Old German drivers — a risk on the streets? - video Dailymotion

DW (English)

There’s no mandatory health check for older drivers in Germany. But when they’re involved in an accident, they’re the main cause in two out of three cases.

Transcript

00:01Slamming on the brakes. For practice.

00:05How did it feel?

00:06Everything vibrated. Insane.

00:1174-year-old Barbara is taking part in a driving safety workshop for seniors close to Berlin.

00:17On today's schedule, emergency braking, steering technique and collision avoidance.

00:23This is my first time doing a training session in the car.

00:27Because I think it's interesting and might give me more of a sense of safety at this age.

00:33Most of today's sick students have been driving for over 40 years and are taking part voluntarily.

00:39I'm here today because my children gave me the driver safety training course as a birthday present

00:45so that grandpa could add to his driving skills and become more careful on the road.

00:51Driving trainer Thomas Kipp supervises the class and gives some practical advice.

00:57You could move backwards a little, but not much.

01:03The participants have already spent most of their lives driving vehicles,

01:08have had their own experiences during this time,

01:11and if they're honest, they'll have noticed one or two bad road habits that have crept in.

01:15In Germany, once you've got your license, you're basically good for life.

01:22In other European countries, such as Spain, Italy and Denmark,

01:25regular health checks become mandatory from a certain age in order to renew a driving license.

01:31I'm against a general regulation that prescribes the age at which you're no longer allowed to drive.

01:36Once you hit a certain age, you should want to test yourself in order not to endanger yourself or others.

01:47Statistics show that drivers over 65 in Germany are involved in accidents less frequently,

01:53possibly also because they drive fewer miles on average.

01:57But when accidents occur, they are at fault in about two-thirds of cases.

02:01But Barbara is optimistic that she won't be part of that statistic.

02:07I think I'm always ready to react properly now.

02:11The training was a success for everyone.

02:14All of today's seniors are staying on the road.

Old German drivers — a risk on the streets?

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