to traffic already on the roundabout and I should talk to a policeman to see the error of my ways.

Now when I learned to drive I was always led to believe that you should always give way to the right, unless traffic signs denote a right of way to enter a roundabout by the road markings ie: a full white line as a filter lane etc Is this not the case any more?

Correct me if I am wrong.

At the age of about 68 I would think in this day and age he would also think twice about getting out of his car to confront the driver who was in the right and air his views on the said matter Although I did not get his name or number, I would like to wish him safe motoring in future and to enlighten himself with the Highway code as it seems he needs a refresher course.

D Waldron

Redditch

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