After reading that the driver of the bus which crashed in Coventry tragically killing 2 people over the weekend is 77 years old surely someone of that age should not be able to drive a PSV or HGV in today’s motoring environment? Especially with deadlines/timetables to stick to, stress from other drivers and situations and in a bus enviroment stress from other passengers and distractions which can cause any person of any age to not be working at full capacity even more so an OAP of 77.
Not saying the driver has done anything to cause the accident but his reaction levels and alertness would be nowhere near that of a person half his age or younger. I also hope it’s not the case where he has had to carry on working at the age he is because he can’t afford to retire and enjoy what life he has left due to successive governments basically wanting us to carry on working until we are fit for knackers yard 
At that age he is on annual medicals. He is more fit to drive than the hundreds of thousands of OAPs with ordinary car licenses who simply tick a box to say they’re still fit to drive when they’re 70.
Conor:
At that age he is on annual medicals. He is more fit to drive than the hundreds of thousands of OAPs with ordinary car licenses who simply tick a box to say they’re still fit to drive when they’re 70.
+1
We are likely to hear more cases like this due to the compulsory age retirement laws being changed
I may be old school but I reckon we should all be made to retire at a certain age which would then allow more jobs for those youngsters starting out
And don’t forget the many younger truck drivers who go for a medical with some doctor in a pub cark who has no knowledge of their medical history but appears to be fit enough on the day.
We’ve got a agency driver who is 74, honestly fit as a butchers dog so he is. Does every thing that’s put in front of him never complains. Fell off the top of a decker last Christmas doing a delivery and was back in 2 weeks later no “compo” put in, no nothing. Our manager went to see him at the hospital and the doctors where shocked at his age and that he doesn’t take any medication for anything!
I ask him what his secret is and he just says he plods along 
Age does matter but there are exceptions to the rule and you can’t just judge a book by its cover.
raymundo:
And don’t forget the many younger truck drivers who go for a medical with some doctor in a pub cark who has no knowledge of their medical history but appears to be fit enough on the day.
That could easily be remedied if there was a law that your own GP must do the medical at a reasonable max cost - say £50
I use to manage a driver that was 74 and was low loader driving heavy duty quarry machines up and down the country.
I also meet loads guys now that’s working well past the retirement age.
I just think I hope to god I can hang keys up or cut down to part time hours way before my late 60s
you can thank our wonderful goverments for raiding all our pension funds, presiding over economic resecions etc so we all end up working until we drop instead of retiring at 60/65
Notimetoulouse:
you can thank our wonderful goverments for raiding all our pension funds, presiding over economic resecions etc so we all end up working until we drop instead of retiring at 60/65
Yeah, wait until a government decided to “borrow” some funds from the now compulsory almost pension funds.
I don’t think old age should be a bar to driving provided you are capable and it might keep some people fit and active.
Watched a lot of the 75years since the Battle of Britain commemoration and they were talking to some of the few remaining pilots and ground crews, all will be in their 90’s and all seemed to be pretty switched on and when I was gliding a few years ago many of the people were in their 70’ or even 80’s, not that you’d guess it buy the way they acted, especially in the bar in the evenings. I think if you’d taken the flying away from them they wouldn’t last long.
The same goes with a few of the older truck drivers I know, there is one who is 74 years old who drives a racecar manufactures support truck across Europe. Got to say it is the cushiest job you could imagine, but then at 74 I reckon he’s earned it, although I do take the micky telling him I’m after his job, when I pretend to shake the ladder when he’s polishing the truck. 
again I reckon if he didn’t have this job he’d probably wouldn’t last long.
If anyone wanted my job they could have it with pleasure so I could go sit on my arse for days on end doing absolutely nothing, 
hang on a mo !! that’s what I do now for most of the month I’m here and still get full wages so will withdraw the first bit 
Notimetoulouse:
you can thank our wonderful goverments for raiding all our pension funds, presiding over economic resecions etc so we all end up working until we drop instead of retiring at 60/65
It was actually Gordon Brown’s changes to tax relief on pension funds which led to the end of final salary schemes and reduced the returns schemes could make.
Subsequent governments can’t afford to reverse these changes as it would cost billions.
Tony Bradfield retired 3 months ago at aged 82 and was still doing two Morocco’s a month….fit as a butchers dog
There was a chap on my dcpc who was in his late 70s, and to give him his due he slept through as much of it as any of the young guns.
merc0447:
We’ve got a agency driver who is 74, honestly fit as a butchers dog so he is. Does every thing that’s put in front of him never complains. Fell off the top of a decker last Christmas doing a delivery and was back in 2 weeks later no “compo” put in, no nothing. Our manager went to see him at the hospital and the doctors where shocked at his age and that he doesn’t take any medication for anything!I ask him what his secret is and he just says he plods along
Age does matter but there are exceptions to the rule and you can’t just judge a book by its cover.
A man after my own heart, I’m over 72, and apart from diet controlled type 2 diabetes I’m not on any medication and am happiest doing the long runs at our place, I’ve just got back from my usual Sunday night, tip Middlesboro’ , tip Washington, load out of Team Valley then back home to Stoke.
After doing 12 years middle east, this is only local work!
iv always thought that you should be forced to retire at 65 by law. as said above this would free up jobs currently being hogged by oldies.
i personally know a guy of 74 recently started taxi work. hes now got really sh/tty if i talk to him,just waving hello was all i did
now he had been ritired ages, 14 plate fiesta typical retiree
now suddenly hes got 02 Zafira taxi
corij:
iv always thought that you should be forced to retire at 65 by law. as said above this would free up jobs currently being hogged by oldies.
That’s a load of crap !! and see if you still say the same when and if you get to that age and still fit and alert enough to do the job 
raymundo:
corij:
iv always thought that you should be forced to retire at 65 by law. as said above this would free up jobs currently being hogged by oldies.That’s a load of crap !! and see if you still say the same when and if you get to that age and still fit and alert enough to do the job
+1 When they bought in the pension age most male workers wouldn’t actually reach it, and many that did wouldn’t have many years left or be very healthy in those years. Many of us now are likely to live past 80 years old and probably be far healthier at 65 than our parents or at least grandparents were at 55.
I personally want the choice and not be forced into retirement if I don’t want it, although the truth will be more likely I’ll keep working, but as much because I have to than want to.
raymundo:
corij:
iv always thought that you should be forced to retire at 65 by law. as said above this would free up jobs currently being hogged by oldies.That’s a load of crap !! and see if you still say the same when and if you get to that age and still fit and alert enough to do the job
YOUR opinions are a load of ill informed crap but do you hear me bangin on about it ?